Racing Helmet Worn by Dan Gurney, 1975
Add to SetSummary
Until the late 1960s, auto racing helmets provided no protection for a driver's face, leaving it exposed to flying stones and debris. Dan Gurney introduced the full-face helmet to Indianapolis and Formula One in 1968, wearing a Bell model in the Indy 500 and the German Grand Prix. Other drivers soon adopted it. Gurney wore this 1975 helmet in post-retirement races.
Until the late 1960s, auto racing helmets provided no protection for a driver's face, leaving it exposed to flying stones and debris. Dan Gurney introduced the full-face helmet to Indianapolis and Formula One in 1968, wearing a Bell model in the Indy 500 and the German Grand Prix. Other drivers soon adopted it. Gurney wore this 1975 helmet in post-retirement races.
Artifact
Crash helmet
Date Made
1975
On Exhibit
at Henry Ford Museum in Driven to Win: Racing in America
Object ID
2015.101.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Dan Gurney.
Material
Plastic
Cloth
Metal
Rubber (Material)
Polyurethane foam
Color
Black (Color)
Blue
White (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 10 in
Width: 9 in
Length: 11.5 in
Inscriptions
on sides: DAN GURNEY on sticker inside helmet: 7 5/8 Bell helmets inc. / 61 Centimeters on sticker inside helmet: 1975 / APPRIOVED BY SHELL MEMORIAL FOUNDATION / A 0725543 on sticker inside helmet: VEHICLE USER'S HELMET / WARNING / NO HELMET CAN PROTECT THE WEARER AGAINST ALL FORESEEABLE IMPACTS / [...] on sticker inside helmet: SAFETY HELMET COUNCIL OF AMERICA / 1439559
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