Frederick Gordon Crosby (1885-1943) RAYMOND MAYS IN HIS BUGATTI SETS A NEW HILL RECORD AT SHELSLEY WALSH 1923 signed and dated 1923, charcoal and wash

Frederick Gordon Crosby (1885-1943) RAYMOND MAYS IN HIS BUGATTI SETS A NEW HILL RECORD AT SHELSLEY WALSH 1923 signed and dated 1923, charcoal and wash heightened with gouache, sold with a letter of provenance, framed & glazed, 20 by 33cm., 8 by 13in. (2) This original artwork was reproduced in an issue of The Autocar magazine that year and later presented to Mays by the artist. With this victory in his modified 1.5-litre Bugatti 'Courdon Rouge', Raymond Mays first achieved international recognition. He was subsequently invited to visit Ettore Bugatti at his Molsheim factory in Alsace, who could not believe that one of his engines would rev so highly. Thereafter, Mays went on to become one of Great Britain's leading racing drivers - a career that lasted until after WWII - before going on to found both the E.R.A. and B.R.M. racing car projects. 'Freddie' Gordon Crosby was a close friend who worked as the staff artist for The Autocar magazine. His work is now recognised as perfectly capturing the atmosphere and spirit of motor racing during its formative years.