Valentino Musetti race worn 1970s Bell full-face helmet and two 'Formula One' racesuits, a white helmet with darkened visor, radio intercom and life s

Valentino Musetti race worn 1970s Bell full-face helmet and two 'Formula One' racesuits, a white helmet with darkened visor, radio intercom and life support connectors, small Bell logos front and back, lining support foam perished, 1970 Snell No.A599259, with brown Nomex helmet skirt and balaclava; an orange Nomex racesuit with black decoration to chest and sleeves, by 'Formula One' of Carnaby Street, his name and blood group embroidered on the right breast, a Shell emblem patch on the left, with a matching pair of 'Formula One' gauntlet gloves, a similar 'Formula One' racesuit design in red with white decoration, but Champion and Goodyear patches to the chest, also a pair of Nomex driving boots and vest; sold with digital images of this equipment in use (qty.) As used in 1977 when driving the Dave Price March-Ford V6 to head the Shell Sport Championship. appendix: Valentino Musetti Collection ( lots 911 to 917 ) In the 1970s race-circuit commentators ensured that Val Musetti became particularly well known to spectators as 'the driver who did the stunts in The Italian Job'. Thereafter stunt work duly paid for his competition career, but the occupation became something of a double-edged sword as film schedules disrupted any championship winning chances he had, though he did come very close to one in 1977. Nevertheless he progressed to the British Formula 1 series in the late 1970s and actually competed against the stars of the day in the 1979 non-championship F1 'Race of Champions' at Brands Hatch. Later in the 1980s he moved on to international sportscars, before finally retiring from racing in 1992. He was Christopher Reeve's stunt double in Superman I & II, and worked on many Hollywood epics, such as Batman, Indiana Jones, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, not to mention various James Bond films. His TV work included popular series like The Avengers, Dr Who, The Professionals, Poirot and Midsomer Murders. Occasionally credited as an actor, he also made Road Safety commercials.