The ROFGO collection, curated by enthusiast and racer Roald Goethe with the support of automotive dealer Adrian Hamilton, is unarguably one of the finest privately owned collections of significant racing cars, particularly those that ran in Gulf colours.
Unlike many such collections, the ROFGO cars do make competition appearances, for example in the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco. Likewise Goethe himself is an accomplished racer, and he raced many of the more recent cars at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship
The ROFGO Collection book, authored by eminent motorsport writer Doug Nye, does exactly what you’d expect it to do – giving succinct but detailed histories of the cars, focusing on some of the pre-eminent races and moments of the car’s past.
In some particularly fascinating entries Nye is also able to give a bit of a post-competition ownership history, giving insight into the later lives of a few significant vehicles.
Everything is lavishly illustrated throughout, with high-quality studio shots making up the bulk of the photos, although there are plenty of period competition images as well.
Limited to just 900 copies, the ROFGO Collection will appeal to collectors with an interest in historic motorsport. If you’re a fan of the distinctive orange and blue-hued Gulf-liveried cars this is certainly a must have. For others this is definitely of niche interest. The history of the more significant cars is extensively covered elsewhere, and then there is the question of paying £75 to look in someone else’s toy box.
RaceFans rating
ROFGO Collection
Author: Doug Nye
Publisher: Porter Press International
Published: 2020
Pages: 304
Price: £75
ISBN: 9781907085673
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