Description: This very special piece was a promotional print given away by The American Oil Company (Amoco) in 1968. Both the images of the Indy 500 cars and the portrait of Parnelli Jones were painted by Nicholas Volpe, which Amoco then used in 1968 for promotional materials, such as this. I own the original race car painting (listed in my other auctions), which can be seen in the second photo. The artist: Nicholas Volpe (1911 – 1992) was an American artist, most highly noted for his portraits of celebrities, presidents, sports figures, and other famous personalities. He is considered one of if not the most significant American illustrators. He held various positions at multiple art and design schools, later moving to Hollywood to design film sets, create makeup, and design costumes. His talent as a highly skilled artist became widely recognized, and as a result, he was given a lifetime contract by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to paint each year's Oscar winners. In addition to this work, he painted numerous consignment pieces over the next few decades. The subject: A sitting on the edge-of-your-seat finish to the Indianapolis 500 in 1967. Parnelli Jones dominated the race in the radical new STP Paxton Turbocar turbine entered by owner Andy Granatelli. With just laps to go, Jones led, followed by Gordon Johncock in the #3 Gerhardt-Ford and A.J. Foyt in the #14 Coyote-Ford. With just a handful of laps to go, Johncock spun out leaving the race up to Jones and Foyt. A few laps later, the STP Paxton Turbocar came to a stop when a $6 transmission bearing failed. Foyt took the lead just moments later and went on to win his third Indy 500 victory. This painting depicts what was almost an unquestionable 1-2-3 finish by the leaders as they raced down those final laps to the checkered flag! This auction: From a collection of uncirculated prints, unframed, and in excellent condition. Measures 14” L x 11” W.
Price: 80 USD
Location: Marietta, Georgia
End Time: 2025-01-02T13:39:45.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Type: Painting
Year of Production: 1967
Theme: Art
