Mallory Park - Rothmans National Motor Cycle Races Circa 1960

This striking circa 1960 original poster for the Rothmans National Motor Cycle Races at Mallory Park perfectly captures the energy and spectacle of British motorcycle racing at the height of its post-war popularity. Produced to promote one of the major national race meetings, it reflects a period when circuits like Mallory Park had become focal points of motorsport culture, drawing large crowds eager for speed, skill, and mechanical prowess.

The composition is built around a dramatic, close-up view of two riders leaning aggressively into a bend, their machines almost skimming the track. The sweeping brushstrokes that describe the curve of the circuit create a strong sense of motion, pulling the viewer into the race and conveying the visceral thrill of competition. The bold numbers on the fairings, the brightly colored helmets, and the simplified landscape heighten legibility from a distance—an essential quality for effective event advertising.

Typography plays a key role: the large, block lettering announcing “Mallory Park – Rothmans National Motor Cycle Races” dominates the upper portion of the poster, immediately establishing both the prestige of the venue and the prominence of the sponsor. Below, practical details about the date, organization, and star riders anchor the image in a real sporting context, bridging graphic impact with factual information.

Stylistically, the poster sits at the crossroads of illustration and modern graphic design. While the riders are rendered with painterly freedom, the overall layout is clean, direct, and purpose-driven—characteristic of mid-20th-century British sports posters. It celebrates not only the athletes, but also the machines themselves, symbols of modernity, engineering, and controlled risk.

Today, this poster stands as a vivid document of classic motorcycle racing culture. It evokes an era when motorsport was both a popular pastime and a powerful visual subject, and when advertising art transformed speed, sound, and adrenaline into a single, compelling image meant to stop passers-by in their tracks.

Original Poster

Sport - Automobile - United Kingdom

Printed by SD print in Hastings

Good condition, creases, one tear