Ever since the late 1960s, blurred flashes of powder blue and orange have captivated racegoers, the distinctive Gulf livery gracing some of motorsport’s most fabled machines – from the Porsche 917 to the Aston Martin DBR9. As an impressionable schoolboy, one particular German entrepreneur by the name of Roald Goethe treasured a small model of a Gulf-liveried Ford GT40. Decades later, the real-life version of that very GT40 served as the springboard for what would become the ROFGO Collection, the world’s largest assembly of racing cars dedicated to the Californian oil company’s longstanding ties to the world of motorsport.

Now, Porter Press International has published a new book authored by the renowned motorsport historian Doug Nye outlining each of the 40-odd cars that have joined the ROFGO stable. In addition to detailed descriptions of the cars, there’s also insightful quotes from drivers, team principles and mechanics, and stories of how they came to join the collection. As you’ll probably know, the collection was procured with the help of Adrian Hamilton of the Classic Driver dealer Duncan Hamilton ROFGO. The growth and magnitude of the collection necessitated a move from Hamilton’s personal residence near Odiham in Hampshire to a magnificent purpose-built facility that adjoins Duncan Hamilton’s new showroom. And it’s here where the 300-plus stunning photographs for the book were captured. If you’d like to find out more about the world’s greatest themed car collection, which encompasses over 50 years of motorsport history, you can buy ROFGO Collection by clicking here. But be quick – Porter Press will publish only 950 copies.

Photos: Porter Press International