The Helmets of Gordon MacKenzie

Racing helmets have an undeniable appeal for most race fans.  Like a cars livery, their designs can be colorful or muted, complicated or simple.  Who can forget Jackie Stewart’s helmet with its tartan “halo,” Senna’s unmistakable yellow, green, and blue helmet, or Emerson Fittipaldi’s swooping red on blue/black design.  Above all, helmets can be expressions of a driver’s personality.

Racer Gordon “Gordy” MacKenzie (1926-2022) was born in Millbrook, NY, but you would never know it.  His name is as Scottish as Scottish gets; he was famous for wearing a kilt to the track.  MacKenzie enjoyed a long racing career that started in the early 1950s and lasted until the late ’60s.  His retirement lasted over 20 years until he returned to racing in 1996, participating in vintage racing events at Lime Rock Park, driving a Lotus Europa.  Over his career, he raced at numerous tracks, including Watkins Glen, Thompson, and Sebring.  Still, MacKenzie’s “home” track was Lime Rock Park, where he drove in the inaugural race in 1957.  The car he is most associated with is his C-Type Jaguar, which he drove with great success through much of his career.

Gordon MacKenzie and his C-Type Jaguar, #52. Photo from the MacKenzie Archives. 22A30

MacKenzie takes the checkered flag on July 4, 1960 at Lime Rock Park. The flag is being held by his wife, Jillian: “That is me holding the flag, not Mac. It was rather uncomfortable, I was under the cockpit cover on the passenger side with just enough room for my head to come out between the edge of the cover and Mac’s head.” Photo from the MacKenzie Archives. 22A30

Among the many treasures in MacKenzie’s archive are two helmets he wore during his career. One dates from the 1950s-60s, it can be seen in the two photos above. The second is a more modern Shoei RF-4 helmet from his vintage car racing years. Just like his kilt, MacKenzie’s helmets tell us a great deal about him and how much he valued his heritage.

The first helmet, dating to the late 1950s, is white with a matching white visor from an unknown manufacturer. On top of the helmet is a painted Heraldic shield. The paint is worn and faded, evidence of use and age, but the symbols in its fields of blue and gold are clear. In the upper left field is the crest of the MacKenzie Clan, a burning mountain. In the upper right, a stag, perhaps a Red Deer or the Scottish Stag, a national symbol of Scotland. On the lower left, is a harp, the Irish national Symbol. On the lower right is the symbol of the Isle of Man, a triskelion composed of three armored legs with golden spurs. One wonders about MacKenzie’s association with Ireland and the Isle of Man (though the Isle of Man certainly has a long association with racing), but his message is clear.

The second helmet is a white Shoei RF-4. MacKenzie’s name is prominently displayed above the visor. The top is again painted, this time with the MacKenzie family crest, the burning mountain surrounded by a belt, along with the clan’s motto, “Luceo non Urbo”: “I Shine not Burn”. On opposing sides of the helmet, MacKenzie has added stickers with the emblems of Scottish racing team Ecurie Ecosse (”Scottish Stable”) and the emblem of the Road Racers Drivers Club. Interestingly, close inspection of the green tape on the visor reveals the word “Lotus” in raised letters under the tape. Again, his Scottish heritage is the defining theme of the helmet.

One of the most appealing things about both helmets is that the designs are clearly painted and the stickers applied to helmets MacKenzie purchased. They don’t have the polish of modern helmets worn by professional racers; they were handled, perhaps even painted, by the driver and others around him. They look and feel personal. You could literally do the same thing to your own helmet.

Throughout racing’s history, helmet design has been a popular form of expression for drivers and of great interest to fans. Just as in other sports fans sometimes choose their favorite teams based on uniform colors and designs, helmet designs are part of what attracts racing fans to different drivers. Helmets are highly sought after racing collectibles as they are among the most personal items associated with drivers. We are extremely fortunate to have MacKenzie’s helmets in our collection.