Heuer

The Indianapolis 500 is clearly the most famous open-wheel race in the United States, but through the 1960s, it was part of an annual championship series operated by the United States Automobile Club (USAC). In addition to the Indy 500, USAC championship races were held at venues such as Ontario Motor Speedway (in California), Michigan International Raceway and Sears Point (in California). Rufus Parnell “Parnelli” Jones had great success as a racer in the 1960s, winning the Indy 500 in 1963 and also driving well in stock cars and the Trans Am sports car series. In 1969, Jones and his business partner Velko Miletich formed Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing Team, enjoying quick success with its drivers winning back-to-back championships in 1970 and 1971.

Al Unser dominated the USAC championship competition in 1970, winning 10 of the 17 races (including the Indy 500) and being on the podium in an additional five races. Unser’s 5,130 points doubled those of each of the second and third place finishers (his

brother, Bobby Unser, with 2,260 points, and Jim McElreath with 2,060 points). In 1971, it turned out to be a strange season for the VPJ racing team. Al Unser would win five of the 12 races, including the Indianapolis 500, but in seven other races he finished 15th or lower, leaving him fourth in the overall standings, with 2,200 points. His VPJ teammate, Joe Leonard, would take the championship (with 3,015 points), winning only a single race, but getting top six finishes in another six races.

The 1970 and 1971 VPJ cars were the best performing cars on the grid, and Indy car enthusiasts can make the case that these were also among the best-looking cars of the era. In 1970, both the Unser and Leonard cars used the “Johnny Lightning” livery

(representing the brand of diecast cars), with Samsonite Luggage as a secondary sponsor; in 1971, Unser continued with the Johnny Lightning livery, while the championship car of Joe Leonard was called the “Samsonite Special”. It was only for the 1972 season that Viceroy tobacco became the primary livery on the VPJ cars.

To celebrate the back-to-back USAC championships, Vel's Parnelli Jones team ordered Heuer Autavia chronographs. A member of the team recalls that they ordered 12 or 15 of the watches, each engraved “Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing Team, 1970-71 Champs”, a keepsake for team members and VIPs.

Collectors refer to the version of the Autavia delivered to the VPJ team as the “pre-Viceroy”, and a look at the timeline helps us understand this term. The VPJ team ordered these Autavias from Heuer to celebrate the 1970 and 1971 USAC championships; we can assume that VPJ placed this order in late 1971. It was six months later, in May 1972, that the Viceroy cigarette brand launched its wildly-successful promotion with Heuer.

Included in this lot is a coat issued to the VPJ team member (“Steve”) who was the original owner of the present Heuer Autavia. Other than the cars themselves, this extra large coat offers the boldest possible presentation of the legendary Vel’s Parnelli Jones / Johnny Lightning / Samsonite livery.