Tony Matthews on the Honda Accord BTCC

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Tony Matthews returns with the most complex and detailed cutaway rendering he’s featured at Motor City Garage so far, the 1996 Honda Accord BTCC racer. For Americans and others who aren’t familiar with this type of racing, the BTCC—British Touring Car Championship—featured some of the most advanced and sophisticated “production” racers ever built, at times rivaling F1 from some angles. (So no, it was nothing like NASCAR.) Please take some time to study Tony’s rendering carefully: In its way, it’s every bit as remarkable as the race car itself. -mcg 

 

1996 BTCC Honda Accord

by Tony Matthews

 

The British Touring Car Championship has changed its format on several occasions over the years, and I can’t say that I have slavishly kept abreast of it. At one period I was a mechanic for the British arm of a Japanese tuning company, and spent my weekends barking my knuckles and being humiliated whilst exhausted, doing my best to prepare a Toyota Corolla FX, both in the UK and occasionally in Europe. I should, therefore, know more about the series than I do, but if I’m not actively involved I tend to lose concentration, and my involvement in the team ended in 1989.

However, 1996 was a year in the Championship when budgets were big, the cars were very advanced, and the racing was exciting. Oddly, I was commissioned to do the Accord cutaway through a friend who used the same pub as the Service Manager at Honda UK, in Chiswick, London, and they had met as my friend had bought several small Hondas.You never know where work is going to come from.

I was very pleased to have this opportunity – not the first time that I had illustrated a race-prepared production chassis – as I knew it would be a challenge. Production unitry chassis are very complex, designed to be manufactured quickly and to be strong enough to act as regular transport, and a lot of effort goes into designing steel pressings that perform many tasks. Racing, however,subjects that chassis to stresses that are never envisaged for road use, so another chassis has to be built in, essentially two cars in one. Then there’s the suspension, engine, safety, colour scheme, and sponsor’s logos.

 

The Accord was built and maintained by a company based not far from my studio—let’s  face it, the UK is so tiny that nothing is far from my studio—and half a day taking photographs was enough to get what I needed. I sent a copy of the working drawing to the company for them to check and started painting. I learned later that they had spotted that my drawing showed “RR” marked on the left rear tyre, but had decided not to tell me. You have to get up early to catch me, and I noticed this in time to add “LR”’ to the tyre in question, much to their disappointment.

 

Text and images copyright Tony Matthews, all rights reserved. Used by permission. If you haven’t seen them yet, be sure to click over to Tony’s previous stories on the Maserati 250F.and the Williams FW07 F1 racer. 

 

(click on image below to open high-resolution version; click on image again to enlarge further) 

9 thoughts on “Tony Matthews on the Honda Accord BTCC”

  1. i have a large framed photo of this exact picture it was in a honda office in london was wondering if its worth any thing could some one get back to me thanks. coopsgsi@gmail.com

    • to your reply (i doubt it ) do you mean i have not got the picture or its worth any thing as i just had a email from honda and they can not give me a value price as its hard to value as sent them a picture of it please could you get back to me

  3. I’m sorry my comment wasn’t clear – what I meant was that I doubt that it is worth much. I think I did a Chromacopy of the artwork, the original illustration was 20″x30″, and the print was the same size. The original art was in the hands of the ex-service manager at Honda Chiswick, and I believe he still has it. He left Honda shortly after I did the illustration, I assume he took it with him. TM

    • this was from the london office this why i was asking about it as it is a very nice picture the size of the one iv got is 2ftx2ft10″ and thats with the frame as well i hope this helps please let me know

      • Well – that is the print. I’m not sure what else to say, I have no idea of a value, it depends on how much someone might want it. If you want to sell it why not put it on Ebay? Good luck.

  4. Hi Tony,
    Love your art! I had a book years ago that featured your illustration of the Ilmor pushrod V8 and also a large cutaway of the Accord Super Tourer. (might have been the ’97 version) I received the book as a gift and can’t remember the name, this was 2002 so it must have been published in that year range. Was hoping you might know of it since your work was depicted. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

    • Hi Sean, I’m pleased you like the artwork. I have only seen one use of the Accord
      cutaway – and I only did the ’96 car, unfortunately – and that was in “North American Touring Car Year – 1996 – 1997” and I can’t remember how I came by it. I don’t think Honda UK would have sent it, certainly not Honda USA or Japan. It is quite common for work that is copyright of the client to be used (after all, it is done to be used!) without any indication to the illustrator. Good luck in your quest… Tony M

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