What did 1940's race car drivers & Civilian test pilots ...

[Mark Allen M]

... have in common?

Well it seemed both wore the same (or similar) helmets. As well as they both dug chicks ...

[Mark Allen M]

Looks about the same.


Photo states: "1940 Indy 500"

[JohnB]

I believe they're called "Polo helmets".
Also seen on F1 and some sports car drivers (in racing events like the Mille Miglla) in the 50s.

Here's a good shot of a driver with a helmet in a Mercedes 300 SLR:
https://www.google.com/search?q=mille+m ... _3kNBBM%3A

And Stirling Moss who famously won the 1955 Mille Miglia in his similar car, again with a helmet:
https://www.google.com/search?q=mille+m ... gfaN_fM%3A

[Stephan Wilkinson]

I used to have one of those helmets when I was racing in the late 1950s--mainly Jaguar XK-120s. One day, I dropped it by accident from about table-height onto a hard floor. Opened a six-inch crack.

[Russ Matthews]

Forget the helmet, Stephan .. did you keep the Jag??

[John Dupre]

Boone Guyton Chance Vought's long time test pilot was one of the first to use a hard style helmet. I think he modified a leather football helmet.

[Fouga23]

Toptex helmets were also popular with test pilots.

[Rajay]

And my mind went in a completely different direction than the helmets. My thought was "that guy really isn't doing all that great of job of 'digging' that chick - maybe he needs some help...."