Every May, motorsport fans celebrate one of racing’s most iconic weekends: the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. Though separated by an ocean and racing style—Monaco’s twisting seaside streets versus Indy’s high-speed oval—the two events share something deeper: a relentless pursuit of innovation, glory, and engineering perfection.

While modern racecars dazzle with data and downforce, their DNA can be found not in a lab, but in a museum—Revs Institute in Naples, Florida. Our galleries don’t just preserve machines; they tell the story of how racing became the global phenomenon it is today.

The Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix is often called the crown jewel of the racing calendar, and its heritage is reflected in two historic machines at Revs Institute that pushed Grand Prix engineering to new heights.

One is the 1958 Vanwall, a car that played a pivotal role in Britain’s rise in Formula 1. With a lightweight tubular frame and advanced aerodynamics for its era, the Vanwall captured the first-ever F1 Constructors’ Championship. Its presence at Revs marks a critical turning point in European racing history—when national pride and cutting-edge engineering began to redefine the sport.

Standing beside it is an American challenger that made Formula 1 history on its own terms: the 1967 All American Racers Eagle Gurney-Weslake Mk 1. Designed and driven by Dan Gurney, this sleek blue beauty didn’t just race in Europe—it won there, famously taking victory at Spa-Francorchamps. It remains the only F1 car entirely built in the U.S. to win a World Championship Grand Prix. With its sculpted form and powerful Weslake V12, it exemplifies how elegance and power could coexist in a singularly American vision of Grand Prix competition.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, 33 cars line up for 500 miles of strategy, speed, and endurance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But the soul of Indy lives far beyond the checkered flag—in pioneering cars that still tell their story, like those at Revs Institute.

Our 1919 Ballot Type 5/8LC represents one of the earliest intersections of European engineering and American racing. Built in France but designed for the U.S., this car competed in the 1919 Indianapolis 500, driven by none other than René Thomas. With its twin-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder inline-8 engine, the Ballot was radically advanced for its day—laying the groundwork for modern racing architecture.

Fast forward to the raw, aggressive era of the 1970s, and you’ll find the 1974 All American Racers Jorgensen Eagle 7400, an IndyCar designed by Dan Gurney’s team. This thunderous machine, powered by an Offenhauser turbocharged engine, was built for the high-speed precision of Indy’s ovals. Its wide stance, wedge-shaped body, and monocoque construction reflect a time when American racing was fast, loud, and unapologetically bold.

The Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 may look toward the future, but they’re built on the shoulders of machines like these. Each vehicle at Revs Institute is a chapter in a living book of motorsport history—one that links continents, ideologies, and generations of engineers and drivers.

As you watch the 2025 races unfold, remember that the quest for speed, efficiency, and mechanical brilliance didn’t begin with wind tunnels or data simulators. It began with cars like the Vanwall, Gurney Eagle, Ballot, and Jorgensen Eagle—machines that dared to defy convention and race into history.

You don’t need a paddock pass to experience that legacy. You just need to visit Revs Institute, where the machines that shaped Monaco and Indy still stand—waiting to tell their story.