Motoring art: John Piercy Holroyd and Daniel Hopkinson

By Mick Walsh

| 28 Nov 2024

Classic & Sports Car – Motoring art: John Piercy Holroyd and Daniel Hopkinson

When architectural photographer Daniel Hopkinson and architect John Piercy Holroyd both arrived for an assignment in Alfa Romeo 159s, the pair discovered a mutual passion for old cars and Modernist buildings.

They hit on the idea of celebrating the 50th anniversary of European Car of the Year in 2024 with a set of 60 photos matching each winning car with an edifice completed that year.

Thus began a two-year collaboration that culminated in the first volume of A Time. A Place covering 1964-’82.

1964, Rover 2000 at Crystal Palace National Recreation Centre

“The images aim to present everyday vehicles that used to be a common sight but have now all but gone, against architecture that has survived,” says John.

“We were both car spotters since childhood and had wanted to do a project.”

For the opening combination the team sourced a Rover P6, the first winner, which they matched with the Crystal Palace National Recreation Centre.

“That shoot was a real challenge, persuading members of the public not to park in front of the building,” recalls Daniel.

1965, Austin 1800 at Our Lady of the Wayside (left); 1966, Renault 16 in Manchester’s former UMIST campus

While the stylish P6 was designer David Bache’s baby, the Grade II-listed building was a long project for the London County Council Architects, starting in the mid-’50s under Leslie Martin and completed by Norman Engleback.

The first 20 pairings have taken John and Daniel all over Britain and Northern Ireland.

“The cars were the metric, so we had to have a few back-up buildings,” explains Daniel, “but some, such as Preston Bus Station, had to be included.”

Only one has a motoring focus, with the Robert Opron-styled Citroën GS beside the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, a 1971 project by Leonard Manasseh & Partners.

Clockwise from top: 1971, Citroën GS outside the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu; 1972, Fiat 127 at Ulster Museum; 1975, Citroën CX outside Queens Theatre

“The clubs were a great help to source cars,” says Daniel, “as were events such as the Festival of the Unexceptional and the NEC Classic Motor Show.

“Social media, particularly Facebook, also saved us on a few occasions.”

For 1975, the Citroën CX was parked outside Queens Theatre in Hornchurch.

“They had given us permission for an evening shoot,” recalls Daniel, “but the Citroën owner couldn’t start his car.

“Amazingly, the club found another CX at the very last minute, with a lady who lived just around the corner from the theatre.”

1976, Simca 1307 at the old Herman Miller Factory, Bath (left); 1977, Rover 3500 outside Coventry’s Elephant

The Manchester-based duo both work full-time and have family commitments, so the shoots had to be during weekends or holidays.

“Only after we’d tracked down a Fiat 127 did we discover the car was in Belfast,” says John.

“Ulster Museum was chosen, and this gave a moving link because they were the final projects for both designers.

“Pio Manzù was killed in a crash in 1969 and never saw the finished 127, while Francis Pym moved away from architecture to conservation after the museum.”

1981, Ford Escort under the Humber Bridge (left); 1982, Renault 9 visits The Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent

The diverse buildings featured range from churches to bridges, bus stations to former factories.

Few sports cars won ECotY, but the Porsche 928 was an exception and made a spectacular subject with the Sainsbury Centre by Foster + Partners as a backdrop.

The project was always planned as a trilogy, with 1983-2003 and 2004-2024 to come.

“As a practising architect, it has been humbling to visit some of these buildings for the first time,” says John.

The book, designed by Hayley Mills, is available via the-modernist.org