c. 1930 Cigarette Card "Irish Grand Prix Race, Dublin, 1929"

c. 1930 Cigarette Card "Irish Grand Prix Race, Dublin, 1929" is a vintage Cigarette Cards artifact by W.D. & H.O. Wills (Issued by The Imperial Tobacco Co. of Great Britain & Ireland, Ltd.) from 1930, preserved in The Record Institute Ephemera Archive.

Category: Cigarette Cards

Brand: W.D. & H.O. Wills (Issued by The Imperial Tobacco Co. of Great Britain & Ireland, Ltd.)

Year: 1930

Rarity Class: B

Last updated: August 8, 2026

This dynamic W.D. & H.O. Wills cigarette card from the "Speed" series captures the intense rivalry and high-octane drama of the 1929 Irish Grand Prix at Phoenix Park. Depicting Boris Ivanovski’s victorious, low-slung red Alfa Romeo, the card serves as a compact yet thrilling documentary of interwar motorsport, highlighting mechanical innovation and the perilous edge of early endurance racing.

Quick Read

Subject: Commemorates the 1929 Irish Grand Prix at Phoenix Park, Dublin, a grueling 300-mile race. Winner: Features Boris Ivanovski, who won the race following a dramatic duel that ended with Signor Ramponi crashing near the finish. Machine: Highlights the victorious Alfa Romeo, specifically noting its "low built" design and "fast revving engine of 1,500 c.c." Stats: Records an impressive average

Summary

This dynamic W.D. & H.O. Wills cigarette card from the "Speed" series captures the intense rivalry and high-octane drama of the 1929 Irish Grand Prix at Phoenix Park. Depicting Boris Ivanovski’s victorious, low-slung red Alfa Romeo, the card serves as a compact yet thrilling documentary of interwar motorsport, highlighting mechanical innovation and the perilous edge of early endurance racing.

A vintage rectangular cigarette trading card, oriented horizontally. The front features a color halftone illustration of a low-slung, bright red vintage open-wheel race car, bearing the number 30 on its side and radiator grille, speeding to the right. The driver wears a white jacket, brown helmet, and goggles. A blurred, impressionistic grandstand forms the background. Black text at the top reads "WILLS'S CIGARETTES." and at the bottom "IRISH GRAND PRIX RACE, DUBLIN, 1929." The beige reverse features black typography beneath a dark banner reading "Wills for Quality / SPEED." The text details the 1929 Phoenix Park victory of Boris Ivanovski in a 1,500 c.c. Alfa Romeo, issued by W.D. & H.O. Wills, Imperial Tobacco Co.