Private archive · F1 scale models
Model collection · since 1950

Racing
Team
Han.

For many of the models, the story behind the real car. Sometimes my own research, sometimes with a little help from AI.

Pictured: the car my father Anton van Houten built Footage and sound created with AI
Welcome

Welcome to
Racing Team Han.

This site offers a glimpse into my hobby — one that keeps getting a little more out of hand — collecting racing cars on four wheels. Although, four wheels? Now and then a six-wheeler turned out to belong in the collection as well.

In the section special stories I share some personal experiences that explain where this passion comes from.

And of course there are photographs of my models in the display cabinet. Every model comes with personal notes of my own, supplemented by whatever I could find about it on the web.

Example · one model from the collection
Wolf WR1 scale model
The model — in my display cabinet
Wolf WR1 on the circuit
The car — as it once raced
Wolf WR1 · 1977 · Jody Scheckter — The very first Wolf won straight away: the first race of its first season, in Argentina. For every model in my collection I go looking for stories like this one.
1950
Oldest model
Alfa Romeo 158 · Giuseppe Farina
The first Formula 1 World Championship
2024
Newest model
Red Bull RB20 · Max Verstappen
Between these two: 243 models
Good to know

On AI and the catchy concept.

There is a lot of talk about the digital developments being fired at us these days. AI, ChatGPT, the gathering of information. Many people see it as threatening, even deceptive.

You cannot stop progress! Over the course of my career in publishing and marketing I have seen enormous change.

From hot-metal typesetting (hard to imagine nowadays) and working with chemicals to develop the films and plates for the printing presses, all the way to today's digital world.

At the advertising agency we had 'visualisers', who turned creative concepts into matching images on paper with felt-tip pens. They too had to make the switch to creating images digitally. And they managed it.

But what will always remain is coming up with the catchy concept. Writing the right, catchy copy. Of course AI can do that too, but it often lacks the right personal touch. So we decided to accept the help that technology has to offer — and to step in and correct the AI wherever it is needed.

The same goes for this site. The photographs come from my own archive and/or studio. Here and there we have asked AI to edit them. It is mainly a study project: we would like to find out what is possible.

A good example is my father's AVH. Sadly, I never saw him race it — I was too young. There is no moving footage of it anywhere, at least none in which my father is driving. So that is something we are asking AI to create. The first small test is the photograph of my father and me, standing together in front of the building on the Kerklaan. Not a still photograph, but suddenly moving.

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Disclaimer

This site combines my own photographs and my own stories with information found on the world wide web. It is not a commercial site; it is purely a hobby. It is a voyage of discovery into what today's technology has to offer. Some of my own photographs have been edited with Claude AI, which shows just how remarkable the possibilities are.

There is no intention whatsoever to use copyrighted material without permission. Should that nevertheless have happened, please send me an email and the material will be removed. And if you would like to use my photographs, just let me know: racingteamhanvanhouten@gmail.com.