Dwight Knowlton is Racing Back to Pittsburgh to Create our Poster
The PVGP is thrilled that renowned artist and author Dwight Knowlton is creating the 2020 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix poster! Look for it to be unveiled on February 13 at the Dancing with the Cars party at the Greater Pittsburgh Car Show. It will feature a vintage Corvette, the PVGP’s 2020 Marque of the Year racing through Schenley Park.
You may recognize the “Carpe Viam” logo at the Grand Prix on t-shirts, pins, stickers, even on the race cars. Dwight Knowlton will be bringing his “Carpe Viam” brand and his family to Pittsburgh in July.
Dwight is a great friend of the PVGP, having created our poster back in 2015 and working with us since then to create memorable t-shirts and event logos. He attend the PVGP in 2015 as the Grand Marshal, spending the weekend in Schenley Park.
Dwight has been incredibly generous sharing his talents and his passion for vintage cars with the Grand Prix. The work he has created for us on posters, t-shirts, hats and decals are easy to see and appreciate, but Dwight has done so much more. Carpe Viam represents the true spirit and passion for cars that is shared by PVGP racers, volunteers and fans!
The two words “Carpe Viam!” say a lot. Literally, Carpe Viam means “seize the road”. For a car guy, is basically means “Enjoy the exhaust note as you grip the wheel and blast through a tight turn. it can also mean “enjoy the path you’re on,”
When Dwight’s son was born, he went looking for a father-son, car book for the two of them to enjoy – a book that could help him introduce his son to the love of cars. Dwight couldn’t find what he was looking for – so he decided to create one. The Little Red Racing Car is a gift to his son – and for everyone that loves cars, family, and vintage artistic style.
The Little Red Racing Car mixes some of the best things in life: family, discovery, sports cars, working with one’s hands, and a dream realized. While the book has evolved throughout the process, it’s inspired by vintage transportation art and features one of the greatest sports-racing cars of the 1950′s – the Maserati 300S – a favorite of legendary racing driver Sir Stirling Moss.
While writing The Little Red Racing Car, Dwight and Sir Stirling Moss became friends and it led to a second book The Greatest Race – a collaboration with Sir Stirling Moss and is the true story of his epic and record-crushing drive of the 1955 Mille Miglia in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. It’s considered one of the greatest racing achievements in history, and it makes for an exciting story.
Dwight has released a third book titled The Small Silver Speedster which is set in 1957, as Porsche gains its cult status and domination in sports car racing in the United States. It’s the story of a father and his young daughter as they fly to New York City to pick up their new 356 A Speedster at Max Hoffman’s iconic dealership. While there, they enjoy a chance meeting with racing pioneer Denise McCluggage The pair break in the Speedster with a cross-country drive home to California via Pittsburgh and Scenic Route 66. They prepare the Speedster for the emerging sports car racing scene of the 1950s – as iconic tracks like Riverside, Laguna Seca, and others open across the country. They race. Crash. Repair. And return to seek their first win.
Dwight has developed Carpe Viam into a nationwide motorsport brand for books, apparel and posters. Since creating our poster in 2015 Dwight has created masterpieces for the Lime Rock Historics, Forest Grove Concours, the Seattle Art Museum, the Bernina Gran Turismo, he American Bugatti Club and the Greenbriar Concours.
