On several occasions, visitors had asked to dedicate a page to the helmet of Jacky Ickx. I also found this subject very interesting in more than one respect and I decided therefore to carry out this project.
I must admit that the beginnings of my research were difficult because I could only rely on the photos I had. In the 60s, most motorsports magazines published their photos in black and white with, sometimes, one or two photos in color. And again, the color was not always in accordance with reality.
How to know the exact color of Jacky’s helmet? Why a white helmet in 1969? Why this famous double-cut helmet for eyesight in 1978? I had no answer to these questions, just hypotheses that were far from the truth.
Knowing that most of the helmets used by Jacky were of the Bell brand, I decided to contact the American firm. Unfortunately, the firm was completely redesigned and there were no archives on this subject. Subsequently, I learned that the Bell USA factory had been destroyed in a fire and that it was Bell Europe that had bought the name and licenses. Reason why the archives had disappeared.
It was luck that came to my aid when, a few weeks after the beginning of this study, Jacky Ickx discovered this site and contacted me. Thanks to him, I now have the answer to all these questions and I propose this file in the form of an interview.
Attention, this file only relates to the helmets that Jacky used in autmobile competitions. We will not talk here about the helmet(s) used during motorcycle races.

Q: So what is this helmet that you used in your debut in motor racing?
J.I.: It’s a helmet from the brand Les Leston. Many pilots used it at the time.

Q: In 1966, you used for the first time the blue Bell helmet with white edges, tell us why you chose this design which will remain famous.
J.I.: In 1966, De Keyn was then a family business, there was a painting department and at my request, Mr. De Keyn kindly painted my Bell helmet in electric metallic blue with white edge. And so the three Bell helmets that I used between 1966 and 1968 were painted at his home, as well as my first full-face helmet. There was even another helmet, called a Buco, which was painted like that. At the time, we only used one or two helmets per year.

Q: Why in blue?
J.I.: I am a man who likes classic colors.

Q: In 1969, after the South African Grand Prix, you used a blue full-face helmet with white edges and then, during the month of May 1969, you use an all-white full-face helmet. For what reasons?
J.I.: In early 1969, I was the only pilot using a full face helmet, but that first helmet had a static visor attached in a rubber gasket, which caused immense fogging problems. It accumulated on the visor before the departure. Effect amplified when the weather was wet. I then chose a helmet with a pivoting visor. but it arrived at the last minute and we didn’t have time to paint it. Then the firm Bell USA sent me a helmet with the same specifications but, by mistake or for some reason that I don’t know, the blue was darker. Since I didn’t want to claim or that I had any no time, it stayed like that. The following helmets have kept this blue more or less dark but in no case did I get a black helmet despite what may appear in some photos.

Q: Since 1978, you have adopted this famous double-cut Bell helmet that you will use until 1981. What is the reason for this choice?
J.I.: In fact, the central wall does not interfere at all with the field of vision and that was the period during which there were only protective gratings on the circuits, series of stakes on which metal mesh was fixed. And in order not to have a mesh that fits into the helmet, we had this wall placed on it. A few have used it. Few people. Everyone thought it was embarrassing but if you put your finger between your eyes, the first half hour makes you uncomfortable and then it’s over.

Q: What has become of all your helmets?
J.I.: I don’t know! Currently, a Grand Prix driver uses one, sometimes two helmets per Grand Prix. In my time, we used one, maybe two helmets per year, then they were offered to sponsors or other VIPs at the end of the season. In any case, I no longer have a single one, that I can confirm to you and if helmets are put up for sale, they do not belong to me.

Chronological evolution of the Jacky Ickx’s helmets
(click on the image icon to enlarge the photo)

1963 – 1965 LES LESTON
1966 – 1968
1966 – 1968
Avant Mai 1969 : Visière fixe
Mai 1969
Après Mai 1969
1970-1976
1977
1978 – 1981
1982 – 1985
1985 – 2000