In the United States in 1938, auto racing did not appear as a dedicated trading card subject, and there were no nationally issued racing card sets or driver-focused series from major gum or tobacco companies. The closest material connected to racing was limited to non-card ephemera such as printed programs, newspaper supplements, and souvenirs associated with events like the Indianapolis 500, rather than structured collectibles intended for series collecting.
Internationally, the situation was very different. In the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, tobacco companies such as W.D. & H.O. Wills and John Player & Sons produced well-organized cigarette card sets that regularly featured motor racing drivers, record holders, and racing machines. These issues treated motor sport as a legitimate collectible theme, with polished artwork and broad distribution, reflecting the stronger cultural and competitive prominence of Grand Prix and land speed record racing in Europe at the time.
W.D. & H.O. Wills (UK) “Speed”
1938 W.D. & H.O. Wills (UK) “Speed”