The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
By Pete Vack
Although new information has surfaced about the Cisitalia Abarth 204, in looking over years of notes, letters and books, we note that as far back as 30 years ago historian John de Boer got the facts down and got them right. He passed his knowledge on and we absorbed it into the first edition of this author’s Illustrated Abarth Buyer’s Guide. [Read more…] about Abarth’s Origins Investigated
By Pete Vack and John C. Lutsch
No, unfortunately not owned by Nuvolari. But this 10.5 x 6 inch men’s jewelry box has been with the Vack family for a while (46 years!). My wife Mary (in lead photo, taken in 1973) bought it for me as a Father’s Day present—being keen enough to instantly recognize the car on the lid as an old Alfa Grand Prix car.
Story by Brandes Elitch
Lead photo by Steve Snyder. The Alfa 158D appeared at the Inaugural Sonoma Speed Festival.
I have never profiled our local track, just north of San Francisco, alternately known as Sears Point, Infinion Raceway, and now Sonoma Raceway. Today it is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. [Read more…] about The Inaugural Sonoma Speed Festival 2019
From the VeloceToday Archives, April, 2015
Story by John Wright
Lead photo: January 1952 Motorsport cover. The Bandini powered by a 1100cc Fiat engine finished 10th at Elkhart Lake, owned by Tony Pompeo, New York. With car is Perry Fina. Photo by Bill Finn.
The neat little cycle-fendered sports car pictured here is one of a few Bandinis which were exported to the U.S.A. in the immediate post war era. Their creator, Ilario Bandini was born in Forli, Italy, and because he was mechanically inclined, set himself up as a creator of sports cars using Fiat parts only as the basis of his pretty and slinky designs in coupes, roadsters and race cars.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is considered by many as the most exclusive and elegant classic car event in the world. [Read more…] about Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2019
Story and photos by Alessandro Gerelli
RM Sotheby’s Auction, Villa Erba May 25th 2019
The RM Auction featured 69 items on sale with 46 sold for a total of about 19.8 million euro.
The top prices were a Ferrari 500 Mondial of 1954 for 3.7 mln euros, a 1957 Porsche 550 Spyder for 3.4 mln euros, an Aston Martin Volante of 1965 for 1.8 mln euros and a Fiat 8V coupè for about 1.8 mln euros.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
The thirty-seventh re-enactment of the 1000 Miglia was staged from 15 to 18 May, along the classic Brescia-Rome-Brescia route, in four legs: from Brescia to Cervia-Milano Marittima; from Cervia-Milano Marittima to Rome; from Rome to Bologna; from Bologna to Brescia.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Arriving with this year’s invitation to the Heveningham Hall Concours was an additional invite to the Stonor Park Supercar Sunday event, held on May 19th, and which is now in its second year. With a location in a valley within the Chiltern Hills to the northwest of London, my wife and I felt it was worth a trip.
Story by Graham Gauld
Niki Lauda passed away just as we were going to press last week. Ironically, we were about to publish Graham Gauld’s 1993 interview with Lauda; his death made it even more relevant and we present it today as Graham wrote it a few years ago.
Niki’s Early Days
At a time when he is becoming one of the wise elder statesmen of Formula 1 in his role with Mercedes, it is perhaps appropriate to go back a while and think about how Lauda came from nothing to become one of the greatest racing drivers in the world.
For over 67 years, Graham Gauld has been attending motor racing events as a professional journalist. This week we feature a Graham Gauld Retrospective, beginning with one of his earliest experiences as a journalist in 1952, moving to 1956 as he writes about Eugenio Castellotti, to his time spent with his friend Henry Manny III in the 1960s, all from the archives. Finally, we post his latest article about Minardi Day at Imola and the Ecurie Ecosse Tour.
Story and photos by Graham Gauld
From the VeloceToday archives, October 2014.
The photo above shows David Murray’s Scuderia Ambrosiana-badged Ferrari F2 car that was to be driven by Bill Dobson. The distinctive Scuderia Ambrosiana badge can be seen just ahead of the rear view mirror whilst chief mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson is at the wheel.
Most people interested in Italian motor racing will no doubt have heard of Scuderia Ambrosiana, originally founded by Count “Johnny” Lurani back in 1936 but probably know little else about it. [Read more…] about Scuderia Ambrosiana
