The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Story and photos by Clyde Berryman
This installment of the Clyde Berryman Grand Prix Dioramas deals with the French Grand Prix. Above, a scene from the 1957 French GP (Rouen les Essarts) – A Commissaire and his dog survey the action at Nouveau Monde hairpin. [Read more…] about Grand Prix Dioramas: French Grand Prix
By David Beare
From the VeloceToday Archives, November 2013
It is unlikely that Louis Delagarde, the designer of Panhard’s flat-twin engine, could have foreseen the scale of competition successes his diminutive power-unit would achieve when he began work at his drawing-board during the dark days of World War II.
Last week in our story on dioramas, Clyde Berryman discussed how he became interested in motor racing, when as a child he was told about the prewar Grand Prix races while living in Tripoli. We therefore begin this series with his amazing diorama of the Tripoli Grand Prix, held at the Mellaha Circuit, in 1/43 scale.
Story and photos by Clyde Berryman
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
This week we present forty photos of drivers, GT cars and Le Mans Prototypes at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting. But I also must tell you that my ‘House’ won at Goodwood! Perhaps I had best explain. [Read more…] about Goodwood Members’ Meeting, Part 2
From the VeloceToday Archives, December 15, 2010
By Brian Winer
Photos by Mitch Schwartzburg
It sometimes happens that a man falls in love with a car. Not just “falls in love,” no that’s not a strong enough phrase; let’s say “passionately” in love. Because how else could you explain someone buying a $300 Fiat 850 and pouring over $32,000 into it? [Read more…] about Fiat 850 Spider Racecar
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
This year the Techno-Classica classic car show held in Essen, Germany, April 13-14, celebrated its 30th birthday. With the Parisian Rétromobile show, it remains at the top of the European classic car shows in terms of the number and the quality of cars presented (more than 2,700 this year) and the number of visitors (190,000 over four days). [Read more…] about Techno Classica at Essen, 2019
By Pete Vack
Photos by Clyde Berryman
Clyde Berryman began collecting die-cast model racing cars as a young boy in the early 1960s in Tripoli, Libya, where his father was working for a major oil company. His passion for motor racing dates back to this era, and hearing stories from longtime Italian residents of Libya talk about the glory days of the pre-WW II Tripoli Grand Prix held at the Mellaha circuit. [Read more…] about Grand Prix Dioramas
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Jonathan Sharp will be back next week with his views of this year’s Members’ Meeting, and in the meantime, below, we have selected a group of Jonathan’s photos of the most interesting Grand Prix cars built from 1907 to 1953.
[Read more…] about Goodwood Members’ Meeting
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Jonathan’s track shots at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting (see story) were so good we simply had to enlarge the cockpit area of the photos and let our readers see vintage race drivers in action. [Read more…] about In the Driver’s Seat at Goodwood
I don’t know how many people are aware that there are prancing horse ceramic tiles made in Italy specifically for the Ferrari factory. A good number, I assume. I got mine from Hilary Raab back in 2000. Then my neighbor Dave Rex happened to mention that he had a few, still in the original box. And when I asked AutoMobilia Editor Marshall Buck about these beautiful black and yellow tiles, he said he had one too! But all of us wanted to know more about them. Marshall ran with it and here is his story….
Story by Marshall Buck
Here is what I know, which I’m sure is not the complete history. I’ve heard and read various bits of information and stories about the use of these tiles in other locations, some verified, and some not. I admit that I have not delved too deeply into this; I know more than some, and less than others – pretty much just enough to be dangerous!
Story by Pete Vack
Photos by Alan Boe unless otherwise marked
It was raced first by Franco Cortese, then the great and soon-to-be late Raymond Sommer. It was owned by the aristocratic Besana brothers and sent to South America and participated in a multitude of events and returned to Italy to win the GP of Bari. It was then adorned with a unique Motto body which was later removed. It may have been driven at some point by Tazio Nuvolari.
Story by Wallace Wyss
Where are the modern day playboys?
I don’t think they stand out as much as the playboys of the ’50s. Probably not politically correct nowadays.
One of my favorites in the tabloids back then was Ferrari-driving Porfirio Rubirosa, from the Dominican Republic, born in 1909.
This guy didn’t come from money so it’s a bit of a mystery how he ended up with homes in Paris and Palm Beach. His claim to fame was in two sports: polo and racing. His name is associated with several significant competition Ferraris.