Five fascinating stories this week: Peter Darnall on Bira’s big day; Jonathan Sharp trackside at Silverstone; Graham Gauld remembers Sir John Whitmore; Pete Vack on Hugus’ Ferraris; Gijsbert-Paul Berk on Farman automobiles.
The Day of the White Mouse
By Peter Darnall
Saturday, May 6, 1939 – Brooklands Motor Circuit, England
Imagine sitting in a race car on the starting line for the JCC International Trophy event. That fellow in the old Maserati beside you looks completely out of place. He is a small man–so small that he is sitting on a large cushion to be able to see out over the cowling. He looks like a jockey in his flamboyant silk driving suit. Everybody was talking about the Maserati since it had been unloaded from the transporter in the paddock. The car was decked out in light blue livery with yellow chassis rails and wheels—a bit overdone by conservative Brooklands “the right crowd and no crowding” standards. The white mouse insignia on the cowl is familiar but the flag painted on the tail is a mystery. [Read more…] about The Day of the White Mouse
Sir John Whitmore, 1937-2017
John Whitmore, right, with Alan Mann in the Shelby Cobra Team in 1965.
Story and photos by Graham Gauld
There comes a time in life when you begin to see too many of your friends in the obituary columns, and it happened again last week with the death of Sir John Whitmore. I have lost a great friend of sixty years standing.
This then, is not a catalog of all his races but a private look into a fairly private man who eventually found himself after his racing days were over.
John was something special not only due to his ability driving cars but due to his frightening intellect and constant urge to expand his knowledge, particularly in the field of human endeavor.
Silverstone VSCC Formula Vintage Trackside
Maserati 250F of Graham Adelman just ahead of the Ferrari 246 Dino.
Formula Vintage – Round 1 – Silverstone
National Circuit, Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 April 2017
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Last week Jonathan Sharp took us into the Silverstone Paddock area, and this week he gets trackside at Silverstone, bringing us over thirty images of track action.
Results of the events can be found here: Silverstone Results [Read more…] about Silverstone VSCC Formula Vintage Trackside
Farman Automobiles
Farman autos: Better than the La Royale?
Last week we brought you Farman, Part 1, the aeronautical side of the French Farman firm. This week, Gijsbert-Paul Berk tells us the brief but upper crust history of the Farman automobile.
Story by Gijsbert-Paul Berk
In October 1919 at the Salon de l’Automobile in Paris the Farman company presented its first motor cars; a landaulet bodied by Kellner and a bare chassis. Their objective was “to build an automobile “that was absolutely perfect in every detail”. The A6 prototypes on their exhibition stand were indeed magnificently finished. [Read more…] about Farman Automobiles
VeloceToday for May 2, 2017
We publish rare Alfa and Ferrari photos from Le Mans, 1970; VeloceToday interviewed Ed Hugus in 2003 about his Ferraris and here is the full story; The planes and cars of the Farman Brothers; Jonathan Sharp at Silverstone.
And How! 5-2: Le Mans, 1970
And How! is a new regular feature in VeloceToday, just right for those stories which are too short or too little or news items that don’t qualify as full length articles.
N.A.R.T. 512S driven by the All American team of Ronnie Bucknum and Sam Posey would finish fourth after the Porsche 1-2-3 victory.
1970 was Steve McQueen’s year at Le Mans, as related recently in the new book, Le Mans in the Rearview Mirror. (Read review) The company had shot thousands of feet of film at the 1969 event, but none was ever used in the movie. Shooting the race for the movie would have to wait until 1970, when McQueen had arranged with the John Wyer Porsche team to identify the drivers and car colors with the Wyer 917s; Unfortunately the Wyer Porsches all retired. Ironically, the Porsche 908 camera car, driven by Jonathan Williams, placed 9th overall. The Porsche 917K of Herrmann and Attwood would lead a three car Porsche parade at the finish.
In the wake of the new book, Dale LaFollette at Vintage Motorphoto remembered that he had bought roll of negatives at an auction consisting of black and while images taken at Le Mans that year. We can’t let that go to waste, can we? So below are 15 of the best of the lot; a lot of Ferraris, Alfas and Matras. Perfect for And How!
Silverstone Formula Vintage, April 22-23
Formula Vintage – Round 1 – Silverstone
National Circuit, Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 April 2017
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
The well-established ‘Spring Start’ season opener was a spectacular two-day feature at Silverstone, with the celebrated Pre-war and Historic content taking center stage across the weekend’s program. [Read more…] about Silverstone Formula Vintage, April 22-23
Farman: The Aircraft, the Automobiles
The amazing Farman brothers not only designed around 200 different types of aircraft but also one of the first sporting automobiles with ‘gullwing’ doors.
Story by Gijsbert-Paul Berk
Ask any automobile enthusiast to name an iconic make from the golden years of the French car industry between 1919 to 1939, and most will immediately say ‘Bugatti’. Others will also recall Amilcar, Delahaye, Delage, Salmson, Talbot and Voisin, maybe Ballot or Chenard Walker. But the name Farman is hardly ever mentioned. One or the reasons is that many believe that Farman was a British manufacturer. [Read more…] about Farman: The Aircraft, the Automobiles
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VeloceToday for April 25, 2017
Do you believe in Magic? Sean Smith looks at seventy years of Alfas to see if automotive DNA is alive and well. You be the judge. Lancia dealership photos and ads from the 1960s; One Fast Fiat 125T and we review The Ed Hugus Story.
Testing DNA in Four Alfas
Four Alfa sedans representing almost 70 years of Alfa design; the 1950s with the Alfa 1900 Berlina, the Alfa 105 Sedan of the 1960s and early 70s, the 1990s with the 164, and today’s new Giulia Quadrifoglio. A wonderful display of automotive tradition, but do the genes really carry through? Does the latest Quadrifolgio have anything in common with the 1900? We’d like your opinions!
Story and photos by Sean Smith
Can you take cars that are 60 years apart and compare them? Is there any overlap? So much has changed over that time. So many improvements, so many refinements. Can a car company retain the imagination and passion it has from its past… can it transcend modernity and still retain the fire from bygone days? Comparing four Alfa sedans from disparate eras brings up interesting questions: Is there such a thing as automotive DNA and has Alfa succeeded reproducing desirable genes? Are designers, then and now, really passionate or corporate drones? Is Alfa different than, say GM? We’ll present the cars; you present your views.