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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

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Ford and Chevy-Engined Ferraris at CI

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Author Randy Cook in 750 Monza (0518M) at Concorso Italiano.

Story by Staff

This year’s Concorso Italiano celebrated a little-known part of Ferrari history, which is covered in two recent books authored by Randy Cook of Tallahassee, Florida.

His books, Bowtie Ferraris and Blue Oval, et al, Ferraris, document almost 100 Ferraris of the 50s and 60s that were at one time powered by Chevy, Ford, Buick, Chrysler and Offy engines.

The two basic reasons for implanting American engines into very rare and exotic cars of the time were to make racing Ferraris faster and easier to maintain, and to keep street driven Ferraris on the road and out of the scrap yard at a time when it was almost impossible to repair a broken Ferrari engine. Two magazine articles appeared in 1959 documenting the installation of Chevy engines into two different Ferrari chassis for street driving. A car featured in one of the articles was an unexpected guest at the Concorso, actually it was the body of the car (0024) which is now on another chassis (0097). [Read more…] about Ford and Chevy-Engined Ferraris at CI

Renault’s Racing Heritage Part 1

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Three generations of Renault record breakers on the concrete oval of Montlhéry. From left to right: the 1956 Etoile Filante turbine car, the 1934 Nervasport a and the 1926, 40 CV Spéciale Type NM . (photo Renault Communication).

Three generations of Renault record breakers on the concrete oval of Montlhéry. From left to right: the 1956 Etoile Filante turbine car, the 1934 Nervasport a and the 1926, 40 CV Spéciale Type NM .
(photo Renault Communication).

By Gijsbert Paul Berk

Recently Renault invited a number of automotive journalists to the famous Montlhéry race track south of Paris for a demonstration of a number of their classic competition cars. Officially it was to commemorate that the French company has been over 115 years actively involved in motor racing, record breaking and rallying. But it also proved to be an unique opportunity to see and hear these wonderful machines in action. [Read more…] about Renault’s Racing Heritage Part 1

Gauld at the Osenat/Gombert Junkyard Auction

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The Alfa Montreal bought by Gerard Gombert for junk and now steadily sinking into the undergrowth fetched $13,000 at the Osenat Auction on November 9-11.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

Nothing much happens around this part of the South of France. The hot spots of Nice, Cannes and Monaco lie on the sunny Coast of the French Riviera but here, inland about twenty miles away, village life is about the same as it has always been. But on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week all that changed with one of the oddest auction sales I have ever attended. Here is the story.

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The Alpine A110 in the foreground sold for $15,000 with the blue one behind went for $27,000.

Gerard Gombert was a one-time motor cycle racer and garage owner in Nice. He had some good customers and clients but gave it all up a number of years ago and bought a semi-derelict property right beside the main road from Draguignan and the perfume capital of France, Grasse.

What he bought was fairly dense woodland with a small house that bordered that road. Then compulsion took over and he began to collect things, mainly cars and motorcycles but eventually caravans, trucks and bric-a-brac that nobody else would buy. His property became a junkyard.

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100 Years of the Supercar at Alexandra Palace

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Recently restored by GTO Engineering and taking pride of place on their stand,was this 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Pininfarina Series 1, chassis 1475GT. Previously owned for 40 years by Ferrari historian Hilary Raab.

Recently restored by GTO Engineering and taking pride of place on their standwas this 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Pininfarina Series 1, chassis #1475GT. Previously owned for 40 years by Ferrari historian Hilary Raab.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

I had wanted to visit this show – now in its second year – not so much for the cars on display, but for a fondness for the location. Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally to us Londoners) is a historic entertainment venue in Alexandra Park, London and located in the north of the city. Known as the people’s Palace and home to concerts, exhibitions and various other cultural events, it was opened by Queen Victoria on her 54th birthday the May 24, 1873. Tragedy struck 16 days later when a fire, which started in the dome, reduce the Palace to ruins with only the outer walls left standing. Undaunted, the palace was rebuilt, opening again in 1875.

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Alexandra Palace today.

[Read more…] about 100 Years of the Supercar at Alexandra Palace

Goal Achieved: Alpine Clinches the LMP2 Titles

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Alpine A460 n°35 Baxi DC Racing Alpine at Le Mans, 19 June 2016 CREDIT: ALEXANDRE GUILLAUMOT / DPPI

Story by Roberto Motta, Photos by Media Renault – DPPI MEDIA

One round before the end of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Signatech-Alpine won the LMP2 Teams’ title, while Nicolas Lapierre, Stéphane Richelmi and Gustavo Menezes secured the Drivers’ crown.

Rounding off an exceptional season that saw the team win four races including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Signatech-Alpine A460 claimed the LMP2 Category Teams’ and Drivers’ titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

In light of this prestigious result, Michael Van der Sandem, CEO of Alpine, said “…this victory is the best advertising medium that we could give to the production cars that will be on sale from next year.”

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March, 2016: Alpine, Alpine Celebration and Alpine Vision CREDITS: ANTHONY BERNIER

[Read more…] about Goal Achieved: Alpine Clinches the LMP2 Titles

Peter Giddings, the Chain Gang and Firle

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Peter Giddings at Firle Hillclimb in the Frazer Nash.

Peter Giddings at Firle Hillclimb in the Frazer Nash.

By Peter Giddings
All photos courtesy Peter Giddings unless marked otherwise

Last week Jonathan Sharp wrote up a very nice piece for us about the Firle Hillclimb Revival, with plenty of enticing photos of car guys and girls just having fun with their classics. It certainly hit a note with our readers. Then Peter Giddings emailed us about his experiences driving a Frazer Nash ‘Chain Gang’ at the original Firle Hillclimb in 1963. We begged for more and here is his story:

I could not believe my eyes when I saw your “Firle Hillclimb Revival”, the setting for several of my early attempts at competitive speed hill climbing.” I attach a report from Autosport, July 19, 1963 which reads in part, “Last May P. H. Giddings had rocketed up in 28.69 secs. in a 1928 Frazer Nash fitted with a 1926 A.C. engine, and on Sunday this incredible device did 28.66 secs. to take third place in the most hotly contested class of the day. How this chain-driven car can be coaxed up Firle so quickly only Mr. Giddings knows!” [Read more…] about Peter Giddings, the Chain Gang and Firle

Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, 2016

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Robert Sales, Fiat 508 is detailed below.

Story and photos by Vince Johnson

Sunday 2 October, 2016
Following an exceptionally damp winter, the Barossa Valley north of Adelaide was at its greenest for the Sporting Car Club of SA’s annual Vintage Hillclimb meet. Festivities got underway with a Welcome Dinner at the Brauhaus Hotel in Angaston on Friday evening, followed by Saturday’s tour of the wine district. Morning tea and a light lunch left plenty of room for the Annual Dinner at the Wanera Wine Bar Restaurant that night, but on Sunday morning it was down to business at the club’s Collingrove track. [Read more…] about Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, 2016

Driving the Wild Miura S

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Paying attention to the Miura, circa 1973. Wright’s students are getting a good education.

Last week we did a story about a drive with Paul Wilson in his Miura and noted the lack of interest the car elicited as we drove around. But that was not the case, says John Wright, back in 1973 when his students got a chance to see a Miura up close. Wright also finagled a drive in the ‘beast’ so do read on….Ed.

By John R. Wright

For three years, I taught in Toronto at a school called Thornhill Collegiate, just north of Toronto. Because I was racing a Formula Vee at the time and had an interest in cars, the head of the Technical Department asked me to be a staff sponsor for a school autosports club. We would meet regularly, and I would sign out films from various sources like Labatts or Players on racing or rallying and show them in my classroom after school was over. The club would also organize various events like driving skill contests and gymkhanas. We would also participate in local fun rallies organized by the Deutsche Automobile Club in which I had a membership. In addition, we would also get in guest speakers, usually local race car drivers, like Formula Ford Champion Gary Magwood or Canadian racer Horst Kroll. [Read more…] about Driving the Wild Miura S

Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Reviewed

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Photo of Stratos by Piotr Degler

Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Volume One by Gautam Sen
ISBN 978-1-85443-279-7 regular, ISBN 978-1-85443-280-3 deluxe
2 Volume set 400 pages in each volume
924 images (449 Volume I and 475 Volume II) – many never seen before!
Over one hundred of Gandini’s designs featured
600 copies of the regular editions, 400 numbered and signed by both Marcello Gandini and Gautam Sen
Published by Dalton Watson, 2016
Our Price: $350.00
Shipping Costs: FREE SHIPPING TO USA AND UK. Shipping to all other countries will be charged one flat rate for first item, additional books in the same order are shipped for no additional s/h charge.
Order Here

Read Part 2

By Pete Vack

Right up front, let us tell you that this 800-page, two-volume set entitled Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design is one of the best books on automotive designers we’ve ever read. We did a quick Internet search and found many new (and old) books on Italian designers, (see list at end of this article) but none that approached the coverage of Gandini. It is devastatingly interesting, beautifully illustrated, nails down the history of every design and/or car touched by Marcello Gandini. The author, Gautam Sen, weaves the designer’s comments (from an introvert who is almost incapable of commenting on himself or his work) into a fascinating story backed by interesting and relevant histories. [Read more…] about Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Reviewed

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