Maserati 4CM: s/n 1120 gets ready for a rainy run.
Photos and text by Alessandro Gerelli
[Read more…] about Cavallino Classic 2016 Part 3: Palm Beach International Raceway
VeloceToday for February 9, 2016
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Gauld at Retro: I Knew Them When….
A sunny day at the Modena Autodrome nearly fifty nine years ago. Ferrari appeared with the 335S (0674) to test the Dunlop tires. Test driver Martino Severi at the wheel. This same car sold at Retromobile for $35.7 million. Photo by Graham Gauld.
By Graham Gauld
Regular readers will no doubt be aware that the French car show Retromobile always fires me up and sends me scurrying around the vast hall searching out cars that strike a chord with me or trigger a memory.
On this occasion it was a significant bit of memory and it involves a car that was the first Ferrari I was able to watch closely during a private test session at the Modena Autodrome back in 1957. It was now standing in front of me at the Artcurial auction stand this year. [Read more…] about Gauld at Retro: I Knew Them When….
Seeing Red at the Schlumpf
This is the third of five ‘Disco Volantes’ constructed by Alfa and Touring. The S/N is 1359.00002 and is the four cylinder version. It was known as the ‘narrow sided’ Touring because it was much narrower than the first car from which the name Disco Volante was derived. It was raced in several hillclimbs in the mid 1950s before being scooped up by the Schlumpfs. The most impressive post war Alfa in the collection and an absolute, extremely original jewel.
All Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Text by Staff
Having been through the Bugattis at the Schlumpf in the past two editions of VeloceToday, it seemed that identifying the Italians photographed at the Schlumpf by Jonathan Sharp might be a spot easier. Not on your sweet bippy. Note that we asked for a list of S/Ns from the National Museum at Mulhouse weeks ago and still no reply. [Read more…] about Seeing Red at the Schlumpf
Vignale Part 2: Coacbuilder to Ferrari
This week we take you on a journey through the wonderful world of the Vignale Ferraris, all but one sketched by the amazing artist Giovanni Michelotti and translated into metal by Alfredo Vignale and his crew of talented panel beaters. Our photographers are Michael T. Lynch, Alessandro Gerelli, Hugues Vanhoolandt and Jonathan Sharp; in addition we have never-before-published color images of Vignale Ferraris in the era, taken by Robert F. Pauley and his brother at a number of events in the early 1950s.
By Pete Vack
The relationship with Michelotti coincided with Enzo Ferrari’s desire to change coachbuilders. Luigi Chinetti Sr. had con¬vinced Ferrari to construct a series of road cars and Chinetti was sure they could be sold in the U.S. Vignale could under-price and out-produce Touring, Ferrari’s main coachbuilder, and apparently Ferrari liked Michelotti’s ideas.
It was fine with Alfredo as well. “For Vignale, each new Ferrari chassis was analogous to the sculpture’s block of marble, a new challenge to his ability to give concrete form to his flight of fancy…” wrote Marcel Massini in his book “Ferrari By Vignale”. Vignale’s first Ferrari rolled out of the shop in 1950; about 156 Ferrari bodies were built, and after 1954 Vignale gradually stopped producing bodies for Ferrari and instead concentrated on the new Maserati 3500 as Ferrari teamed up with Pinin Farina for a new line of Ferraris.
Below: 20 delectable Vignale Ferraris by Serial Number
A Mussolini Alfa Romeo Mystery
The two motorists in this photo are about to share a tragedy and create an international incident hushed up for decades. Is it possible that this photo provides new evidence about this strange interlude?*Photographer unknown.
By Pete Vack
Dale La Follette, proprietor of Vintage Motorphoto, has been a fan of VeloceToday for years and often sends us photos from his amazing collection. Some are not identified, and one of our happiest yet most frustrating tasks is to identify the car or individuals in a photo. Recently, he sent us this photo with the comment, “1931 (or is it 1937?) Mussolini and Cornelius Vanderbilt taking a drive in a dual cowl something or other, oh my, not OUR Cornelius??? This is great fun sending you all my problems as you keep rising to the bait……..”. On the back of the print were vague clues including a date and an incomplete newspaper clipping. [Read more…] about A Mussolini Alfa Romeo Mystery
VeloceToday for February 2, 2016
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Vignale History, Part 1 The Early Years
Alfredo Vignale, who at one time didn’t drive or even like to ride in cars, died in an automobile accident in November of 1969. According to his brother Giuseppe, interviewed in 1956, “Alfredo’s passion for automobiles begins and ends with his coachwork. He doesn’t own a car, won’t drive a car, and only rides in one with great reluctance.” It is perhaps ironic, but the man who was Vignale and Company was responsible for some of the finest and fastest automotive sculptures of our the twentieth century.
By Pete Vack
From 1946 to 1969, the workshop of Alfredo Vignale of Turin, Italy, was among the vanguard of a number of illustrious and creative Italian carrozzeria which included Allemano, Bertone, Ghia, Motto, Pininfarina, Touring, Viotti and others. In 1947 he created the amazing and advanced Cisitalia MM from the drawings of Giovanni Savonuzzi and by 1950 became Enzo Ferrari’s primary coachbuilder, usurping Touring for the honor.
Gijsbert-Paul Berk: Retro Rockets and Chinese Italians
Gijsbert-Paul Berk recently turned 85 years young. He has been our kind and generous mentor since his book, André Lefebvre and the cars he created for Voisin and Citroën was reviewed by us in 2010. His first article for VeloceToday was The 1923 French Grand Prix, in 2012, Part 1 of a massive 9 part series dealing with this epic race in depth.
What fascinates us most about Gijsbert-Paul, is that like all really great journalists, he is interested in the present and ponders the future, even while researching the past in depth. From 3D additive manufacturing to self-drive cars, he refuses to let history get in the way of absorbing the latest, constantly reminding us that we must stay abreast of industrial and automotive news although immersing ourselves in the distant past.
Below, he reports on the upcoming Rétromobile display of the 1905 Darracq V8 Record Car, and follows that up with the all-electric Neo concept car created by the Italian-Chinese collaboration of Icona and shown at the recent Festival Automobile International in Paris.
[Read more…] about Gijsbert-Paul Berk: Retro Rockets and Chinese Italians
Where to Shop and Eat at Rétromobile
In 2010, Lizzie Sexton accompanied her husband John to Rétro, but instead of hanging about at the show, she decided to explore the 15th arrondissement. “Not all of us are car fanatics,” she wrote. “But that’s not an excuse to skip the wonderful Rétromobile. Take advantage of the trip to discover a part of Paris with culture, food and fun.”
With the 2016 version of Rétro opening this week we re-publish Lizzie’s article sharing her experiences with our readers.
Story and Photos by Lizzie Sexton
Rétromobile is housed in the Parc des Expositions at the Porte de Versailles, on the southwest border of Paris and at the base of the 15ième arrondissement. Nine of ten residents of the 15ième will rank the number 12 métro line to downtown as the best thing coming out of their area. But luckily I met Antoine, the one in ten who urged me to “Restez ici chez nous pour un peu!” (Stay here with us for awhile!). [Read more…] about Where to Shop and Eat at Rétromobile
VeloceToday for January 26, 2016
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Bugatti and Gordini Racecars at the Schlumpf
1928 Bugatti Type 35A; 8 cylinders, 1991cm, 95cv, 190 km/h. This car was equipped with mudguards and headlights as a two-seater sport version. It belonged to Elisabeth Junek who raced Bugattis in the Targa Florio.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Dear reader,
Last week we brought you Part 1 of cars at the Schlumpf (click here). Below we present just a few of the Bugatti and Gordini race cars at the National Museum at Mulhouse. We have not attempted to identify the Bugattis by chassis number; we have asked for a list of cars and chassis numbers from the Museum but no response yet. Even simple identification is often difficult; for example is the wire wheeled Bugatti below a T35 or T37? We are not sure.
Therefore Mr. Sharp has made use of the placards at the Museum, the official Museum booklet, and the Museum Internet site to try to verify that the identifications in the captions below are as correct as possible. Our staff also checked sources from a variety of Bugatti and Gordini books. In some cases, we are still not sure we are 100% correct. Perhaps readers could help. We would also like to know if readers have had similar experiences.
The situation was no better with the Gordinis. Placards were often incorrect. We used Christian Huet’s landmark book, “Gordini” as well as Roy Smith’s recent work “Amédée Gordini-a true racing legend” to identify the cars by chassis number and type – always a difficult matter at best as Smith will attest to. So enjoy; comments welcome as usual! [Read more…] about Bugatti and Gordini Racecars at the Schlumpf