Gallery: Ferrari Intake and Exhaust
Exhaust tubes (Maranello Ferrari museum, 2008).
Ferrari Art by Alessandro Gerelli Part 2
Voiturettes Part 2: ERA to Talbot
ERA (English Racing Automobiles Limited, Bourne, U.K.)
Competitive years: 1934-1938 Horsepower Range: 180-225
While the MG, Alta, Riley and Austin 750 did remarkably well for Great Britain, the Raymond Mays/Peter Berthon ERA combined a production based supercharged Riley engine with a solid conventional chassis and to launch the best known British upright of all time. It was fast, mostly reliable, and attracted top notch drivers from the U.K. and one from Thailand. Prince B. Bira (for short) was a grandson of King Mongkut, the hero of the book and musical, “The King and I”.
Bira was encouraged and financed by his cousin, Prince Chula Chakrabongse, and the pair bought three ERAs, naming them Romulus, Remus and Hanuman under the White Mouse Stable. [Read more…] about Voiturettes Part 2: ERA to Talbot
Peugeot Museum, Part 3: Rally, Racing and then some
Photos and captions by Jonathan Sharp
In Part One and Part Two of the Peugeot Museum, Jonathan Sharp took us through the production car history of the long lived French automaker Peugeot. While it was not totally complete, it offered a good view of why this collection is both important and impressive.
This week, we wrap up Jonathan Sharp’s French excursion to Peugeot with odds and ends, trophies, rally cars, race cars, and a work called art that only the French can explain. For a conservative manufacturer, we are reminded that Peugeot has been enormously successful in many branches of racing and rallying. So, if, as Sharp suggests, you have some extra time while visiting the old Schlumpf museum, take in the Peugeot Adventure. Here is the website: http://www.museepeugeot.com/en/home.html
This Targa Florio trophy has an interesting history but too long to relate here. Suffice to say that in 1907 on April 29th, Jules Goux won the Voiturette single cylinder race with a Lion Peugeot. But look at this trophy compared to the 1985-86 World Rally Championship affairs.
VeloceToday for December 9, 2015
– Click on images below to go directly to the desired article – Six for you this week!
The Lee T150C SS Talbot, aka “Stinky”
An unrestored classic among the finest restored classics on one of the world’s most prestigious golf courses. Elitch photo
Story by Brandes Elitch
Back in 2008 at the Quail Lodge, what I was looking for was a truly unique car, that neither I, nor anyone else, had seen before, at least not in my lifetime, a car that would blow you away when you saw it. I found what I wanted, and here is the story:
Don Lee started selling Cadillacs in 1906, and was awarded the West Coast distribution in 1919. In 1926, Lee bought KFRC radio in San Francisco, and the next year bought KHJ in Los Angeles. In 1929 he paid for LA’s first television broadcast, and in 1932 broadcast the first motion picture. Eventually, Lee owned twelve stations and became a CBS, and later, Mutual Broadcasting affiliate. To this day the ridge above the famous Hollywood sign, where he put his transmitter, is called Mount Lee. But in 1934, Lee succumbed to a heart attack, at only 54 years of age. His son, Thomas (Tommy) Lee inherited the empire, but left business management to CEO Willet Brown, to pursue, as author Lou Brooks has succinctly put it, “…his other interests, namely race cars and women.” [Read more…] about The Lee T150C SS Talbot, aka “Stinky”
Peugeot’s Time Machine Museum Part 2, 1945 to present
Probably remembered best (especially by me) as detective Columbo’s means of transportation, this 403 Cabriolet dates from 1960. Only 1814 Cabriolets were made.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Part 2 of Jonathan Sharp’s journey through Peugeot’s time machine museum begins during WII when despite Nazi occupation, Peugeot’s engineers planned the first postwar car, the 203. Peugeot had been building cars for over 50 years by that time and wasn’t going to give up; in fact they survived despite the many changes that eliminated many French manufacturers during the 1950s and 60s, and are now the second largest auto manufacturer in Europe. Sharp’s photos reminded the editor that Peugeot decided to pull out of the American market in 1991, at about the same time as did Alfa and Fiat…and we have not seen any new (and very few old!) Peugeots in the U.S. since then. Peugeot, who now owns Citroen, has stated that they are considering a comeback to the U.S. perhaps by 2018. Time will tell. [Read more…] about Peugeot’s Time Machine Museum Part 2, 1945 to present
Voiturette Racing Cars: Part 1 Alfa through Delage
By Pete Vack
The voiturette (750cc, 1100 cc and 1500cc) races which took place between 1931 and 1940 were magic; technically interesting cars, around the house race venues, truly international with multi-make participation, a cast of characters from a Siamese Prince to Enzo Ferrari, Dick Seaman’s drives with the ERA, MG and Delage, and a devastating secret weapon unleashed by Mercedes Benz which defeated and demoralized the opposition. There was never a dull moment on or off the track. The venues were largely ‘around the houses’ circuits such as Pau and San Remo, the drivers were semi-professional or talented amateurs, and interestingly, there were no points or championships for manufacturers or drivers. In fact the formula was so good it became the official Grand Prix class in 1945, which lasted until 1952.
Below, we present the first six of twelve short stories about the primary voiturette racers of the 1930s, covering Alfa, Alta, Amilcar, Austin, Bugatti and Delage. Part 2 will cover ERA, Maserati, Mercedes Benz, MG, Salmson and Talbot.
Alfa Romeo (S.A. Alfa Romeo, Milan, Italy)
Competitive years: 1938-1940 Horsepower Range: 195-225
The voiturette class was eventually dominated by the 158 Alfetta in 1939 and 1940. However, it is not clear why Alfa did not choose to participate in the voiturette races of the early 1930s. Many of their customers, such as Count Gianni Lurani however, did so using the 6C 1750 reduced to 1500cc and equipped with a lightweight open-wheeled body. They won class victories at the Nurburgring in 1932 and a third place in the 1500cc in the 1933 Czech Grand Prix.
[Read more…] about Voiturette Racing Cars: Part 1 Alfa through Delage
The Detailed World of Alessandro Gerelli
Alessandro Gerelli as seen by Simone Rossetto in Murano glass.
By Pete Vack
Photography by Alessandro Gerelli
Alessandro Gerelli: 140 articles, 3000 photos and 14 years with VeloceToday
In the summer of 1967, September 8th, to be exact, a 19 year-old college student by the name of Alessandro Gerelli was lucky enough to have obtained a pit pass to the Italian Grand Prix. Like today, pit passes were extremely difficult to obtain. But Gerelli was determined. He would not listen to the sound of Amon’s Ferrari from far behind the fences; he wanted desperately to be where the action was. In what must have been a passionately good letter, he wrote to the organizers and asked them if a student could obtain a pit pass. He would do no damage, he wrote, wouldn’t create problems, and maybe if he could just get a pass for the official test day, he could then take some photos. “The process worked,” says Alessandro, “and a very kind lady from the Monza organization called me, and said she had been touched by my letter.” The young Gerelli went to the Monza practice on Friday with a pit pass. He had to access a certain gate and mention the name of the lady who responded to his letter. “The miracle had been done,” recalled Gerelli.
His patience and fortitude resulted in catching a rare photo of Enzo Ferrari in the pits. Ferrari rarely attended races, even at Monza. Gerelli knew that Ferrari would often show up during practice for the Grand Prix so it was not a surprise. “But of course he was Ferrari and in any case the opportunity to see him and to take a picture of him was something exceptional for a young Ferrari lover like me,” said Gerelli. [Read more…] about The Detailed World of Alessandro Gerelli
Alessandro Gerelli’s Ferrari Art Gallery One, Rooms 1 and 2
Gallery Room 1: Badges and Shields
Yellow horse on a green Ferrari (Misano, 2002).
Ferrari badge on a Ferrari bonnet (Cavallino Classic, 2012).
Adelaide Motorsports Festival, South Australia 2015
Thomas/Christ 1962 Fiat 1500, Gouger Street.
Story and Photos by Vince Johnson
It’s been 30 years since Keke Rosberg won the first Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix held on the streets of Adelaide. To commemorate the anniversary, the Sporting Car Club of South Australia assembled an impressive line-up of F1 cars of the era to headline a 200-strong field of race and road cars for a weekend of sprints in the city’s Victoria Park.
VeloceToday for December 1, 2015
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The Dino 308GT4: Still a Ferrari…
This is not the particular Ferrari discussed below, but a very nice one and similar to the one owned by Mr. Sharp’s good friend. Jonathan Sharp photo.
By Jonathan Sharp
After all, it was a Ferrari and that still leaves a glow on your soul.
A friend of mine used to own a 308GT4. He was a normal working man and he worked every hour he could, so that he could save his money to buy his dream car which had to be a Ferrari. He had all the books and models, went to all the shows with me and Ferrari was about all we talked about. So after many years of saving he finally had enough to full fill his dream.