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Vernasca: Lancia through Serenissima

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Kai Desinger's 1960 Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato

Kai Desinger’s 1960 Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

A little about the history of this fascinating event: The Vernasca Hillclimb was originally sanctioned by the Automobile Club Piacenza between 1953 and 1972. The 1953 event attracted 40 entries, and was won by Alfa factory driver Consalvo Sanesi with a 3000CM. The race continued to grow, with 90 cars entered by 1955, when Massimo Leto de Priolo took first overall.

A Stanguellini Formula Junior achieved the fastest time in 1960, and by 1961 Odoarado Govoni took a Birdcage Maserati to win. The cars were getting bigger and faster as Govoni’s competition was Nando Pagliarini with a Ferrari SWB. Pagliarini returned in 1962 with the Ferrari to win. Abarth 1000s, Porsche 904s and Alfa TZs were popular entries in the 1960s, followed by the bigger, faster Abarth 2000s. In the early 1970s Lualdi brought the Ferrari 212 E hillclimb car to compete with the Porsche 908s. The last edition of Castell’Arquato-Vernasca was held May 14, 1972.

This segment reflects the cars at the event from Giannini to the one-off Serenissima. All in all, the 20th Vernasca Silver Flag Hill Climb was my sort of weekend. If you go next year, and as we understand, the event is already approved, you won’t be disappointed.

Vernasca overview
Abarth to Ferrari

John Skibiki's original Group 2 650 Gianni

John Skibiki’s original Group 2 650 Giannini.

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New Alpine Prototype Seen at Le Mans

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13a

By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

Shedding light on the Alpine rebirth

Just two hours before the start of this year’s 24 Hour of Le Mans, spectators got a surprise glimpse of a speeding blue sports coupé. It was the first public appearance of the new Alpine Celebration AS 1 (for Alpine Sport).

This appearance of the new Alpine was also a birthday party to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the company that made the name Alpine famous by producing small Renault-based and rally winning sports cars. [Read more…] about New Alpine Prototype Seen at Le Mans

Racing Matras in America

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matra racing Above: the late Gary Neuer driving the Matra Djet to a win at Santa Barbara.

1966 Matra/Bonnet Djet V S: On the Ground Floor with the French in America

By Al Axelrod

I was working away at my Beverly Hills foreign car/special interest shop in 1967 (where they had previously built the Reventlow Scarabs) when a neat little car came in the door and the owner said, “Hey, let’s go racing.” He went on to explain that he obtained the car from a Matra executive and that the company might come to the USA with their vehicles and, if so, I would be “their guy.”

You could say I was crazy to believe him. But, I was young at the time and remember thinking: “If I am a good race driver/mechanic/engineer/shop owner, they will call me up and put me on the factory team.”

The Djet was a very aerodynamic car that had the distinction of being one of the first mid-engine sports cars. Actually, DeTomaso claimed the same for his Vallelunga, but then he was always exaggerating so no one can be quite sure. And of course there was the Porsche 550 Spyder from years earlier. So let’s just say the Djet was the first production French mid-engine sports car.

Off to the races goes the Matra. But would it lead to fame and fortune?

The Djet was the product of a French engineering genius Rene Bonnet, who until the beginning of the 60s had been joined up with Charles Deutsch at the Panhard company. “D.B.” cars stands for Deutsch Bonnet. They had won the Index of Performance in the 24 hour race in 1954 and had won many other European events in their class.

At that time Matra was a firm specializing in machine tools, plastics and glass fiber composites. They would make the body and deliver it to Bonnet. Unfortunately Bonnet could not make his business profitable and went under after Deutsch went his own way.

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Experiencing Zagato’s Alfas

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Richard Stafferton's (RIP) TZ and John Winter's Coda Tronca and one of my Coda Tondas taken in Richards driveway in Toronto

Richard Stafferton’s TZ1 S/N 084 and John Winter’s Coda Tronca s/n 00195 and Oliver Collin’s round tail, s/n 00147, taken in Richard’s driveway in Toronto, 1978. See how many Alfas you can identify in Richard’s yard. Photo Oliver Collins collection.

By Pete Vack *

As early as the late 1960s, the Alfa enthusiast instinctively knew that of all the post war Alfas semi production cars, the Zagatos were the most desirable. Alfa Zagatos exemplified the era of the relatively inexpensive, coachbuilt GT car, as did the special bodied Ferraris, Maseratis, and Lancias.

They were also, for most part, aluminum, which beat the ever present rust problem associated with steel bodied cars of the era. Unlike the competition, Alfas were more numerous, less expensive and in general more reliable. They had mechanicals that could be understood, repaired and there were ample parts available. Another part of the lure of Alfas was that the 1300/1600 cars were a joy to drive; some, yes, underpowered, but all were fun and easy to drive. They were small, light, responsive and eager. Many were raced successfully at Le Mans, Sebring, and the Targa Florio.

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Decision at Zandvoort

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The poster for the 1955 Grand Prix at Zandvoort. It was designed by the well-known Dutch graphic artist Frans Mettes.

The poster for the 1955 Grand Prix at Zandvoort. It was designed by the well-known Dutch graphic artist Frans Mettes.

The Dutch Grand Prix was scheduled for one week after the disastrous 1955 Le Mans event. Should it have been cancelled? What would you have done? In this exclusive story, VeloceToday correspondent Gijsbert-Paul Berk, who was an assistant to the Royal Netherlands Automobile Club at the time, describes the ensuing crisis and decision.

Story by Gijsbert-Paul Berk

This year’s 24 hour race at Le Mans is now over, but no one who has closely followed motor racing in the fifties can ever forget the horrible accident exactly 60 years ago, on June 11, 1955 during the Le Mans 24 hours race. This black page in the history of motor sports caused the immediate death of the French driver Pierre Bouillin (who drove under the pseudonym of Pierre Levegh), at least 88 spectators, and hundreds of wounded. It was and remains the greatest loss of life due to a motor racing event.

11 June 1955, 18:25. Tragedy struck at the 24 Hours Race on the Le Mans circuit. Photo © DR

11 June 1955, 18:25. Tragedy struck at the 24 Hours Race on the Le Mans circuit. Photo © DR

This sudden tragedy posed a great dilemma for the board of the Royal Netherlands Automobile Club (KNAC). Should the Dutch Grand Prix scheduled for the following weekend be canceled or take place as planned? [Read more…] about Decision at Zandvoort

Williamsburg Welcomes the Automobile

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MG TC in front of the old Bank building in Merchant's Square.

Rocky Von Dullen’s MG TC in front of the old bank building in Merchants Square.

Story and Photos by Pete Vack

The last drag race down historic Williamsburg’s 18th century Duke of Gloucester Street occurred sometime in the mid-1960s; in fact it was also the last time any automobile was allowed to amble down the ancient boulevard, though the exact date seems to be lost to posterity. Despite this ban on the automobile, this weekend the Colony Automobile Enthusiasts Club held its car show in Merchants Square, at the west end of the Duke of Gloucester Street, where normally cars fear to tread. [Read more…] about Williamsburg Welcomes the Automobile

Coda Tronca: Fact and Fiction

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Corrado Lopresto's recent find as displayed last weekend at the Wilton Concours. Sharp photo.

Corrado Lopresto’s recent find as displayed last weekend at the Wilton Concours. Jonathan Sharp photo.

Story by Pete Vack

The world of the Internet will likely soon be filled with stories of a particular Alfa Romeo that served as the prototype for a new Alfa Zagato GT, one with a long tail, suddenly clipped off and called the “Coda Tronca”. And so we add to the hoopla, for of course the prototype Coda Tronca as found by the long time and truly enthusiastic Italian collector Corrado Lopresto and introduced at the Wilton Concours last weekend, (see related story) is an important find and a truly significant Alfa Romeo and Zagato. In Part 1 we’ll look at the use of the Kamm effect and why the Alfa SZ Coda Tronca was different.

Winter, 1960

As Ercole Spada would later recall, these were exciting times. In February 1960, The 22 year old ex-soldier, lacking any kind of formal training, had applied for a job at Zagato upon completion of his military service. He brought with him no portfolio, no sketches. But he loved to draw cars. “While my friends were stealing a peak into Playboy, I had my nose deeply into car magazines,” Spada recalled. Elio Zagato asked him if he had a driver’s licenses and could draw on a one to one scale. Spada said yes and Zagato hired him on the spot. Before Spada came onboard, Zagato didn’t have a chief designer. Cars just more or less happened. Life was simpler then.

Spada: the long story of a short tail.

His first assignment was to design a body for Tony Crook’s Bristol 406S, which although high and narrow, was a great improvement over the earlier Zagato effort on the 406. Hot on the heels of the Bristol came the Aston Martin Zagato, and suddenly, with less than a year under his belt, Spada was if not famous, definitely had proven his worth. It was a story out of the dreams of thousands of boys, and Spada was living it.

The rounded shape of the production Alfa SZ 1300. Photo by Bartholomew.

The rounded shape of the production Alfa SZ 1300. Photo by Bartholomew.

[Read more…] about Coda Tronca: Fact and Fiction

Wilton Concours 2015; Bugattis and More

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Bugatti EB110 by the Palladian bridge.

Bugatti EB110 by the Palladian bridge.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Another weekend and yet again the grass has not been cut! Events keep getting in the way.

Not such a long journey this weekend, (June 6-7) just a two-hour jaunt to Wilton House near Salisbury in Wiltshire, the home of the Earls of Pembroke since 1540. The reason for the visit was not to view the recently restored, Inigo Jones designed South Front of the house, or indeed the glorious state rooms; no it was to attend Lord Pembroke’s Classic and Super car weekend.

This is an event that I have never attended before and judging by what I saw laid out on his Lordship’s lawns I can safely say it will not be my last visit. In front of the house, two rows of prize Bugatti’s with three Veyrons (to Celebrate its 10th anniversary) lined up between them. To the left of the house an enviable line up of classics whether you classic of choice be a Ferrari or a VW Camper. The right of the house, a further selection of Classics from a Mini to a Muira.

Corrado Lopresto's recent find as displayed last weekend at the Wilton Concours. Sharp photo.

Corrado Lopresto’s recent find as displayed last weekend at the Wilton Concours. See this week’s related article.

[Read more…] about Wilton Concours 2015; Bugattis and More

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