VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

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Postcards from Heaven #1

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This week we are very happy to present the first of our series of postcards from the mcarpedi Collection. The man behind the collection is Erik Verhaest from France. We asked him to tell us about the above postcard, which is one of his favorites. Verhaest delights in the details. The location is Tougues par Chens (Haute Savoie), Hôtel Ecaille d’Argent. “Every postcard tells a story, some more than others. I liked the Alfa and the Citroën in the same photo, but looking closer, you discover that the Citroën DS (1956/57) has a ‘CC’ license plate, ‘Corps Consulaire’? Could it be the Italian consul with his body guards in the Alfa? The people on the terrace are ladies with nice hats and men with military caps. I can smell their food 60 years later. The hotel still exists. One day I will go there with the postcard and ask for a plate of spaghetti!” Click card to go to mcarpedi.com.

Graham Gauld at Retro

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Abarth-750

Europe is finally beginning to see an influx of the Abarth Allemanos.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

It’s the first week of February, and to many that means Retromobile in Paris. This large motoring extravaganza is the meeting place of those who are in the know and looking for customers for their cars, as well as those who are there to drink in a truly diverse collection of cars, memorabilia and artifacts that never fail to produce some surprising items.

I tend to overlook the big historic car dealer stands with the major items that are generally covered in depth by most of the historic rags. I tend to look in the corners and on some of the smaller stands where you can find some really interesting stuff.

Stanguellini-Berlinetta

The Bertone-bodied Stanguellini berlinetta.

I have known the Stanguellini family for over fifty years, but this was the first occasion I have seen one of the 1100cc Fiat-engined berlinettas produced in the early 1950s. They were built as a short run of cars aimed at racing, with beautifully styled coachwork by Nuccio Bertone. As you can see from the photo it was very stylish for 1951 and at the Coppa Inter Europa that year, four of them took part, Manzini’s car finishing 8th in the 1100cc class. The one on show was on the Belgian Marreyt Classics stand with a price tag a shade over $180,000.

You had a choice of Cisitalia 202SC cabriolets on offer at Retromobile. This one was the Marryet car finished in blue/grey...

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On a personal note….

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mary decker vack

Your Editor and his wife Mary celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary last weekend and found this fading photo hidden in the pages of an old book. The photo dates from 1969, shortly before we were married. The Alfa was but one of many; Mary was the one and only.

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A Brit in the Court of Cavallino Part 1

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Sun sets on yet another great day at Palm Beach.

In January, VeloceToday correspondent Jonathan Sharp left the comforts of home in Great Britain to enjoy the warm temperatures and blue skies of Palm Beach. He reports about what he found at and on the way to Cavallino. His notebook begins with Wednesday through Friday below, and continues with Saturday and Sunday in a further article. Please note the lack of owner’s names in all three articles; this intentional and by their request.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp


Wednesday 23rd January, Palm Beach

Hi Peter, well we made it – amazing, given the recent snow fall at home in England. We seem to have grabbed the only snow-free day to fly out. I am told that nothing is moving in my home town today and it is impossible to get to the end of my road due to the snow, but then England does not do snow very well. The weather here in Palm Beach is amazing, temperature in the mid-70s, sun and blue sky. My brain is struggling to cope with the fact that it’s January. The atmosphere is building in the town with plenty of Ferraris to be seen.

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A Brit in the Court of Cavallino Part 2

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Ferrari 250 GT Chassis 2429GT on parade.

Englander Jonathan Sharp continues his notebook and letter to VeloceToday, ever more awed by quality, presentation and rarity of the Ferraris featured at Cavallino.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

Saturday, The Breakers

The WOW factor started on the walk from the Chesterfield hotel to the Breakers. A lovely, warm, bright-blue-skied morning was enlivened by the sound of two V12s running in convoy, a beautiful special-bodied 250TdF followed by the 375MM, both motoring towards the Breakers. I certainly hastened my step after seeing and hearing that!
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I Go Pro: Denise at the Ring, Part 2

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The McCluggage Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Comfortable at Monaco. Photo copyright Denise McCluggage.

By Denise McCluggage

“I Go Pro” was written for and published by “Sports Cars Illustrated”, February, 1959 and is reprinted here with the permission of the author and artist.

ANYONE WHO HAS EVER HEARD the throb of a racing engine and knew what they were hearing has heard of the Nurburgring. And well they might. It is the giant, bearded Granddaddy of all racing circuits. And yet whatever one has heard, or been told, or has seen in photographs or in movies is misleading to the point of being completely wrong. [Read more…] about I Go Pro: Denise at the Ring, Part 2

ALFA TO ZECCOLI Part 2

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Zeccoli in the ‘Periscopio’ Alfa T33 prototype at the Nurburgring, 1967. (Zeccoli Archives)

Graham Gauld talks to Alfa test driver Teodoro Zeccoli

As we learned in Part 1, ATS was a recipe for disaster. It didn’t take Carlo Chiti long before he had enough. He joined forces with his friend Ludovico Chizzola in his Autosport Company, which prepared touring cars for racing. The company they formed together was Delta Auto, later changed to Autodelta. Chiti recalled the previous approach to ATS from Alfa Romeo and so contacted Giuseppe Luraghi, the Chairman of Alfa Romeo, and was offered the chance to take on the program. Chiti then resigned from ATS and took Teodoro Zeccoli with him as test driver. Zeccoli’s career took another step forward.

The Autodelta years

Racing in the wet with the Alfa Romeo TZ 2 at Monza in 1966. Teodoro Zeccoli brakes for the Parabolica. He would win his class with co-driver De Adamich. (Zeccoli Archives, Alfa Romeo)

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From the Archives: Famous Cars, 1954

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You probably know someone who keeps old newspapers; yellowed, full of mold, faded to brown at the edges and decaying with both alacrity and odor…

The headlines are usually “Pearl Harbor Bombed”, or “Kennedy Assassinated”, or “Long Live the Queen”. The ones lying about the office of VeloceToday are old and yellowed enough, but the headlines are “Famous Cars and Their Badges”. We all have our quirks.

All three pages seen at left are from “The Topper”, an English tabloid-sized comic book which was published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd and ran from 1953 to 1990. The “Famous Cars and Their Badges” page may be familiar to our British readers. These date from December 1953 and January 1954, and were shipped (literally) from England to the U.S. some fifty-six years ago.
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Ain’t French or Italian but…

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austin Healey

The Davison Lancia, the erratic Healey, and sensible transportation. Photo courtesy Eric Davison.

By Eric Davison

I couldn’t help but laugh when I read ‘Marquis of Mystery.’ Imagine, a French car that wouldn’t start: not until you blew in its ear and doused it with expensive champagne.

I can top a car that wouldn’t start. I once had an English car that would not only not start, it would not stop.
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