Here’s a great event to attend at the end of this month. The Petersen Automotive Museum will have its first annual Automotive Authors Book Signing on Saturday, October 29, 2011 and several authors of particular interest to readers of VeloceToday will be present. The first is Wallace Wyss, who will be introducing his new suspense thriller, “FERRARI HUNTERS“, as well as signing some of his previous non-fiction books and art work. The second is Iso/Bizzarrini expert Mike Gulett, author of “European Style with American Muscle“. They will be accompanied by some other familiar names; Matt Stone, author of “McQueen’s Machines”, Michael Furman, “The Art of Delahaye”. Richard Addato, “French Curves” are among the confirmed authors so far. “Enthusiasts, historians, and gear heads will have the opportunity to meet their favorite automotive authors as they learn about the history of the automobile and its impact on our life and culture from a variety of perspectives. The event will be open to the public and included in the regular price of admission to the museum,” says the Petersen, so make plans now. More Info Here.
Watkins Glen Memoirs Part 2: 1949
By Eric Davison
For the 1949 event we were ready. My Dad and I had a cabin reserved at the Seneca Lodge and many of the Detroit Region were going to caravan to the Glen. There were but few sports cars, mostly MG TCs and the trip was planned so that passengers could be rotated and everyone could experience a ride in a sports car.
Delahaye: The Grand Touring Tradition
By Ed McDonough
Introduction
Like many Veloce Today enthusiasts, the UK-based American automotive writer Ed McDonough (and author of “The Ferrari 156 Sharknose”) has had a long-standing and more-than-passing interest in French automobiles as well Italian machinery which he has written about in numerous articles and books. He has owned an Alpine A110 and the occasional Renault, Peugeot and Citroen, and raced in several 24-hour events with a Citroen 2CV. He has been competing this year in a 1951 DB-Monomille…more of that later!
He has now discovered a rather unique collection of cars, many of which are housed in England, with others stored in France and New Zealand. The owner has kindly agreed to a series of articles and Ed will be testing most of this extensive and relatively unknown collection of cars. It includes over a dozen Delahayes, all of which have been painstakingly restored and are in superb condition. These are not so-called ‘barn-finds’ but cars on which the very meticulous owner has lavished much attention. We start this series with a 1948 135M with a charming coupe body by Parisian designer/coach-builder Henri Chapron, and some background information on the Delahaye firm.
14th Annual Trofeo Aido September 25, 2011
The fourteenth running of this classic charity event in Brescia.
By Charles Schoendorf
Photos by Dino Brunori
Give them umbrellas and it won’t rain. That was the strategy this year at Trofeo Aido. And it worked. Which is nice when most of the cars are open, not to mention the grueling mountain driving!
[Read more…] about 14th Annual Trofeo Aido September 25, 2011
This Week, of Interest
This week we begin an exclusive seven part mini-series of memoirs written by Eric Davison, who, in 1949 at the age of 15 began to accompany his father Charlie to the races at Watkins Glen. Eric’s story is not only about the cars and racing that he witnessed at the Glen, but his relationship with his father, the growth of the sport in the U.S., and the effect it had on families. It is a story many of us can relate to and share, but as we will see, Eric’s experiences are above and beyond the norm.
On many occasions the Davison’s traveled from their home in Detroit to the Glen with their friend Harold Lance, who photographed the Glen street races in rare color film. Philippe Defechereux’s forthcoming “Waktins Glen, The Street Years”, uses this collection to great effect. Lance’s photos, along with Davison’s, are sprinkled throughout these memoirs. In addition, never before published images from the Frank Shaffer collection complement the Davison memoirs. Shaffer was then a twenty year old car enthusiast from Youngstown Ohio who used a BSA to get the Glen and a Leica camera to record what he saw, both on and off the track.
Also, catch Goodwood as seen by Hugues Vanhoolandt, the Circuits des Remparts event in France, Giro d’Italia is back, and the WRC is still wide open as the Mini gets a podium.
Watkins Glen Memoirs Part 1: Prelude
The street years at Watkins Glen were magic to me. In our house the trip to “the Glen” was a yearly pilgrimage. The excitement, the fun and the life experiences that I enjoyed with my father are never to be forgotten.
[Read more…] about Watkins Glen Memoirs Part 1: Prelude
Angoulême, Circuits des Remparts, 16-18 September
Heavenly vintage racing at Angouleme France.
Story and photos by Ian Wilson
The city of Angouleme hosts many superb festivals and colourful events throughout the year, and the third week in September is no exception seeing the annual Circuits des Remparts return to the town. Weeks of preparation have seen crash barriers put in place, marquees erected, local people reminded, and shop windows decorated with a race theme. Race weekend is here, and the place will again ring to the sound of engines. [Read more…] about Angoulême, Circuits des Remparts, 16-18 September
This Week, of Interest
VeloceToday’s Michael T. Lynch to speak at Watkins Glen
Michael T. Lynch
Art Show at the IMRRC.
2011 Supaloc Classic Targa Adelaide
Guy Standen and Andrew Coles, 1974 Fiat 124 Sport CC on Montacute stage.
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
The 2011 Supaloc Classic Targa Adelaide, held from 14-17 September, marked the return of classic rally cars to the hills around the South Australian capital. Covering over 200 kilometres of special stages on closed roads, this first round of the 2011 Australian Targa Championship revived memories of the Classic Adelaide Rally, last run in 2009. Outright winner in that event, Kevin Weeks, has signed his company, Supaloc Steel Building Systems, to a four-year deal as naming rights sponsor. [Read more…] about 2011 Supaloc Classic Targa Adelaide
This Week, of Interest
Mystery car no more.
Last week reader Bill Spear emailed a photo taken from Life magazine back in the 1950s. We don’t know when or where the photo was taken, but while Spear has always thought it neat, he had no idea what the car is, who built it, nada.
So of course he sent it to us. After doing a bit of searching, we could find nothing definite. It was time to call in the real experts. We turned to Dino Brunori, author of “Enrico Nardi, a Fast Life”, who replied:
The car is a Fiat 1100 body by Carrozzeria Ala d’Oro from Reggio Emilia, built in 1948. Carrozzeria Ala d’Oro was founded in 1946 by Franco Bertani, a gentleman driver italian champion in 1938 1100cc class, and Officine Reggiane in Reggio Emilia.
Officine Reggiane was a small factory that grow up during the war, manufacturing parts for airplanes, mainly wings and cockpits, and therefor had nothing to do at the end of the war.
The workforce was rescued by Bertani with the set up of Carrozzeria Ala d’Oro. The Ala d’Oro bodied most part of the first Stanguellini production cars and several sports models, plus artisans cars and trucks. This 1100 was originally fitted with an hard top very similar to an airplane cockpit (see picture). The design was an in-house work. The car still exist in the hands of an italian collector.
Our thanks to Bill Spear for the question and Dino Brunori for the answer!
Photo courtesy Dino Brunori.
Fairfield County Concours
At the Fairfield County Concours, I spotted a fantastic ‘Barn Find’ 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux Coupe. The pre-auction estimate was $150,000-200,000. I knew that these were very desirable models even in such sad shape and I was not surprised to find out the next day that it sold for significantly over this estimate at $337,000!
Story and Photos by Werner Pfister
Fabulous weather, fantastic cars and a good cause underscored the Fairfield County Concours in Westport, Connecticut this past weekend. Since its humble beginning eight years ago in Westport’s Veterans Green on Main Street, this event has grown into a world class event at the expansive Fairfield County Hunt Club.
[Read more…] about Fairfield County Concours
This Week, of Interest
Today:
*Brandes Elitch on the Alfa 1900SS Ghia
*Alessandro Gerelli takes us to the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti
*Newcomer Al Axelrod highlights WWII planes and classic cars at Morgan Adams, Colorado
*Roberto Motta’s full report with images of the surprising Rally Australia
*Erik Nielsen is back with the Grand Prix of Italy
Coming up:
*Larry Crane reviews a Delahaye history
*Ed McDonough drives a very special Delahaye
*Karl Ludvigsen on his Talbot
*Michael T. Lynch on the GTO
*Roberto Motta and the Editor on the Abarth SP 1000
*Eric Davison’s Watkins Glen Memoirs