pete

We are still in need of a few more comments about where our readers like to go for family vacations in the U.S. Please drop us a quick note if you can–all info will be kept private, of course. Send to pete@velocetoday.com Thanks!

Maranello, 12 October – Roberto Motta writes: We would like to dedicate this picture to the memory of Mexican driver Nicolas Zapata, who was the victim of a traffic accident on Saturday 9 October on the Mexico-Toluca highway in the region of Santa Fe. The image shows him racing in one of the recent rounds of the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge. With the loss of Zapata, the new Ferrari Historic Race loses its most fervent supporter, a racer for over ten years in the extraordinary series dedicated to the classic jewels from the home of the Prancing Horse. In November 2009 Zapata was crowned champion at the fourth and final race at the world finals in Valencia, behind the wheel of a legendary 1956 Ferrari 625 TR. Photo by Roberto Motta, insert Ferrari Media.

Mario Marchesini of Budrio and our “Italian eye” caught this transporter with Polish tags (many FIAT models are made in Poland). Mario thinks the much taped up Prototype might be a new four door Lancia Ypslion. Photograph copyright Mario Marchesini.

Best of France and Italy to be held November 7th 2010
Get out to Woodley Park, Van Nuys, California for a day with the best of French and Italian motoring machinery. This a non-judged show, from the rough restoration project to the serious concours offering. All are welcome, and our pricing structure is geared toward the collector with more than one vehicle. The intent of this gathering is to provide a meeting place for those marques that get little attention at the fancier concours. The registration fee is the same for both cars and swap meet vendors. A parking area is provided for trailers and tow vehicles. Food will be available or bring a picnic (no alcohol please).
Click here for a map and directions.
Contact us at info@franceanditaly.com or by voice, (626) 797-4221

And now for a question or two.
We know that most of our readers travel a great deal and that many attend automotive events all around the world.
But–where do you go for U.S. non car related vacations? What is your family’s favorite vacation destination? Will you be taking such a vacation in the next year? The reasons for such a question will be revealed in time, but if you send your comments to this post or to pete@velocetoday.com, privacy is assured. Send us a note if you can, it will be of great help!

Jeff Allison is presently the editor of Prancing Horse, the quarterly magazine of the Ferrari Club of America. He’s previously served in editor positions with MG Abingdon Classics and Vintage Motorsport magazines, including editor of “Vintage Stuff” in Automobile magazine. Since 1976, he’s produced almost 400 articles in over 40 magazines and web sites relating to motorsport activities. We think you’ll enjoy his photo collection of Alfas on the Track, Part 1 this week, and Part 2 next.

Jeroen Ekeler, 41, is a newcomer to VeloceToday from Holland who has been a free lance motoring writer for twenty years. He covered the always impressive concours at the Palace Het Loo for us and we hope to see more of his work in the near future.

Moretti. One of our readers is restoring a very rare Moretti. Although he has checked the usual sources both online and off, he is unable to find anyone who is a Moretti historian or who can help with researching this car which spent a good deal of it’s life in France. Any ideas here? Please let us know. Email us at pete@velocetoday.com.

We’d like to introduce Ian Wilson, who moved from Northern Ireland to France two years ago. “My father introduced me to racing at the early age of 5 at the Dundrod TT,” so he’s got the sport in his blood. He spent the past 15 years involved with Goodwood, most often as an official photographer at the Revivals and Festivals. His first article is a stunning report on this year’s Circuits des Remparts.

Along the way Ian took some photos of an Alfa which he found difficult to identify–as did we. Searching around we found a drawing by Ercole Spada published in the Marchiano Zagato book (Nada, 2000). We don’t know much more though–readers welcome to tell us how this beautiful Zagato came into being.

And now for the Mangusta. We received a lot of comments, both pro and con about our critical look at DeTomaso’s enigma. We thank all of those who sent in their comments. Here are our comments and corrections:
1. There were rocker switches on the dashboards of late Mangustas, see the Euro version featured this week.
2. William Crapo (his given middle name) Durant was not Isabelle’s grandfather but the Durant and Haskell families intermarried in the 19th century. Jonathan Amory Haskell, Isabelle’s grandfather was a VP at Chevrolet. Armory Haskell, Isabelle’s father, was also a VP of GM. The Haskell family had both money and contacts not only in Detroit but in Washington. The reference to Durant in Note 1 has been corrected in the text of Part I.
3. The Federal Exemption: Yes, the standard existed and a lot of cars got through besides the Mangusta. The point is that the author has never seen a car that was permitted to ignore so many standards in the name of the 500-maximum production exemption. We are sure many of our readers remember when, in 1973, at the height of the oil embargo, thousands of gas-saving Fiat 128s were forced to sit on the docks at U.S. ports because their headlights were too low. No such fate befell DeTomaso.

Part II of the Mangusta story is below. We wish to thank readers Steven Liebenow, Mike Drew, Denis Caron and Daryl Adams for their help with the Mangusta articles.