VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

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Last Week What We Are, This Week Who We Are

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The Editor at Lime Rock in the Alfa Sprint Coupe, years ago. Photo by Mary Decker Vack.

Since we are asking our readers for dollars, euros, pounds or what have you, here’s a brief on the guy behind the site. Then, please take the time to contribute $25 or whatever you wish, and keep VeloceToday coming to your inbox every week. It’s easy and safe. Simply click here for details.

By Pete Vack, Editor and Publisher

Someone recently told me that they weren’t ever going to contribute to some website unless they knew something about the people who were asking for his hard earned dollars. That makes sense, thought I. Since I am asking you for dollars, you have a right to know a little about your editor. [Read more…] about Last Week What We Are, This Week Who We Are

Alfa Romeo Museum: No One Can Touch it Now

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Saved--the Alfa Giulias and Giuliettas on display at the Alfa Museum!

Story and photos by Roberto Motta

Over the past weekend, the Mayor of Arese, Gianluigi Fornaro told the Italian press that the Alfa Romeo Museum, with all the cars and all the valuable historical archives, cannot be moved from its home of Arese. [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo Museum: No One Can Touch it Now

Origins of the Name: Ferrari Barchetta

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The Ferrari 166 MM is the car on which Ferrari built its legend. This is chassis 0008M which finished seventh in the Targa Florio and fourth in the Mille Miglia in 1950 driven by Bracco and Maglioli. But who first called it a “barchetta”? Photo by Hugues Vanhoolandt


In Dino Brunori’s article about Le Mitiche a Bassano, Johnny Lurani was credited with first calling the Touring bodied 166 Ferrari a ‘barchetta.’

We were incorrect. But every cloud has its silver lining, however, and in this case it was an email from Karl Ludvigsen who wanted to set the record straight and has further allowed us to publish the below article, which came from his book,
“Ferrari – 60 Years of Technological Innovation.”

by Karl Ludvigsen

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Barchetta Lite

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Since the term barchetta, once reserved specifically for small row boats and Touring-bodied Ferrari spiders has long since passed into the lexicon as meaning any open two seater, we thought we might add to the confusion with a sense of humor. And so, below are a few more ideas of what a barchetta might be.

Barchetta Before. The late historian Stan Nowak with Ferrari s/n 004.


[Read more…] about Barchetta Lite

This Week, of Interest

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What makes VeloceToday special, and why should I contribute?

Last week we figured that VeloceToday is worth at least one dollar per week and asked for donations of $25 which would cover us to the end of the year. The response was truly heartening and we thank all of those who have contributed. Nevertheless, the answer to the question of “Are we there yet?” is “Not yet.”

As we begin our 10th year of continuous publication, here are some reasons why VeloceToday is worth at least a buck a week. Since January, there have been over 100 articles published, including reports of all 10 Formula 1 events. Below are just a few of the exclusive (you won’t find them anywhere but in VeloceToday) feature articles we have published this year:

The Grand Prix Talbot Darracq * The Essential Etceterini * Nardis in America * Moretti Branca * A Shared Retromobile * Intermeccanica F Jr. * Geneva Show, French and Italians * History of the March Alfa Indy cars * Charles Addams and His Cars * Gerelli’s Mille Miglia * Driving the 8C Alfa Romeo * Oliver Collins and the Villa d’Este * Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano * Merosi and the RL Alfa Romeos * Driving the Alfa RLSS * Charles Addams, the Bugatti years

Take a click. And, keep in mind that the year is only half over! There is an exciting line up for the rest of 2010.

If you donated $25 USD right now you’d cover that cost for the rest of 2010. Please take the time to contribute and keep articles like these coming to your inbox.
It’s easy, simply click here for details.

Cars of Italy and France Featured at Capitol Concours September 19th

The 17th annual Capitol Concours d’Elegance presented by Shriners Hospital for Children-Northern California will be held in a new location along the grass median and streets of Capitol Mall beneath the state capitol in Sacramento, California September 19, 2010. The event has selected Cars of Italy & France along with the Ford Thunderbird as this year’s European and American feature. All proceeds from ticket sales, car entries, sponsorships and vendors support children in need of serious medical treatment for burns, spinal injuries and more who otherwise could not afford it. Planned weekend events include a Saturday evening reception on the 25th floor of a high rise overlooking the city and venue, Saturday morning Tour d’ Elegance and Sunday Concours where competing cars are judged per SCCA rules. More at Shrinersconcours.com

VeloceToday Helps Solve Case of the Mystery Lancia

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A Jodi Ellis rendition of the Lancia Special as raced in 1953 at Avus.

By Pete Vack

We were just beginning to think that the case of the Lancia Mystery car would go unsolved. It was probably a one off, and it was described as having mechanical components from a Lancia Aprilia, including the engine, transmission, and front end, all connected by a tubular or ladder chassis.

The steering wheel, headlamps and fasteners were of German manufacture. The body was made of thin aluminum and covered with a light layer of fiberglass. It was probably built as a racecar but had a full windshield from an MGA and a spare tire. The style was more Teutonic than Latin, and yet it is attractive despite a very short wheelbase and large wheels. Was it built to race or drive on the streets or both? Was this an Italian or Swiss Etceterini? Or a German home built special that never crossed the Alps?

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Knight and Day

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The ups and downs of the sleeve valve engine

By Pete Vack

For the 1923 French GP, French car builder Gabriel Voisin and his ‘spiritual son’ André Lefebvre, entered four highly advanced race cars equipped with a 2 liter six cylinder Knight sleeve valve engine, which was a mainstay of his fabulous line of luxury cars. But what is a sleeve valve engine, who was Knight and why did Voisin choose such a layout, straight from the American heartland?
[Read more…] about Knight and Day

This Week, of Interest

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Would you pay one dollar USD for your edition of VeloceToday? We’d like to think it was worth at least that. VeloceToday is delivered to your PC every week. If you donated $25 USD right now you’d cover that cost for the rest of 2010. And we could cover ours.
Please take the time to contribute and keep VeloceToday coming to your inbox.
It’s easy, simply click here for details.

This week we introduce you to a relatively new service called Speedreaders.info. Note the dotinfo, not dotcom. Sabu Advani, the editor of the US Rolls-Royce/Bentley magazine started this review site for books on cars and transportation. We write for him occasionally and he does for us as well. See our latest, a review on the Bentley Great Eight by Karl Ludvisgen on Speedreaders.

Someone else to introduce are the twin sites Prewar and Postwar classics. Both sites are filled with not only cars for sale but project cars, mystery quizzes, and articles.
Joris Bergsma offers free ads with large images for both pre and post war car sellers, and he owns both a 1928 Amilcar CGSs and a 1930 Fiat 514 Berlina. Right up our alley, and located in Amsterdam. We’ll see how we can share content from time to time. Click on Postwarclassics.com

Finally, we have some new analytical tools and we are experimenting with the mail out newsletter for increased effectiveness. Please bear with us and let us know your thoughts.

Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano 2010

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For our readers: This is a review of last year’s Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano.

For information about the 2011 event which will take place from 16 to 19 June and is open to 100 sport cars:

Click here for the Bassano website.

Click here for direct contact withe the organizers.

For information about renting a classic sportscar for the 2011 event, please contact the editor at pete@velocetoday.com.

A wonderland of Italian toys surrounds the Nardi of Dino Brunori, number 72.

Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano 2010, 17 – 20 June
By Dino Brunori and Chuck Schoendorf
Photo by Brunori unless otherwise noted.

When Italian journalist and race driver Count Giovanni Lurani coined the nickname “barchetta” after seeing the new Touring-bodied 166 Ferrari Spider, I’m sure he didn’t have in mind Bassano 2010.
[Read more…] about Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano 2010

Andrea Curami

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Professor Andrea Curami, surrounded by some of his famous books.

From the archives: A Tribute by Dino Brunori

Last Thursday, June 24th 2010, the author of so many of the books we cherish, Andrea Curami died suddenly of a stroke. He was only 63 years old. Our condolences to his wife Maria Cristina, his daughter Marianna and a beloved nephew, Ginevra.

“Tschao Dino”, “Ciao Andrea”, was a typical beginning of conversations with my late friend Andrea Curami. His way of saying ‘ciao’ had a small inflection of ‘s’ in front of the word and always sounded, well, like Andrea. The first time we met was about fifteen years ago at the Mille Miglia scrutineering in Piazza Vittoria in Brescia. I had heard of the well-known historian but never met him. So it was that I was introduced to a tall man with white hair and a cigar in one hand. For some reason I immediately associated him with Yogi the Bear from the TV cartoon series. I wasn’t the only one. Later I discovered that ‘little bear’ was a nickname often used by his friends.
[Read more…] about Andrea Curami

Making the Mummies Dance

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Fred Simeone in the Alfa Monza s/n 221112 which placed second in the 1933 Mille Miglia, is followed by Curator Kevin Kelly in the 8C 2900B MM Spyder s/n 412031 which won the Mille Miglia in 1938.

A hands on approach brings ancient Alfas to life at the Simeone Foundation

By Pete Vack
Photos by Harry Hurst

Thomas Hoving assumed the directorship of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967 and began a number of building projects and renovations. He brought new life to the aging Museum and was often said to be “making the mummies dance”, a phrase he used to title his best selling memoirs.
[Read more…] about Making the Mummies Dance

MUG 412 and the story of an Alfa Romeo RLSS

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The fascinating history of the Alfa Romeo RLSS MUG 412. Upper left, letter from Tom Goodman; upper right, the Hull and Slater book; original registration from 1927; MUG 412 plate and the RLSS at the Simeone.

By Pete Vack

Fred Simeone became the owner of this rare Alfa Romeo RLSS, chassis number 69013, because he rarely forgets a mug. “I was at Goodwood in 2002 and noticed the Bonhams’ catalog had an RLSS for sale with a British license plate which read ‘MUG 412‘. It struck me as being very familiar, and I then remembered I had read about this car in the Alfa history by Peter Hull and Roy Slater some forty years earlier.” And sure enough on page 63 of the first edition, was a description of this particular Alfa and how it was built for a relative of actor Michael Rennie. Simeone didn’t need to know too much more to bid successfully on the RLSS. (Read Driving the RLSS) It wasn’t the first time the unusual tag was the object of attention.
[Read more…] about MUG 412 and the story of an Alfa Romeo RLSS

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