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BMW’s Italian Designers Part 4

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By Jackie Jouret
Photos courtesy The BMW Archive

As we saw in the first three installments of this series, BMW had fostered an association with Touring of Milan before World War II put an end to civilian automotive activities in 1941. That association had resulted in the Superleggera coupe that won the 1940 Mille Miglia, a pair of roadsters for which Touring crafted the bodywork to a design by BMW’s Wilhelm Meyerhuber, and a trio of stunning roadsters created for the proposed Berlin-Rome race.

One might have expected the Touring-BMW partnership to have resumed after the war, given the competitive and aesthetic success of those automobiles, but it did not. When BMW began building cars again in 1951, the company turned instead to Pinin Farina for the external proposal that would be weighed against an in-house design for the 501 sedan.

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Auto e Moto d’Epoca Alfas and Abarths

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What can our readers tell us about this Bandini?

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

We continue with the amazing coverage of this year’s Auto e Moto d’Epoca at Bologna thanks to the efforts of Jonathan Sharp. (

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Racing an Abarth at Pittsburgh

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By Alain Raymond
Photos courtesy Alain Raymond

Vintage car racing: for some, it’s all about winning. For most, it’s the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the joy of driving old – very old – machinery on a race track. Here’s the story of one such delightful adventure.

We are all packed and ready to travel the 12-hour road taking us from Quebec to the “Steel City.”

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The Moretti Cadillac and the Man Who Almost Saved Beria

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By Frédéric Levaux, Moretti Registry Curator

For more than 10 years now, I’ve been managing the Moretti registry. Having lived through the crazy adventure of restoring one of these diminutive Italian spyders from the 50s, I fell in love with this little brand, so innovative and so unloved. So much so, that over the years I’ve continued to add to the register of discoveries I’ve made through discussions, conversations, phone calls and e-mails with owners and lovers of these little cars all over the world. And indeed, as the register has grown in size, a certain reputation and visibility has now been attached to the site I manage (www.moretti-registry.com).

That is why I wasn’t all that surprised to receive a somewhat unreal message from Forest (Jay) Nichols, an American cattle farmer, in October 2023. Jay wrote that a Moretti, which looked very much like a Cadillac, had been seen by his son’s girlfriend deep in Nicaragua, and that he wanted to know what the vehicle was worth. [Read more…] about The Moretti Cadillac and the Man Who Almost Saved Beria

St James’s Motoring Spectacular

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Not what I expected to see parked on a street in London in November, but it is not quite what it seems, Courtesy of Mercedes Benz W196 show car.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

There once was a time that I could hop down to the waterfront in Brighton and photograph the end of the London to Brighton Veteran Run. But for the past few years the event has become just part of a motoring extravaganza. It is now a key part of the five-day London car week, which kicks off on the Wednesday with the opening of the Royal Automobile Club’s Art of Motoring Exhibition at the Iconic Images Gallery just off of Pall Mall. The week also includes motoring lectures, two major car auctions, the St James’s Motoring Spectacular, the run itself, and the Veteran Car Club’s annual dinner at the Grand Hotel Brighton! [Read more…] about St James’s Motoring Spectacular

Ladies Automobile Club, circa 1904

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Probably the most famous car on the run, the 1904 Darracq two seater, 2 cylinder 10 HP ‘Genevieve’ entered by the Evert & Quirina Louwman, driven by Quirina Louwman.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The 2024 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run included a celebration of the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Ladies Automobile Club. A special prize was awarded to Andrea Holden who was driving a 1902 Thomas specially imported from Australia for her to drive. This was indeed something special and we found a good deal of information about the Ladies Automobile Club in the event booklet, which we impart in part below.

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London to Brighton Run, 2024

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Our favorite car not only at St. James but here finishing the London to Brighton Run, the Fiat 130 hp Grand Prix car.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the longest running motoring event, and probably the happiest judging from the smiles on the entrants faces when reaching the finishing line on Brighton’s Maderia Drive, and from the warmth and enthusiasm of the thousands of spectators who line the route all the way from London’s Hyde Park. We present the following images in hopes that you might click to enlarge them and catch the smiles on the faces of the participants.

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Auto e Moto d’Epoca Part 2

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1952 Fiat 1100E with coachwork by Monviso.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

You may not know or have forgotten that 2024 is the 125th anniversary of Fiat, so the following selection is just the Fiats on display at the show, from the main display in the atrium featuring some highlights from the forthcoming anniversary exhibition at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile Museum Turin, to the examples on display at the various club/event stands, to the many many examples for sale from the dealers and private individuals.

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BMW’s Italian Designers Part 3

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By Jackie Jouret
Photo courtesy The BMW Archive

Among the most fascinating races of the pre-war era is one that never took place: the Berlin-Rome race. Announced in June 1937 for the following year, the race had been conceived by Adolf Hühnlein, an early follower of Adolf Hitler, who in 1931 became head of Germany’s National Socialist Driver Corps (or NSKK, to use its German acronym). The NSKK was in charge of all motoring and motorsport activities for the Nazi government, and Hühnlein ensured that German racing was well-supported in service of its propaganda value. A high-speed race on the newly-built freeways connecting the two Axis capitals would be ideally suited to that purpose, and it would allow German and Italian automakers to highlight their technical superiority where aerodynamics were concerned.

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And How! A Letter from Evi

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This is a perfect fit for an “And How.” Coming on the heels of my story on Dan Gurney, which was read by Dan’s widow Evi, you will see by her attached email that his story touched her very deeply, and the photos stirred many memories of Dan for her. I am so happy that she graciously allowed her feelings to be shared with us. Evi also included many new activities going on at All American Racers that will be of interest to all your readers. Thank you, Peter and Evi for letting me share her feelings with your readers.–Allen R. Kuhn

Dear Allen,

So good to hear from you and to know that you are well and active .

Just when I thought I had no more tears left your Dan tribute and your splendid photographs show up on my screen and well …. Here he is , my beloved Dan, young, handsome, talented and determined, so long ago when life was still ahead.

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Dan Gurney Tribute by Allen R. Kuhn

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Story and photos by Allen R. Kuhn

This photographer thinks Daniel Sexton Gurney to be one of the greatest of all drivers and constructors who ever turned a steering wheel or flew with the Eagles. There are so many fine books and articles about Dan I will leave his full background for others to chronicle. I will stick to my personal interaction with him and include photos of his career between 1956 and 1965.

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