Precarious Bridgeheads Part 3
“Mac” Halley’s Alfa 2.9 chassis 412014, when owned by Frank Cantanzariti in the early 1950s. Alfas and Bugattis comprised a good part of the foreign cars in the U.S. before the war. Jerry Lehrer photo.
By Dr. Howard Moon
This is Part 3 of an unpublished manuscript by Dr. Howard Moon. Links to previous articles appear at the end.
Americans were unaware of the full variety of European cars. There were no enthusiast’s magazines – this was a post war phenomenon – and the few interested in foreign cars subscribed to the British weeklies Autocar or Motor. Aside from the two hot spots, New York City and Los Angeles, cars from Europe were never seen on the road, in dealerships or garages.
Hotchkiss History Reviewed
Copyright the Estate of Alex Kow
Review by Pete Vack
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There are several things that amaze me about this book. One is how little I knew about that grand old French marque Hotchkiss, and another is how much author David Beare knows about everything. Perhaps only someone like Beare could so deftly merge the automotive side of Hotchkiss with the military, social and political history that accompanied the rise and fall of that marque. The author is equally at home discussing Jeeps, tractors, tanks, machine guns, aircraft and political parties all while informing us that the great automotive artist Alex Kow was schooled in the history of the Helvetic Confederation. [Read more…] about Hotchkiss History Reviewed
RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Run
Made it! 1899 Wolseley single cylinder 3.5HP two seater Voiturette from the British Motor Museum, 1904 single cylinder 6hp De Dion Bouton two seater of John and Jez Field.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
You may notice from the photos that the weather was not at its best. To say it rained would be an understatement, but as the entrants are not in any way trailer queens the rain did not stop play. Close to 350 ancient cars entered this year’s RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (6 November) as crews faced one of the wettest trips ever in the famous event’s 126-year history. It wasn’t like this last year, or the year before. In fact, as long as I’ve been covering the event, I can’t recall rain like this. It was torrential.
David Beare and the Stinkwheel Story
By Pete Vack and David Beare
From the VeloceToday Archives, January 2020
First the name; we have to explain the name for those of us unfamiliar with British jargon. “The name Stinkwheel derives from 1930’s slang amongst motorcyclists for small-capacity, feeble two-stoke powered cyclemotors and autocycles which buzzed noisily but slowly around in a cloud of blue oily smoke- a stinkwheel,” writes Beare. His first two books were histories of such cyclemotors- “The Stinkwheel Sagas.” Thus came the name of the publishing company, which is at the very least, unforgettable. How Stinkwheel went from cyclemotors to Hispano Suiza is another good question.
Unusual Sports Car Venues circa 1956
Moretti
Photography by Glen Glendenning courtesy of Dave Rex
Sports Car Trials
While most professional photographer chose to spend their time and film on real racing events with the big cars and big names, Glen Glendenning also set his lens on the minor events around the extremely active Wisconsin sports car scene, from rallies to trials to ice racing and hillclimbs. It was club racing at the grassroots level. [Read more…] about Unusual Sports Car Venues circa 1956
Castle Hill VSCCA Hillclimb, October 16, 2022
Richard King and passenger in the Alfa RLTF.
Story and photos by Charles Seavey
The Vintage Sports Car Club of America should need no introduction. Founded in Boston, MA, in 1958, currently headquartered in New Britain, PA, it is all about cars produced up through the 1950s.
But the club’s Castle Hill Hillclimb may not be as familiar. Castle Hill is the centerpiece of the Crane Estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Built by Chicago industrialist Richard T. Crane in 1928, the 59 room mansion has a commanding view of the ocean and the Great Salt Marsh of the Massachusetts coast. It is roughly 140 feet above sea level. As it happens, the starting line for the hill climb is at about 5 feet above sea level. Thanks to the efforts of VSCCA members, the hillclimb was re-established in 2021, after an 18 year hiatus from an earlier concours canceled in the early part of the century,
Gauld Remembers Forghieri
Not another pesky journalist!
Story and photos by Graham Gauld
I must admit I was saddened to hear the news that Mauro Forghieri, the man who designed some of the finest Ferrari cars during the modern era, died in Modena at the age of 87.
Mauro was quite an engaging character who had a great sense of humor. On occasion, he could turn prickly, as though he was tired of hearing the same questions again and again. Wherever he went, he was always surrounded by people asking him questions.
Lane Motor Museum in Nashville
Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos courtesy Lane Museum
From the VeloceToday Archives, February 2018
Last October I had a chance to visit the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, which had been on my list of things to do for some time. With over 300 European cars displayed on two levels, it is likely the largest museum collection of European cars in the U.S. What I found compelling is that the Lane is full of the kinds of things I like: production cars or prototypes that are obscure, rare, technically advanced for their time, designs full of passion and creativity that fulfilled all the things a collector or historian would want, but not necessarily successful in the marketplace because of various eccentricities of design or presentation. At the top of that list for obscurity would be the Tatra, of course, and while the Lane lacks the Type 77, it has just about every other Tatra.
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cattaneo/Riva
The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cattaneo/Riva at Pebble Beach, 2022. Photo by Brandes Elitch
Story by Pete Vack
Earlier this year, Brandes Elitch returned from Pebble Beach with photos of one of the most significant and interesting Alfas we have encountered recently, igniting our curiosity. From a variety of sources, VeloceToday uncovered letters from the designer himself, Count “Johnny” Lurani, a description of how the car was found by an American Alfa enthusiast, original drawings of the tubular chassis, a Touring drawing of a proposed body for the chassis, a rare Colli bodied sister car, and a few photos of other cars bodied by the Riva brothers of Merate, Italy. And that’s just for starters! [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cattaneo/Riva
The Remarkable Restoration of a Rare Stanguellini Part 1
By Howard Banaszak
I did not suspect that when the latest issue of Road & Track appeared on my doorstep in August of 1980 that it would be a turning point in my automotive life. There was an article about Kas Kastner and his Crosley-engined Siata 300 BC Spider, chassis ST 412 BC. The photos of the Siata showed a car that hit every note for me. The lines, the size, the proportions talked to me.
At the time I owned several 356 Porches, but by 1984 had sold all but one. I was going to focus on what John De Boer called “Etceterinis.” [Read more…] about The Remarkable Restoration of a Rare Stanguellini Part 1
Father/Son Alfa Italian Holiday
Father and son, John and Tim Piccin.
Story by John Piccin
Photos by Fabian Gallucci
The 2022 Gran Premio Nuvolari was a blast! I did it this year (September 15-18) for the first time with my son, retired Lt. Colonel Tim “Kilo” Piccin, who, having been an F16 fighter pilot, can easily navigate while driving our 1956 Alfa Guilietta Sprint—with a laptop in his lap and a phone in his hand—on narrow Italian country roads, at speed. He told me that the Air Force trained him to do that, and I know enough never to “go there” myself.