The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Passing the torch. Peter’s son Dino at Hockenheim with Peter’s Alfa. Photo Peter Zahnd
By James Lanoway
Regarding the many exotic Alfas that Peter Zahnd saw and worked on at the Agno facility:
“The rare cars like the TZ, TI Super, GTA 1.6 and 1.3, went to wealthy customers or the sports drivers. Prominent Swiss drivers well-known on the TZ 1 included Clay Regazzoni, [Read more…] about Alfa’s Exclusive Swiss Facility Part 3
Story and photos by Joseph Duray
Peter Mullin was a world-class collector of French cars from mainly the pre-war era. His collection was magnificently housed in warehouse that was recreated to represent a car show from the late nineteen thirties, with all the appropriate art deco architectural details. This museum was open to the public. Located in Oxnard, California it was a one and a half hour drive north of Los Angeles, but it was worth traveling to it. Once you entered the museum, it felt as if you were sent back in time to view the car displays of Bugattis, Delahayes, Delages, Voisins and Citroens, each with large advertising banners.
Shadow Prototype
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Earlier this year when the post card from Goodwood landed on the mat inviting me to attend the 81st Members Meeting, on the front was written “Can-Am.” I knew right then I was going to be attending. I have always had a soft spot for monster McLarens, Marchs and Lolas with bodywork big enough to land a helicopter, but this year it was the seven Shadow Can Am cars of the James Bartel collection that really grabbed my attention; mini sized front wheels, twin rear wheels, spoiler mounted radiators, and aerodynamic devices like the wing fences of an old MIG 15 fighter jet! Fantastic stuff, and all the Shadows took to the circuit instead of just static displays. In fact the daily Can Am demo included 19 various examples of V8 Thunder, plus two 12 cylinder Porsches for good measure. Truly made my day.
We have just learned that the irrepressible and multi-talented Larry Perkins passed away on April 26. Our sincere condolences to his wife Petra. We thought it fitting to republish this 2021 review/interview with Larry on the occasion of publishing his book Full Circle.
Review by Pete Vack
Full Circle: A Hands-on Affair with the First Ferrari GTO
Hardbound, 228 pages, Foreword by Denise McCluggage
ISBN 978-0578-97104-9
US $45
Order here: www.FullCircleFerrariGTO.com
Larry and Petra Perkins are no ordinary couple. They met while both were working at an aerospace company and began to share a life of travel, sailing, cycling; they married in 1991. Then one day Petra overheard Larry talking about a Ferrari GTO he raced at Sebring in the 1960s. She had attended one race there, and hoped it would be her last. It was the year of the scary fire in the pits; earlier in the day she remembered watching a red number 82 car go round and round and so asked Larry if he was at that race. Larry was taken aback.
This photo was taken by the late Steve McKelvie at the Lime Rock Historic Festival in 2012. Steve had a blog called SteveMcKelvie.com where he posted the article “More Car Transporters And Service Vehicles.” It is published here with permission of the copyrightholders.
By James Lanoway
As his grandfather owned an Alfa Romeo sales outlet and his father owned an Alfa service outlet, it was natural for Peter Zahnd to grow up surrounded by the fruits of Portello’s production. His grandfather’s dealership, Garage Metropol Ernest Zahnd on Bahnhofstrasse in the heart of Zurich, sold at first 6C 2300s, then 6C 2500 Touring Villa d’Este’s, and later the “modern” 1900 models. Peter’s father took over this family business and evolved it into an Alfa Romeo service center, Garage Hans Zahnd, keeping the same location. Since Peter’s busy father did not have the time to train his son, he sent Peter to a nearby Alfa Romeo dealership, Garage Werner Brüngger, to gain experience. Peter takes up the story:
Jeff Allison sent VeloceToday.com a 2024 calendar featuring photographs he took at the Sebring 12-Hours from 1959-1963. He produced the calendar because Pete Lyons no longer offered his Can-Am calendars, and he needed to fill the space previously occupied by Pete’s calendars for years. Looked like fun so we asked for more. He complied, and we are simply amazed at the quality of the photos taken by Allison at a very young age with very primitive equipment. We are happy to present a much larger selection of Allison’s Sebring photos sans calendar. Ed.
Story and photos by Jeff Allison
Growing up in Orlando, Florida into the early 1960s, I went to SCCA regional and national races in Florida at Bartow, Cocoa-Titusville, Daytona, Dunnellon, Geneva, Pensacola and Sebring while in high school and college. I lived ninety miles from Sebring where international teams, cars and drivers gathered every March for the 12 Hours of Sebring – an endurance race held on a former US Army Air Force WW II B-17 bomber training base outside Sebring, Florida. The 5.2-mile road racing course was defined by rubber pylons and bales of straw on the rough concrete and asphalt runways, taxiways and access roads. That’s me loitering in front of legendary Corvette driver Delmo Johnson’s encampment in the crowded paddock.
David Little’s 1934 Bentley ‘Barnato Hassan Special’
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Can it really be ten years since the Goodwood team reinstated the Members Meeting? It seems like a only a couple of years since the 72nd Members Meeting, but here I am, bright and early on Saturday the 13th April, just about to take my first walk around the paddocks packed full of automotive delights at the 81st Members Meeting.
Old Yeller II on the loose again.
By Ernie Nagamatsu
Photos by John Taylor unless otherwise noted.
Last month we received an email from Ernie Nagamatsu, telling us he was on his way to Goodwood for the exclusive invite only Members Meeting. He was honored “… we are overwhelmed and humbled to our knees again, as I am a simple truck farmer that packed tomatoes and drove red International TD 9s and tractors in summers.”
Ernie failed to add that before he retired, he was one of the top dentists in L.A. and his achievements are legend. But even though he has raced Old Yeller II at events at Goodwood since 2000, it was still special when he and his wife Elaine received a private invitation for a special dinner with the Duke of Richmond.
After the event, Ernie sent along some photos taken by John Taylor and we are happy to publish his story of Old Yeller II at the Members Meeting 2024. And as you will read, for Ernie and Elaine, Goodwood is much more than another race. Ed.
Goodwood Members Meeting Races April 13-14, 2024. After the Old Yeller II was invited to the September 2023 Goodwood Revival Meeting Tribute to Carroll Shelby, an invitation followed to the leave the Old Yeller II in England and participate in the April 2024 Goodwood Members Meeting. We arrived into Heathrow and for us, it was a “Rassemblement” of our U.K. support crew and team, as Mike Lillywhite, who picked us up, had assisted us in our first Goodwood twenty four years ago! Sean McClurg, who has been our prior U.K. crew/Race Shop, joined us in the classic “esprit de corps” feeling, and also Erik van der Schaaf of the Netherlands, a ‘Pro’ Photographer who assisted us at the 2000 Goodwood Festival of Speed event.
AR Agno building. Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo – Arese.
By James Lanoway
An Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, considered by many the most beautiful automobile of all time, pulls into the parking lot of a low, brown brick building against an Alpen lakeside backdrop in the late 1960s. Wearing Italian plates, its scintillating sound cuts out, and its “scissors” doors tilt open upwards and forward to reveal a large German Shepard sitting in the passenger seat. Soon, a draw will be held inside the building to see who will get to try out this automotive sensation on the neighbouring test track, leaving the lucky winner with memories to last well into the winter of life.
Phillip Lewis 1969 Ferrari 206SP (R), Trevor Bassett Ferrari Daytona Group 4 (R)
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
Now well into its fourth decade, the Victorian Historic Racing Register’s Phillip Island Classic saw drivers and teams out in force, enjoying four very warm days on southern Australia’s sweeping 5km circuit. The track, resurfaced last year in time for the national Superbike Championships a month ago, and using 60% recycled asphalt, promised new lap records against the possibility of increased tyre wear.
Good news… the Ballot brand is reborn! Here is the new Ballot called Grand Prix with… electric motor!
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
The traditional Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany, of which this was the 34th edition, marks, as every year, the end of the winter period of shows before the resumption of historic races and elegance competitions. This year was no exception to the rule but we could see that certain spaces were empty and that certain merchants present last year were absent this time. Could this be a sign that the classic car market is looking for a second wind?
The girls dressed in perfect Eighties style admire a selection of Fiat car models including the Mephistopheles in the 1924 version and the 130 HP racer, winner of the GP de l’ACF 1907, both models by Bruno Reggiani; and (front row, left) the 1899 3 ½ HP, model by Silvio Morselli.
Text by Aldo Zana
Photos by Fiat Centro Storico and Acerbi family
From the Archives, December 2018
Once upon a time no one even remotely thought about preserving a sample of the cars produced by a factory. Fiat complied with this dominant attitude until the late Thirties, when some managers were stricken by illumination: if we have not saved the originals, why not build scale models? [Read more…] about Models at the Fiat Centro Storico