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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

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The Cars of Émile Claveau Part 1

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With the launch of his 7 CV Sport in late 1926, Émile Claveau showed that the future could be fun if you were driving the right car.

One of the French Republic’s most talented engineers produced wave after wave of advanced automobiles. Yet both hands would probably suffice to count all the cars he built. Émile Claveau deserves recognition for his undaunted creativity.

By Karl Ludvigsen

French pioneers, among them Panhard et Levassor, de Dion and Renault, made France the early leader in the production of motors and the promotion of motoring. Soon the French were building bigger and faster cars to compete in road races from city to city. They established the first club for motorists, led the founding of the first international association of motoring clubs and organised the first Grand Prix race in 1906.

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Pegaso and Figoni at Pebble Beach, 2023

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Delahaye 135 competition coupe is featured in Richard Adatto’s excellent new book, Figoni on Delahaye. This is the first Figoni aerodynamic coupe, from 1936. It appeared at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours. Brandes Elitch has much more below.

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

This was the 72nd year of the Pebble Beach Concours. Yes, this is the ultimate Concours in the world. This is due to the enormous amount of time, energy and planning, that goes into making it happen, and the I would say incomparable pool of knowledge and talent of the organizers, entrants, judges, volunteers, sponsors, and employees of the Pebble Beach Company. The planning starts at least a year or two before the actual show, and it takes that much time to assemble the cast. Yes, there are other shows in the US and Europe with these characteristics, but none to this level or degree. That is the difference. [Read more…] about Pegaso and Figoni at Pebble Beach, 2023

Here comes “Ferrari.” Are you ready?

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By Pete Vack

Hollywood strikes again. Your friends will ask, was it really like this? You will be amused. Or you will not be amused. But it is coming. Deal with it.

Remember when Ford vs Ferrari came out? In those pre-pandemic days, seems like all of your friends and relatives went to see it in the theaters. Then they called or sent you a message or even visited you and asked you, you being the expert on all things foreign and Ferrari, a bunch of questions. Did you know Shelby, what was he like, or was he like Matt Damon, did Miles and Shelby really have a fight, was it really a close finish at Le Mans, why did Ferrari lose etcetera, etcetera.

Hollywood got it close to right and it was a great film. But Ferrari, the movie which will be in theaters around Christmas, is darker, with more conjecture, and like the book on which it is based, may be less accurate than one might wish. And more truthful and less comfortable. And will it hurt Ferrari’s image? [Read more…] about Here comes “Ferrari.” Are you ready?

The Magnificent Museum of Alain Cerf

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Story by Eric Davison
Photos courtesy Tampa Bay Automobile Museum
From the Archives, 2017

Karl Ludvigsen and the Editor owe a debt of thanks to Alain Cerf and his remarkable museum in Tampa Bay for helping with the Claveau articles. We were a little concerned about the effects of Hurricane Idalia on the Museum but they are back, and open for business. And certainly worth a trip! Ed.

Usually I am a sucker for any car museum therefore I can’t imagine how I missed the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum. But, I did. Inexcusable on my part.

But, a few months ago my friend Dale Powers asked if I wanted to go to Pinellas Park, about 35 miles north of my home in Anna Maria, Florida. He was looking for a home for his DB Le Mans and there was a French car museum in Pinellas Park that we might both enjoy

Off we went and, indeed there is The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum located in Pinellas Park and, yes, it is primarily French cars. And, yes, the pretty little DB eventually found a new home and is now on display amid some pretty wonderful and beautifully restored cars.

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Concorso Italiano 2023

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Special Coachworks winner, 1947 Cisitalia 202 Sport, Alex Pilibos

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

This is the 37th Concorso Italiano. But I was there at the beginning.

Back around 1984, my friend Joe Duray found a 1962 Maserati 3500 GT coupe for sale in a lock-up in Vallejo. He asked me if he should get it. The price was $6,500. It was a very clean and unmolested original car, but it did not run well and had no brakes. Of course, I told him he must get it, and he did. I went with him on the inspection to make sure he did not back out. [Read more…] about Concorso Italiano 2023

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, 2023

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Roger Barlow’s Simca. Click on photo for more on this car.

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

“There is nothing more worthless than last year’s racecar.” Steve Earle, circa 1974

In this, the 49th year of racing at Laguna Seca, there were more than 400 race cars in 14 classes. It marks the return of Formula 5000 cars for the first time since 2018. We should note that the track has made significant (and expensive) improvements including a new track surface, which must be very good news to the drivers! It seems that the track is now firing on all cylinders, a very good thing indeed.

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Michael Lynch honors Steve Earle (2009)

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In the Americas, the only place you can see sights like this is at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Juan Manual Fangio and Sir Jackie Stewart warm up an Alfa 159 and P3 respectively, before a demonstration run in 1985 that included Phil Hill in an Alfa P2. Credit: General Racing

Exclusive story by Michael T. Lynch

From the VeloceToday Archives, 2009

Last Sunday evening, an era in American motor racing ended. At the traditional prize giving ceremony at the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Steven J. Earle, by far the most influential person in U.S. vintage racing, announced that the 36-year old Rolex Monterey Historics, which he founded in 1974, was ending.

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A French Day at Brooklands P1

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1926 Bugatti Type 37 GP, and the Brooklands Watch Company’s ‘Little Car Company’ baby Bugatti Type 35. The Type 37 was originally owned by Mr Smith, the chief engineer at Lever Brothers who, during the 1930s, carried out a very well-engineered conversion of the engine to twin magneto ignition.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

August 13, 2023. Popped up to Brooklands in Surrey last Sunday for Brooklands French Car Day.  I think it was a new event, it was certainly new to me. So said the website, ” French legends from our Collection will be on display around the Motoring Village, from all-conquering Bugattis to veteran Peugeots, Malcolm Campbell’s Lorraine Dietrich ‘Vieux Charles III’ to the British Grand Prix winning Delage; you will be able to get close to these amazing machines.”

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Then and Now: Alfa DNA

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Four Alfa sedans representing almost 70 years of Alfa design; the 1950s with the Alfa 1900 Berlina, the Alfa 105 Sedan of the 1960s and early 70s, the 1990s with the 164, and today’s new Giulia Quadrifoglio. A wonderful display of automotive tradition, but do the genes really carry through? Does the latest Quadrifolgio have anything in common with the 1900? We’d like your opinions!

Story and photos by Sean Smith
From the VeloceToday Archives, 2019

Can you take cars that are 60 years apart and compare them? Is there any overlap? So much has changed over that time. So many improvements, so many refinements. Can a car company retain the imagination and passion it has from its past… can it transcend modernity and still retain the fire from bygone days? Comparing four Alfa sedans from disparate eras brings up interesting questions: Is there such a thing as automotive DNA and has Alfa succeeded reproducing desirable genes? Are designers, then and now, really passionate or corporate drones? Is Alfa different than, say GM? We’ll present the cars; you present your views.

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And That Was the Way it Was: F1 in 1971-2

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McLaren parts. Silverstone, British GP, 1971. The car, driven by Peter Gethin, DNF when the engine blew. A rare instance of the Cosworth-Ford engine failing.

Story and photos by Charley Seavey

Many years ago, getting near the pits and/or paddock was much easier. Earlier I’ve recounted my story about getting into the pits at

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Was Fangio Really the Greatest?

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Does this book answer the question of who was greater, Hill or Andretti?

Order here:

Review by Pete Vack
From the VeloceToday Archives

Clyde Berryman needs no introduction here, but then again maybe so. For it appears that Clyde is not only a model and diorama maker but a statistician as well. (Click to see the Berryman Dioramas) His first statistical rating project was a record of National College Football (he is also a football fan) which was so good it was included in the annual NCAA College Football Record Book. He loves statistics, loves to analyze results with all existing information, and loves Grand Prix racing. So, he invented his own system to rate Formula 1 drivers from 1950 to 2019, and attempts to answer that age old question, was it the driver, or was it the car? [Read more…] about Was Fangio Really the Greatest?

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