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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

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VSCC Prescott 2023

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1922/30 Austin Maggot.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

I had not visited an event at the Prescott Hill climb since 2016 so I decided it was time for another visit on August 5-6. The event, the VSCC (Vintage Sports-Car Club) speed championship round 5 ‘Vintage Prescott.’ So has the place changed over the years? Not that I could tell, it is still a lovely setting in the heart of the countryside and in the quieter moments it is possible to hear the distant sound of a steam whistle from the nearby Heritage steam railway above the sounds of the birds.

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A Prescott Primer

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Bugattis enjoy a rare moment of sun. David Hand’s 1925 T39 sits next to the 1924 Brescia T13 of Charles Knill-Jones.

By Jonathan Sharp
From the VeloceToday Archives, 2012

The Cotswolds: bucolic golden-hued thatched cottages, rolling farm land, wheat fields swaying in a warm summer breeze, antique shops, old English country inns selling fine English ales. All this and more, for it is also the home of the Bugatti Owners Club of Great Britain and the famous Prescott Hill climb.

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Scott Callan and the Model A

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Story and photos by S. Scott Callan

We were sitting at Gene’s dining room table discussing Jim Clark’s heroic drive at Watkins Glen in the 1963 US GP. Clark’s car wouldn’t fire on the line at the start, then it came alive and so did his drive from the back. Finishing third. He had driven out to the Glen to see Clark race.

Yep, Gene was a real Clark guy. Lotus too of course. All my derogatory Chapman, “Don’t take that bolt for a ride!” comments, quoted to me by Stirling Moss, had no effect. His ownership of a perfect Lotus Cortina in the day had sealed his enthusiasm. Or was it fate?” [Read more…] about Scott Callan and the Model A

Andrea Fraschetti, Ferrari Engineer

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The original 2.1 liter Ferrari Dino on its debut at the Modena Autodrome a few weeks after Andrea Fraschetti’s death. Graham Gauld photo

By Graham Gauld

When it comes to words and books, no marque in motoring history has been over-written and over-published than Ferrari. Through the years it has led to some weird publications, such as the book that featured only the different ways in which Ferrari race cars were numbered. Not the actual numbers, you understand, but the graphic style of numbering on the side of the cars. Esoteric, you bet!

And yet there are still many stories to be told, and one of them concerns a young engineer and designer who was with Ferrari for less than two years before he was killed testing a Ferrari Dino prototype at the Modena Autodrome in 1957. What made this poignant for me was that he died just three weeks before I arrived in Modena for the first time and from that day little or nothing has been written about him. His name was Andrea Fraschetti.

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World’s Oldest Rally Navigator

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By Pete Vack

Ninety-five-year-old Frank Shaffer recently placed third in the Fools Rush in Rally in Central Virginia, navigating in the same 1958 Mercedes Benz 190 sedan that he had purchased in Germany when new, and currently owned by Mercedes enthusiast and driver in the event, Chip Hughes.

Now if that’s not a record, it’s close to it. And if not a record, then a damn good story in any case. And if not a good story, then at least an inspiration for the rest of us. Here’s how it happened. [Read more…] about World’s Oldest Rally Navigator

Classic Aircraft at Goodwood

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Hurricane

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

If you have been with us for the past few years and have read my ramblings you are probably already aware of my love for old cars and historic racing. Well I have also inherited my father’s love of old aeroplanes, so the Goodwood Revival each year is a double whammy for me. Not just fantastic and rare old racing cars, but fantastic and rare old aeroplanes courtesy of the annual Freddy March Spirit of Aviation Concours for Aeroplanes built before 1966 held as part of the Revival meeting. [Read more…] about Classic Aircraft at Goodwood

Joe Marchetti by Burt Levy

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The essential Joe Marchetti.

By Burt Levy

The huge annual “International Challenge” vintage race at Road America is one of the must-do events on the vintage calendar—and I was privileged to be there, sometimes on the sidelines, sometimes covering it for magazines and judging in the concours and sometimes right in the thick of the on-track action as the event became what it is today. It all started for me back in the early 1980s, when my longed-for “racing career” was going exactly nowhere. I’d begun racing in 1971 in a series—maybe more like a plague?—of self-wrenched, under-funded, nickel-rocket and borderline lethal Triumph TR3s that rarely finished a race. Then I met Joe Marchetti. [Read more…] about Joe Marchetti by Burt Levy

A Walk in the Paddock with Jon

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1958 Ferrari 250TR, chassis 0732TR, known as Lucybelle and raced as a private entry at the Le Mans 24 hour race by Ed Hugues and Ernie Erickson, finishing fourth in class and seventh overall. Later returned to the US and raced extensively in SCCA events.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is now held over four days, plenty of time to cover all the action and maybe spend some time just enjoying the show. Unable to attend day one (Thursday) due to a family commitment was no problem I thought, as it still leaves three days, more than enough time. Friday dawns cloudy and grey, weather forecast not so good. Leave the house a 5:40am as lots to do and I do not like to queue.

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The 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps 2023

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If the BMW M4 GT3 is only in its second year of competition, the German manufacturer has long been faithful to the 24 Hours of Francorchamps. Thanks to the #98, entered by the German team Rowe Racing and driven by the trio Philipp Eng/Marco Wittmann/Nick Yelloly, the Munich manufacturer won the race for the 25th time in 75 editions.

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

Each year, the 24 Hours of Francorchamps is the biggest race in the world reserved for GT class cars. 2023 was the 75th edition of the race, held on July 1-2. Next year it will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Formerly reserved for touring cars, GTs have been on the grid since 2001 and since then their success has been undeniable, the grid comprising no less than 70 cars this year, representing 8 different manufacturers. This represents no less than 251 drivers entered, the cars of the PRO class having only three drivers while, in the other classes, the crews have four drivers.

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Festival of Speed with Hugues Vanhoolandt

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In order to celebrate Porsche’s 75th anniversary with dignity, the monumental sculpture located in front of Goodwood House was dedicated to the Stuttgart brand. Here, in the foreground, the 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 in Brumos colors used at the time by the young Mexican Hector Rebaque before his move to Formula 1 in the late 70s.

Photos and story by Hugues Vanhoolandt

Coming from Belgium, I was back at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 16th for the first time in 4 years. Since then Covid 19 and Brexit have happened. However, I was not too out of place because the Festival of Speed is still as successful (and causes as many traffic jams!) and still arouse as much enthusiasm among fans. The British weather is also always equal to itself, with heavy rain punctuating Friday afternoon while Saturday was completely canceled due to storms (a first in 30 years of Festival of Speed)! Finally, there was only Sunday left to enjoy the various themes prepared by Lord March and his team such as the 75th anniversaries of Porsche, Lotus and the first race at Goodwood as well as the 60th anniversary of McLaren and the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, among other celebrations. But let’s rather see in pictures a brief overview of the festivities.

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Meeting Elly Beinhorn

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Elly Beinhorn, 29, in the pilot seat of her Messerschmit Me-108 Taifun, code D-IMXA. With this she flew, among others, to Capetown and back together with husband Bernd Rosemeyer, who was due to drive in the early 1937 South African races. The Taifun was then the top of European touring planes. Can you image flying from Berlin above the whole length of Africa and back single-engined and navigating with the compass only? Elly Beinhorn was a master of that, and in the meantime she gave flying lessons to Bernd.

It was Jonathan Sharp’s photo of the Me-108 in last week’s VeloceToday that prompted long time reader and contributor Aldo Zana to send us this compelling and revealing 2003 interview with Elly Beinhorn, answering the question “Who was Elly Beinhorn?” Thanks to Jonathan for his interest in aeroplanes and to Aldo for this interview- Ed.


By Aldo Zana
Photos from author’s collection

She sits at a coffee table, opposite the door. White shirt and a black skirt. Her snow white hair perfectly trimmed and combed. Bernd, her son, enters first: “Hello, Mom. How do you feel, today? Good? Good, for we’ve visitors.”

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