The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Abarth 1000 Sport
Photos by Alessandro Gerelli
Text by Staff
Recently longtime VeloceToday contributor Alessandro Gerelli had a chance to take in the annual AutoClassica show in Milan, which ran from November 16-20 at the Fiera Milano. The show offers a large exhibition of cars for all tastes and of all eras including Youngtimers to keep the younger generations excited about the history of the automobile.
Nicolini on the grid.
From the VeloceToday Archives June 2012
Photos by: Roberto Motta, “Alfa Romeo Automobilismo Storico, Centro Documentazione (Arese, Milano)” and Carrozzeria Cristallo di Castelnovo Vicentino
The Alfasud still divides fans into two categories: the admirers and detractors. The first recall the unique engine, advanced suspension, driving pleasure and exuberant performance. For all of its faults, the new Alfasud was a brilliant design and always fun to drive. But many others objected to the dramatic changes that were reflected by the coming of the Alfasud: a new factory in Naples, (in the Mezzogiorno!) a new chief engineer (Viennese Rudolf Hruska) and a completely different engineering and marketing philosophy (an inexpensive front wheel drive sedan).
Warming up for the 1000 Miglia.
Last time we heard from Joe Hurwich was when he returned from the 2021 Mille Miglia and the Gran Premio Nuvolari in Italy where he drove his superb Aston Martin. Last month, he caught the Mille Miglia event right here in the good ol’ U.S., where the organizers set up a Mille Miglia warm up event in Northern Virginia. They figure if you and your car can do 500 miles here, doing the 1000 miles in Italy is feasible. Joe took from his stable a more comfortable car this time, and Alfa to boot. -Ed.
By Joe Hurwich
Photos courtesy 1000 Miglia/@stefanoguindani@sgpitalia1000 Miglia
and Joe Hurwich
In October 2022, I shipped my 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS to my cousins’ house in Bethesda, Maryland and then drove the 50 miles to the start of the 1000 Miglia Warm Up in Middleburg, VA on October 18th.
Star of the Lancia Motor Club stand and voted best car at the show, The Lancia Stratos Zero Concept car which is currently in the UK being lightly recommissioned by Classic Motor Cars (CMC).
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
I had not visited the Classic Motor Show held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham for a few years, and to be honest I had no plans to attend this year. It is far away from my home and often badly lit for photographs, it is huge, and being that it is a UK show, it will contain lots of British cars. If it’s Fords and Vauxhalls you want, then this is your show.
But out of the blue I received a press release from the Lancia Motor Club UK about the show, to be held November 11-13. The center piece of their stand this year was to me the Bertone Lancia Stratos Zero concept car currently in the UK being fettled for the road, so it was straight onto the internet to find a hotel near the show and away I went. Plus the Alfa Club had a showing of AlfaSuds. So were there lots of Fords and Vauxhalls? Of course, plus plenty of Austins and Rovers but I am pleased to say I did manage to find lots of stuff to interest me. Yes, it was big and it was often badly lit and one day was not long enough to see it all!
Striking in 1971, and no less effective today. Driving it was unworldly.
Story and Photos by Roberto Motta
[Fourteen years ago, in 2008, our Italian correspondent Roberto Motta had a chance to drive the Stratos Zero. It is doubtful the same opportunities will be offered again. Below is his report on driving the magnificent show car, which we republished in 2016, eight years after the original version. In light of the recent activity accorded the Zero, we think it appropriate to present Motta’s engaging article once again. In an earlier article, Motta also explains how the Zero came to the attention of the powers that be at Lancia: Italian UFOs and the Stratos Ed.]
In February 1971, Beppe Panicco drove the Stratos Zero through the streets of Milan and stopped on the square of the “Duomo”, the cathedral of Milan. Panicco had to stop as there were so many people crowding around the car to get a glimpse of that strange object. Many thought there was a UFO in Milan! The Stratos tied up traffic in every direction, the police arrived, and Panicco finally succeeded in driving between the legs of the onlookers.
Would it be half as fun for us, more than 35 years later?
1904 32HP 4 cylinder Mercedes Simplex.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
In previous years, the day before the London to Brighton Veteran car run, (Saturday) has seen a large number of the entrants displayed on the busy Regent Street as part of the Regent Street Motor Show allowing members of the public to view the cars in detail prior to the following days run. This year things were different, with the introduction of a new event ‘The St James’s Palace International Concours’ held on November 5th. Approximately 75 vehicles from the more than 350 entrants for the run were displayed in Marlborough Road next door to St James’s Palace, just off the Mall a few hundred meters from Buckingham Palace.
“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.
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.
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.
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
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,