By the Editor
The doorbell rang loudly and I jumped. Not used to hearing the doorbell here, not used to people. I went to the door and there was Clyde Berryman, (
Hampton Court Concours Classic Cameo #1
Dubonnet’s Xenia
Photos by Jonathan Sharp, September 1-3 2022
Captions by Hampton Court Concours of Elegance
Add-on by Vince Johnson
This year’s Concours of Elegance was held at Hampton Court Palace located on the side of the river Thames just under 12 miles South West of the center of London. Originally built for Cardinal Wolsey, the Arch Bishop of York, with construction commencing in 1514. King Henry the VIII received the Palace from the Cardinal in 1520. The Royal Palace of Hampton Court is a fantastic and historical place to visit even when the formal gardens are not playing home to over 60 of the world’s greatest and most beautiful cars. [Read more…] about Hampton Court Concours Classic Cameo #1
Hampton Court Concours Classic Cameo #2
The FCA Heritage document for Keith Roberts 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport by Touring chassis 915819 states that it was first sold to Elena Petrovsky of Pedaso Marche Italy on the 16th June 1950.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp, September 1-3 2022
Captions by Hampton Concours de Elegance
Add on by Pete Vack
Hampton Court Concours Classic Cameo #3
Entered by Eric Heerema, Ferrari 500 Mondial Scaglietti Series 11 chassis 0424 MD was the seventh example of the eleven constructed, being delivered to its first owner, Yves Dupont, in May 1955. Originally destined to carry the chassis number 0564 MD it is believed that Mr Dupont did not want to pay the French new car import tax so had the chassis restamped 0424 MD whilst still at the factory.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp, September 1-3 2022
Captions by Hampton Court Concours of Elegance
Add-on by Graham Gauld
The previous 0424 MD had been sold to French racing driver Francois Picard but had been returned to the factory and believed to have been dismantled. Dupont raced the Mondial in a few events during 1955 before sending the car back to the factory for some work to be carried out. Mr Dupont never returned to the factory to collect it and he failed to pay the invoice so the car remained at the factory until being sold in 1975.
Hampton Court Concours Classic Cameo #4
I am just going to have to get used to describing this 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Volante Mk2 as belonging to King Charles the Third. Gifted by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second in 1970 to the then HRH Prince Charles on his 21st Birthday, having previously graced the Aston Martin stand at the 1969 London Motor Show.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp, September 1-3 2022
Captions by Hampton Court Concours of Elegance
Add-on by Pete Vack
Hampton Court Concours Classic Cameo #5
Entered by Jonathan Segal, Maserati A6G Zagato chassis 2186 was completed on the 31st October 1956 and is the last of the 21 Zagato Berlinettas built. Order by Charlies Rezzaghi of Mille Miglia Motors Inc of San Francisco, upon delivery the Maserati was featured in the May 1957 issue of Motor Trend.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp, September 1-3 2022
Captions by Hampton Court Concours of Elegance
Add-on by Pete Vack
By 1959 the car was owned by Frank Faine who entered the Maserati in a sports car race at Pomona after which the car was sold to Frank Jay Hoke from Tucson who competed in it at various race meetings across the USA.
Eric Davison Tribute
We have learned from his old friend Dale Powers that Eric Davison passed away on August 25th, 2022. Eric wrote many things for VeloceToday, but none so poignant as his first hand reports of the early years of Watkins Glen. I cannot think of a better tribute to him than to re-publish the first in a seven part series of his memoirs his father and Watkins Glen from the VeloceToday Archives, October 2011. —Editor, Pete Vack
By Eric Davison
The street years at Watkins Glen were magic to me. In our house the trip to “the Glen” was a yearly pilgrimage. The excitement, the fun and the life experiences that I enjoyed with my father are never to be forgotten.
Italian Cars at Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance
From class one of the Ferrari 75th celebration and best in show winner, 1956 250 Tdf Zagato chassis 0515GT.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Captions from the Judge’s Handbook
The vehicles entered into Salon Privé (August 30-September 2) now in its 17th edition, seem to get better and better each year, for which Andrew and David Bagley together with their selection committee are to be congratulated. With so many fine automobiles to show you, (and I have not included absolutely all of them), I thought it best to feature the Italian automobiles in a separate piece.
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, 2022
Spirt of the Quail 1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Bertone Sprint Coupe Dick McClure – California. VeloceToday’s Favorite Winner
Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Steve Burton
August 19, 2022. This was a remarkable day. It has been described thusly:
-Car Week’s crown jewel in a whirlwind of events [Read more…] about The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, 2022
Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance 2022
From the Style Setters class, 1956 Chrysler Boano Speciale Coupe. In 1955 Gianni Agnelli commissioned Mario Boano, formerly of Carrozzeria Ghia, to build this Chrysler-Boano Coupé. Boano was tasked with producing a 2-seat coupé with a powerful, modern mechanical system in a classic British coupé style. The basic design sketches took just ten days. Agnelli chose his favourite and from that single sketch a ‘master model’ was created.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Captions from Judge’s Handbook
The Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance took place at Blenheim Palace in the heart of the Cotswolds from 31 August – 4 September 2022
Writing this on Saturday the 10th September, I am just beginning to come to terms with the fact that just over a week ago I was admiring the lineup of Platinum and Silver cars on display in front of Blenheim Palace in celebration of our beloved Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and now, suddenly, the second Elizabethan age is at an end and we are entering the second Carolean age with a new Monarch on the throne, and a new resident in Number 10 Downing Street.
Le Mans Class at Pebble Beach
Talbot Maserati
Story and Photos by Brandes Elitch
This year the Pebble Beach Concours celebrated One Hundred Years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There were 29 cars on display of which fully 14 were outright winners! [Read more…] about Le Mans Class at Pebble Beach
Jim Sitz Remembers Richie
Richie in the 4.1 Ferrari at Pomona on February 1, 1959.
Story by Jim Sitz
Photos by Jim Sitz unless otherwise noted
You have already read (we hope) Allen R. Kuhn’s photo essay on Richie Ginther, which looks at a few of his racing efforts from 1956 to 1965. In this article, we asked Jim Sitz to provide a few of his Ginther photos and even more importantly, recall his friendship with Ginther. These two articles constitute a small part of Richie’s life. For a much more complete look at Richie’s life, we highly recommend “Richie Ginther, Motor Racing’s Free Thinker” by Richard Jenkins. Both Kuhn and Sitz contributed to this effort. Here, Sitz provides his recollections of his times with Richie, and is by no means meant to be a biography. Some of Jim’s thoughts below can also be found in Jenkins’s book. Ed.
My own intro to Richie was after he and Phil Hill drove in the Mexican Road Race in 1954. I introduced myself, and told him he must be very brave to ride at such high speeds through Mexico. He replied, “Oh, no. I’ve known Phil for a long time, and we did a lot of cross-country trips together.” In July of 1950, Richie had left his day job at Douglas Aircraft to join Phil at Roger Barlow’s International Motors. Seems that the pair would deliver and or collect cars. For example, they would drive a new Rolls Silver Wraith to Memphis, go on to Texas and pick up a new Simca from Bob Evans and drive that back to Barlow’s. [Read more…] about Jim Sitz Remembers Richie