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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,
Not another pesky journalist!
Story and photos by Graham Gauld
I must admit I was saddened to hear the news that Mauro Forghieri, the man who designed some of the finest Ferrari cars during the modern era, died in Modena at the age of 87.
Mauro was quite an engaging character who had a great sense of humor. On occasion, he could turn prickly, as though he was tired of hearing the same questions again and again. Wherever he went, he was always surrounded by people asking him questions.
Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos courtesy Lane Museum
From the VeloceToday Archives, February 2018
Last October I had a chance to visit the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, which had been on my list of things to do for some time. With over 300 European cars displayed on two levels, it is likely the largest museum collection of European cars in the U.S. What I found compelling is that the Lane is full of the kinds of things I like: production cars or prototypes that are obscure, rare, technically advanced for their time, designs full of passion and creativity that fulfilled all the things a collector or historian would want, but not necessarily successful in the marketplace because of various eccentricities of design or presentation. At the top of that list for obscurity would be the Tatra, of course, and while the Lane lacks the Type 77, it has just about every other Tatra.
The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cattaneo/Riva at Pebble Beach, 2022. Photo by Brandes Elitch
Story by Pete Vack
Earlier this year, Brandes Elitch returned from Pebble Beach with photos of one of the most significant and interesting Alfas we have encountered recently, igniting our curiosity. From a variety of sources, VeloceToday uncovered letters from the designer himself, Count “Johnny” Lurani, a description of how the car was found by an American Alfa enthusiast, original drawings of the tubular chassis, a Touring drawing of a proposed body for the chassis, a rare Colli bodied sister car, and a few photos of other cars bodied by the Riva brothers of Merate, Italy. And that’s just for starters! [Read more…] about Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cattaneo/Riva
By Howard Banaszak
I did not suspect that when the latest issue of Road & Track appeared on my doorstep in August of 1980 that it would be a turning point in my automotive life. There was an article about Kas Kastner and his Crosley-engined Siata 300 BC Spider, chassis ST 412 BC. The photos of the Siata showed a car that hit every note for me. The lines, the size, the proportions talked to me.
At the time I owned several 356 Porches, but by 1984 had sold all but one. I was going to focus on what John De Boer called “Etceterinis.” [Read more…] about The Remarkable Restoration of a Rare Stanguellini Part 1
Father and son, John and Tim Piccin.
Story by John Piccin
Photos by Fabian Gallucci
The 2022 Gran Premio Nuvolari was a blast! I did it this year (September 15-18) for the first time with my son, retired Lt. Colonel Tim “Kilo” Piccin, who, having been an F16 fighter pilot, can easily navigate while driving our 1956 Alfa Guilietta Sprint—with a laptop in his lap and a phone in his hand—on narrow Italian country roads, at speed. He told me that the Air Force trained him to do that, and I know enough never to “go there” myself.
©Charles Addams With permission of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation
By Pete Vack
From the VeloceToday Archives, June, 2010
A deep interest in classic cars was bound to reveal itself in the art of Charles Addams. When the Tee and Charles Foundation began to collect and identify the Addams cartoons, they found over 70 related to the automobile.
Rob Harcourt, Lancia Meadows, turn 4.
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
Perfect spring weather greeted competitors and spectators in the Barossa Valley for the Sporting Car Club of South Australia’s annual historic hillclimb at Mount McKenzie on October 2, 2022. As well as the Group J and K entries from the twenties and thirties there were classes for Air Cooled, Invited Post-War, Special Interest and Come & Run vehicles. The bikes were back again, arranged into Pre-War and Post-War classes.
Goodwood, anyone?
Story by Brandes Elitch, Photos by Dale LaFollette
As of October 14-16, 2022, there is a new star in the small firmament of international historic racecar events: The Velocity Invitational at Weathertech Raceway, Laguna Seca. The creator and organizer, Jeff O’Neill, saw an opportunity to create something new: he reached out to owners of famous and iconic historic racecars that in many cases are seldom raced because of their skyrocketing value. As he said, “All of the great cars are staying in their garages!”
Cobra Daytona line up by Jonathan Sharp.
By Peter Brock
Brock updates the history of the Daytona Cobra Coupes for VeloceToday
From the VeloceToday Archives, October 2015
Carroll Shelby built only six Daytona Cobra Coupes to contest the World Manufacturers Championship in 1964 and 1965. Its
