VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

pete

Driving the Alfa Romeo RLSS

By

From the VeloceToday archives, June, 2010

By Pete Vack
Photos by Harry Hurst

Thanks to the kind offices of the Simeone Foundation, VeloceToday was recently given the opportunity to drive two rare pre-war Alfa Romeos. While driving the “Legendary” 2.3 Castagna was a dream come true, it was perhaps even more fortunate to have been able to sample an even rarer Alfa–a 1925 RLSS, “Merosi’s Masterpiece” as some have called the breed. Rare, did we say? How about 392 ever produced, of which perhaps a dozen are left, scattered across the globe. To see one is an event; to drive one is to experience motoring’s Shangri-La.

Being able to drive both the 8C 2300 and the RLSS meant that we were given the even rarer opportunity to drive the work of both Giuseppe Merosi and Vittorio Jano. We’ll tell you which was more fun an bit down.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
LoginSubscribe

Velocity Group Website Review

By

“I took this shot at my desk to portray the elements behind creating the website. Decades of event Media passes, a story in mid-edit, kind of a visual bibliography of books and old magazines. Yes, those are Road & Tracks, Sports Car Graphics, etc. from the early 1960s stacked on the shelves. The image on the screen is from when Fabrizio (Giugiaro) invited me to road test the Nazca and Scighera at Monterey.”… S.Scott Callan.

By Pete Vack

We felt that the quite unusual graphic description of Scott’s Alfa RL article deserved further discussion, which is clearly addressed through the complexity of automotive subject coverage on his web site.

I became aware of the scope of Scott’s website when I asked him to contribute to the Fred Wacker Gordini story. To show the range of the material he had, he linked me to his interview with Fred. [Read more…] about Velocity Group Website Review

Paul Wilson’s 6C2500 Roadster Part 7

By

Story and photos by Paul Wilson

Readers may have already guessed why this series has stalled: the story has caught up with progress on the car itself. I spent the Pandemic Winter pushing a sanding board, then it went to a paint shop, from which it has just returned. Now as I start on the reassembly, wiring, making and trimming the interior, and sorting out mechanical issues, I’ll have more to write about.

I didn’t tell about constructing the center body, which presented more dilemmas than I expected. I thought, how hard could it be? It’s just two boxes, one ahead of the cockpit and the other behind it. Just make them light and stiff, and what else is needed? A lot, as it turns out. Most of the problems arise from what comes in between: the doors and the rocker panels. Often there’s a chicken-and-egg dilemma: if two pieces have to fit together, which do you make first? [Read more…] about Paul Wilson’s 6C2500 Roadster Part 7

Gauld on the Ecurie Ecosse Tour

By

After a thorough rainshower, Alison Beecham was thrilled to see the rainbow’s end.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

I don’t know about you, but this Covid 19 business has been not only a bit of a bore but also restricting our movements. However, I recently spent two months in the UK – the first visit in two years – and was able to take part in the Ecurie Ecosse Tour which originally started over thirty years ago.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
LoginSubscribe

Michael Lynch and the First GTO

By

When Pebble Beach announces a special display, the enthusiast community immediately comes to life. No one who saw the six Bugatti Royales at Pebble Beach in 1985 will ever forget the spectacle. A class for Bugatti Type 57s with coachbuilt bodies in 2003 was extremely impressive, with a large entry and car histories on placards mounted on standards. (This article originally was published in September 2011.) [Read more…] about Michael Lynch and the First GTO

Brandes Elitch at Hershey, 2021

By

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

The last time VT published my column on Hershey, “The Eastern Division AACA National Fall Meet,” was in 2009. It’s time for an update. I was able to attend the event this year, held on October….and this is my report.

Background

In its 65- year existence, last year was the only year when the show did not occur. It’s indisputable that this is the largest automobile related event in the world. It started back in 1955. [Read more…] about Brandes Elitch at Hershey, 2021

Win a Subscription to VeloceToday

By

We have two winners, and thanks to all who took a guess. The car is an Alfa RLSS. Details later.

*This car was seen and photographed at Road America Wisconsin on June 6, 1963.
*It looks to be a tulip wood boat tailed torpedo on a Hispano or Isotta chassis.
*It does not appear to be the famous tulip wood Hispano now owned by the Blackhawk.
*So, what is it? First correct and complete answer will win a year’s Premium subscription to VeloceToday.
*Trouble is, we have no idea what the correct answer is! Contact vack@cox.net

It’s Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., so allow us to take a break from our normal frenetic routine. It gives us a chance to think about all the things we have to be thankful for.

Greg Vack
Despite having a very demanding tax/accounting practice and being a dedicated and active Grandfather to two wonderful girls, Greg proofreads over 4000 words for VeloceToday every week. It is an absolutely essential and yet thankless task, and now we can’t get along without him. So Thank You, brother Greg!

Reader’s Comments
In this day and age of internet, Facebook and social rudeness, we are happy to say that in over 20 years we have never received an offensive comment. Our readers are knowledgeable, polite, well mannered, well educated. Note too that we publish every single non-spam comment; what you see is what we get. We are thankful to serve such a pleasant group of motoring enthusiasts.

Contributors
Here we must be short. Our list of contributors is long and grows monthly. From all over the world, our writers provide different voices, styles, interests and angles, from Paul Wilson’s creation of his unique 6C 2500 to the insightful reporting of Brandes Elitch and Vince Johnson to the wonderful photography of Jonathan Sharp and Hugues Vanhoolandt. Thank you ALL.

Health and Longevity
We are thankful for our health and longevity. Oldsters Graham Gauld is back from a trip to Scotland and will report next week; Eric Davison sold his house and is now settling into an apartment and still in touch with Dale Powers; Gijsbert Paul Berk is eager to read the new Lancia book by his friend Wim Oude Weernink; Jim Sitz remembers as much as he ever did or more about California racing; Dave Rex still buys old race cars, Don Toms is still selling books. These are only a few who have passed their 80th birthdays. The common thread seems to be a love of things automotive and a desire to keep doing what make themselve and others happy.

VeloceToday returns in full next week.

Phil Hill by Oosthoek Part 3

By

Sebring, March 1964. By now Phil was firmly in the Ford camp. Seen here in the Shelby Cobra/Ford he shared with Jo Schlesser and entered by Ford France, the combination finished sixth overall. (photo: Flip Schulke)

Captions by Willem Oosthoek

After winning the World Championship in 1961, Hill stayed with Ferrari for 1962 but the once dominant cars were now outclassed and Hill’s stints with ATS and Cooper were frustrating. Hill concentrated on sports car racing and found more success at Le Mans. Finding images by Jack Brady, Flip Schulke and Henri Beroul, Oosthoek puts together a series of photos that illustrated Hill’s drives with Ferrari, Ford, and finally, in 1967, with Chaparral.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
LoginSubscribe

Greenwich Concours, Lancia Style

By

Story and photos by Philippe Defechereux

This was no ordinary Greenwich Concours. In fact, it was a historic event. Bruce and Genia Wennerstrom had established the Concours in their ideal Connecticut town since June 1996. June 2020 should have marked its 25th anniversary Concours, now managed by two of their children, but had to be cancelled due to the Pandemic. During that interval, the Hagerty Group, specialized in providing insurance for vintage cars owners, bought the Concours outright from the Wennerstrom family and the event was scheduled for late October, 2021. Luckily the autumn weather was reasonably clement throughout. [Read more…] about Greenwich Concours, Lancia Style

Driving the first new Fiat in the US for 28 years

By

First drive in the new Fiat 500 Sport, thanks to Bergstrom Fiat in Milwaukee.

From the VeloceToday Archives, February 2011

Hearing that the new Fiat 500 would be available soon, John and Lizzie Sexton high tailed it over to Bergstrom Fiat, where the exclusively Fiat dealership allowed VeloceToday to be the first enthusiast publication to road test the not-yet-available US Version Prima Edizione. They were lucky enough to test the aptly named “Sport” model.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
LoginSubscribe

Phil Hill by Willem Oosthoek Part 2

By

Riverside, October 1958. During the inaugural Times Grand Prix Phil Hill was at the wheel of this Ferrari 412MI, equipped with the 4.1-liter V12 from the Ferrari used in the June 1958 500 Miglia di Monza, between Indianapolis and Formula One drivers. The factory claimed 450 BHP, but then Italian horses were always a bit smaller. Having qualified in the middle of the front row, Phil fought a close battle for the lead with Chuck Daigh in one of the Scarabs, until the Ferrari had to retire due to vapor lock. Note the crude windshield. (photo: Bob Tronolone)

Captions by Willem Oosthoek

It is still Phil Hill’s Championship year, albeit 60 years ago. We began with a look at Phil’s career in California, compliments of Jim Sitz, and then came Maserati historian Willem Oosthoek, who offered to allow us to use some of the photos from his collection. “After Jim Sitz’s wonderful columns on his personal interaction with Phil Hill, I recalled that I have a fair number of photos of Phil in sport racers as well.” In this case, Oosthoek did not take the photos but has the rights and or permissions to use them.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
LoginSubscribe

Pegaso Parade

By

Photos and story by Hugues Vanhoolandt
From the VeloceToday Archives, November 2018

As you know, Pegasos are very rare sports cars that were manufactured in Spain between 1951 and 1956. The main goal of the company was to build trucks, vans and buses for which there was a need in the context of Spain’s economic recovery after the difficult times of the Spanish civil war and WWII.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
LoginSubscribe
MENU