The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Ferrari 750 Monza 1955 #0552
October 1-3 2021
Photos by Alessandro Gerelli, text by staff
There are at least three events at which to view a wide range of Italian cars:
Concorso Italiano in California, Brooklands Italian Car Day in the UK, and Milano AutoClassica, in Italy. Every year each one has an outstanding entry and rare Italian cars. But for rarity – not particularly exclusivity, but rarity- the Milano AutoClassica gets our vote.
Addams and the 8C 2300 Alfa Romeo Castagna in front of his Westhampton Beach home in shortly before trading it for Ken Purdy’s Bugatti. Photo copyright and courtesy of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation.
By Pete Vack
From the Archives, 2010
Classic Addams: From a high perch of their haunted Victorian mansion, a chilly Morticia looks on as Lurch and Gomez prepare to pour a cauldron of boiling oil onto an unsuspecting and cheery group of Christmas carolers three stories below.
Perhaps no cartoon better illustrated the wit, charm, style and macabre humor of Charles Addams than this New Yorker art from 1946 known as “Boiling Oil.” It is Addams at his best; the detail, the creepy mansion, the scary but lovable characters, the anticipation of a gruesome act which never actually transpires. His Addams Family™ cartoons inspired two TV series, two feature length movies and made him and the Addams Family™ household names. And the story lives on; Addams Family 2 opens this month in theaters near you. [Read more…] about The Cars of Charles Addams Part 1
It seems that the track is not wide enough …
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Spa Six Hours is an annual race meeting held at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit. This year, on September 24-26, the race meeting was held again after a one-year hiatus due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Although it was not yet back to normality as some of the grids were not as full as before, the spectacle was there with contested races and the typical Ardennes rain on Sunday that put the drivers to their limits.
VeloceToday Office Manager says, “Ah, now don’t that remind me of old times!”
Photos and introduction by Jonathan Sharp
In addition to famous drivers, fantastic races, and an epic entry list, what else did the return of the Goodwood Revival meeting offer?
If you arrived early enough (a sensible idea) you could enjoy the daily air display; three Spitfires flown in a most graceful and balletic manner over the airfield before watching the track parade of Hot Rods and Gassers.
Later you could enjoy the track parade to honor the late Sir Stirling Moss. If BRMs are your thing, on each day you could enjoy the BRM parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the marque’s first appearance in a Grand Prix.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
It has been said before, with so much to see and do, it would be easy to spend a very full day at the Goodwood Revival and not see a race. But that would be a shame and you would miss some excellent racing; with first class grids and proper races, this is not a beauty parade. And it’s a time machine in which you can choose the time and place you wish to be transported. Here are the races:
Just hold on now, we’ll explain…
By Pete Vack
Phil Friday is always full of ideas, many of which take years to be realized. But he’s got a lot of patience and imagination which often result in some startling projects. Like his version of an Auto Union Grand Prix car, perhaps inspired by the VW-Bugatti replicas of yore. “My Auto Union type C/D hillclimb replica is built on a 1963 Auto Union 1000S (DKW) chassis and running gear. I always thought it was demeaning to replicate a Bugatti Type 35 on a VW platform, so I thought I would replicate an Auto Union on an Auto Union platform.”
And now for the real thing…
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk
In 1913 Ettore Bugatti (1881 -1947) began working on the design of an eight-cylinder engine at the suggestion of his friend, the pilot Roland Garros. Early in 1914 he sent his collaborator Ernest Friderich to the US with a four-cylinder car of 5.655 liters capacity to participate in the Indianapolis 500. When later that year WWI started, Ettore had to leave his factory in Molsheim, situated in the German occupied Alsace.
Sir Jackie Stewart and Lady Susie Moss
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Goodwood, 17-19 September
‘The Goodwood Revival, a magical step back in time’ is a very apt description, but back in the 50s and 60s surely people were not this polite, or this friendly? The politeness arrives the minute you walk through the main gate, no cancel that, it starts the minute you drive into the car parks. Everyone greets you with a smile and that is usual followed with a ‘Good morning, Sir/Madam.’ Even the people controlling the pedestrian crossing seem to be blowing their whistles in a friendly manner.
There is no doubt about it, the workers, the spectators and the drivers were was just glad to be back at Goodwood; you only have to look at the faces to see that. Monday mornings return us to the real world of 2021; it is going to come as a bit of a shock.
I think I will stay here for a while longer. [Read more…] about Goodwood Revival 2021, Part 1
Bizzarrini, arriving.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
The journey to Hampton Court for the Concours of Elegance (September 2-4, 2021) had been going so well; the M25 was running freely, I was on course to arrive early, and then, a loud bang followed by a very loud flapping sound! Once onto the hard shoulder I discovered that the expensive Italian brand tyre on the right rear decided to shred part of its tread, luckily without deflating. The shoulder of the M25 is not a good place to change a tyre. I called for professional help, and I raise my hat to the breakdown service chap who changed it for me as cars and lorries thundered by at 70 mph. Finally, two and a half hours later (don’t ask) I made it into the event.
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk
From the VeloceToday Archives, 2012
When Pierre Louis Delâge (1874 – 1947) was still a child he lost the sight of one eye. This did not prevent him from graduating in 1893 from the Ecole des Arts et Metiers in Angers with an engineering degree and then to fulfill his military service in Algeria. In 1905, after working for Turgan-Foy and Peugeot, Louis Delâge began for himself as a car manufacturer and soon engaged his cars in races with considerable success.
Another in our series of sports cars in America.
Porsche Fageol on the grid for the C-Modified SCCA event a Westover, Massachusetts AFB, June 13, 1954. Photo by Robert Pauley.
Story by Pete Vack
Born into a family of entrepreneurs and engineers, Louis J. Fageol (pronounced fadjl) would take over the family’s Twin Coach bus and tractor business as planned, but at the same time was hell bent for leather to satisfy his need for speed despite the wishes of his wife Caryl. Already famed for his speedboat victories, Fageol would push the envelope of all-wheel-drive race cars with his ultimate creation, the Fageol Porsche sports racer. In doing so, his life would literally hang by a thread. [Read more…] about The Twin-Engine Life of Lou Fageol
