The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Story by Pete Vack
Last week Brandes Elitch, our longtime contributor/columnist, had his say on Mark Greene’s Cars Yeah. And what a good performance it was! Despite knowing him digitally for fifteen years, (meaning we have never met in person) hearing him on Mark’s excellent series added much depth and humanity to the subject of one Brandes Elitch. [Read more…] about Brandes Elitch, Cars Yeah, and Lancia Loraymo
The Alfa 6C 1750 was produced in six series from 1929-33. In 1929 it won every major racing event, including the GP’s of Belgium, Spain, Tunis, Monza, as well as the Mille Miglia, the Brooklands Double Twelve, and the Ulster TT.
From our Archvies, September, 2020. Although this article is only a couple of years old, Brandes Elitch and the Editor thought that it reflects so much of what Monterey was about and what Elitch has seen and experienced over a forty year period of attending the fabled August car events in Monterey. Be sure to read the articles on Brandes and Cars Yeah, in this issue.
Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
I first time I attended what has become known as “The Monterey Historics” was back in 1979, when I moved to California from New York City. I have not missed a year since – 40 years is a long time for anything.
In the early years, my focus was primarily the Laguna Seca racetrack. These were the beginnings of historic racing, the genius of Steve Earle creating the blueprint for what was to come worldwide. I was amazed that I could walk anywhere in the pits, and go right up to the owner and talk about his car, exotic racecars I had never seen in person before, just read about in Road & Track. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. [Read more…] about Forty Years of Monterey Car Week
Up close and personal view of Roger Penske.
Story and photos by Allen R. Kuhn
We continue with the photography of Allen R. Kuhn; he just keeps digging and coming up with more great images. But it is getting close to the end now, and we’ll present the last chapter in his journey next week. But we’ll also show more of his photography in our series on Formula III cars, so watch out for that.
Ed.
We are almost done with my saga, and I can see the end is in sight. What a wonderful and exciting adventure this has been. All the memories I have conjured up have brought an uplifting feeling for me. With all the sadness these last two years have brought, VeloceToday has helped immensely for me to find that long back-straight to keep me going. [Read more…] about Photo Gallery 4: Allen R. Kuhn, 1963
From the VeloceToday Archives, September, 2010
By Wallace Alfred Wyss
Photos by John Huggins
Long ago, you could go to an Italian coachbuilder and order custom-made bodywork for your Chrysler, or Cadillac or whatever and pay a few thousand bucks and have a car that looked like a million bucks.
There were plenty of workmen and in the early ‘50s, and many factories were still in ruins. Italy was still on the rebound from the war.
Story by Peter Darnall
We have seen how the V12 Lagondas performed at Le Mans before the war. Now Peter Darnall follows up on the story of old Number 5 and old Number 6 as they raced in America. Ed.
Chairman Alan Good’s bold gamble paid off handsomely when his two Lagondas raced into British motorsports history with a first and second place class win at the 1939 running of the Le Mans 24-Hour Endurance event. These factory Specials were essentially production Lagondas which had been extensively lightened and powered by a promising new V-12 engine. They were beaten to the finish only by a Bugatti Type 57 C “Tank” and a Delage D6-3L, both highly specialized endurance racing hybrids.
These two Lagondas, chassis numbers 14089 and 14090, are valuable collector cars today. Lagonda enthusiasts affectionately refer to them by their Le Mans Numbers “Old Number 5” and “Old Number 6.” Their story was presented in the September 18, 2018, edition of VeloceToday which ended with the outbreak of the Second World War.
The story continues . . .
1951 Kieft Norton CK51 would be Stirling Moss’s new mount.
By Pete Vack
Photos by Jonathan Sharp from the Goodwood Revival, 2015.
Of the three victories achieved by non-Cooper cars in 1950, Frank Aikens of Wingco fame won at Silverstone with the Dick Ceasar-designed Iota-Triumph. The Jonsson-driven Effyh won another, and the third defeat was, of course, dealt at Rheims by the JBS, the most serious contender so far. Alfred J. Bottoms’ short career was both wild and meteoric. He was an ex-motorcycle racer who embarked upon an F3 effort in 1950, modifying another special with his own revised rear suspension.
A beauty from Sweden, the Effyh was like a miniature Auto Union. This example was in the Jack Mayes collection in 1989. Photo by Mary Vack.
By Pete Vack
By the end of ’49, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile decided to adopt the 500cc class and incorporate it as the new Formula 3, recognizing its potential as a training ground for future Grand Prix drivers. The Paris-based body had not only anticipated the success of the formula, but in 1949, the French Association Generale des Amicales et Coureurs Independants was ready to promote a 500cc class to be known as the Mouvement Racer 500.
Story and photos by Allen R. Kuhn
In the lead photo above, Bill Dixon in his #711 Maserati 300S tries to perfect his NASCAR bump draft technique on the rear end of Jack Nethercutt’s Ferrari 250 TR 59/60 at Pomona on January 8, 1961. Nethercutt finished 6th OA and 3rd in DM where as Mr. Dixon was able to get around Jack for 5th OA and 2nd in DM. This race was won by Bill Krause in a Maserati Birdcage Tipo 61, a follow-up to his win at Riverside on October 16, 1960, in the same car. Below are a few photos from 1959 to 1960 in chronological order.
The revolutionary Sigma Grand Prix car by Pininfarina and powered by Ferrari. Note the Ferrari mag wheels. (Graham Gauld Archives.)
By Graham Gauld
“Some might feel inclined to remark, perhaps in a chiding tone, that this work has seduced us away from what has been our traditional path. We would certainly rebut such a charge.” Those words were uttered by Sergio Pininfarina when his company surprised everyone at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show by showing a startling one-off grand prix car, the Sigma. [Read more…] about Graham Gauld: The Pininfarina Sigma
May 23, 1953. The new Pegaso, chassis 0121, poses for a photo at Bridgehampton. Can anyone identify the people? Photo by Robert F. Pauley.
By Pete Vack
With some material from the VeloceToday Archives, April 2017
Not too much mystery about the Pegasos that appeared at Bridgehampton in May of 1953. Two photographers, Robert Pauley and Glen Glendenning were there and photographed two of the Pegasos. Perhaps a mystery was the chassis number of the Z102 model that accompanied the famed “Tea Rose.” That’s where our readers come in! [Read more…] about Pegasos in New York, 1953
I was really enjoying my Photographer Pass, especially at Paramount Ranch. The elevation changes gave you dramatic angles to catch the cars. Such as this one of Dan Gurney in Frank Arciero’s Ferrari 375 Plus on December 8, 1957. Dan won by 30 seconds over Bob Oker in an Aston Martin.
Story and photos by Allen R. Kuhn
By late 1956 I was really getting into the swing of what and how to shoot, for example Ferrari, particularly the sports racers. But I didn’t know was there would still be a great interest in these cars 40 years later. If I had known that I would have had much different shooting technique. The most important change would have been to use a lot more film. [Read more…] about Photo Gallery 2: Allen R. Kuhn, 1956-58
Jean Geslin in a Cooper Norton at Pomona. Photo by Allen R. Kuhn
By Pete Vack
FROM ITALY WITH LOVE
While its first few appearances were plagued by broken motor mounts, John Cooper knew that the Cooper Mk I had potential. His father, Charles Cooper, was a burly Vauxhall dealer and garage owner from Surbiton who had spent a good part of the Thirties as racer Kaye Don’s mechanic, and he allowed his son full access to the shop’s tools and supplies.