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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

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Lancia Owners Requesting Loramo Book

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This afternoon, I’m likely the only person you know, delivering charity bake sale boxes out of the back of my car in 11F degree Wisconsin winter to benefit the local farm animal rescue sanctuary! Who is he and what is the car?

Almost hidden in the text of our article about Brandes Elitch and Cars Yea was an unusual offer: Send Brandes a photo of a Lancia you owned or still own and he’ll send you a copy of his book “Lancia Loraymo.”

It’s a good thing we didn’t do more to bring attention to the offer, as Brandes immediately began to receive emails and photos, and though he has a few copies left, they are going fast.

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Barn Find of the Century, Part 1

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By Peter M. Larsen

From the VeloceToday Archives, January, 2015

There are barnfinds. And then there are barnfinds. Imagine the reaction when the corrugated siding of the lean-to next to the secluded château in the west of France came down and a long-lost Talbot-Lago T26 Record chassis came to light. And more: this T26 chassis # 100239 was not just fitted with a factory body, but with a unique and rakish fastback coupé design built by the Carrosserie Jacques Saoutchik in the rue Jacques Dulud in Neuilly-sur-Seine!

This incredibly rare and outstanding automobile was one of three such Saoutchik barnfinds in the 60 cars of the collection of the late Jacques Baillon. All three are superb examples of the swoopy and extravagant styles designed by Pierre Saoutchik after the Second World War. In truth, one can call the Baillon collection the barnfind of the century. As Pierre Novikoff of the Artcurial auction house remarked: “Never again, anywhere in the world, will such a treasure be unearthed.”

Here is the first of three articles about the three extraordinary Saoutchik cars found in the Baillon collection.

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Photo Gallery 5: Allen R. Kuhn, 1964

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Let’s start 1964 off with one of my favorite drivers, Ken Miles, at Riverside on April 26, 1964, driving a Shelby Cobra 289. This was a the USRRC Manufacturers Championship Race. Ken sits waiting for the cute Trophy Girl, Marilyn Fox, to do her duty presenting him with a checked flag for his victory lap after winning the USRRC GT race. More important was a victory kiss. Just ask Lothar Motschenbacher about that. This picture and others of mine were used by Mike Martin in his tome “USRRC” to illustrate this race.

Story and photos by Allen R. Kuhn

This is gallery number five, covering my shooting during 1964. I was not interested in going to races as a spectator while, at the same time, it became more difficult to get photographer passes through the small magazine for which I worked. Plus, I was more interested in cars of the ‘50s and early ‘60s. I liked the cars that were designed by artists, rather than engineers. Sure, the new ones went faster, but their looks lacked something for me. And the Can-Am series which started in 1966 already had two great photographers covering these events, Pete Lyons and Dave Friedman.

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Brandes Elitch, Cars Yeah, and Lancia Loraymo

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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

Forty Years of Monterey Car Week

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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

Photo Gallery 4: Allen R. Kuhn, 1963

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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

The Ghia 450 SS: Sugarman’s Dream

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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.

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Lagonda’s American Adventures

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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 . . .

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Unheralded Predecessors: Opposition

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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.

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Unheralded Predecessors: Foreign Competitors

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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.

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Photo Gallery 3: Allen R. Kuhn, 1959-61

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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.

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Graham Gauld: The Pininfarina Sigma

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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

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