The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Photo courtesy MAUTO
Story by Pete Vack
Dale LaFollette, photographer, collector, car genius and fortunately for us, a decent chap, recently came upon a photo that he wanted to share. How many people might be interested in a tulipwood Hispano on the Targa Florio he didn’t know but the picture was great. [Read more…] about Mahogony Alfa Romeo RLSS Mystery Car
This photo was taken when I was in Milan in 1987. I was invited out to the museum at Arese. It was winter, November, and not open to the public. They unlocked the museum for us and had a cleaning lady follow us around, turning lights in the galleys on and off as we walked from gallery to gallery, which is why the lighting is so bright up front and dark in the background. Needless to say this was not a formal photo shoot by any means, and was hard to get a good focus, but it is a rather evocative shot. And yes, we climbed in and out of most of the cars!
By S.Scott Callan
While we at VeloceToday were setting up two articles concerning the Merosi Alfa Romeo RLSS, we thought it might be nice if S.Scott Callan would allow us to use his remarkable researched and animated article on the RLSS from his website, www.velocitygroup.net. To learn more about Scott’s fascinating site, click here to read the accompanying piece.
Merosi’s Masterpiece: the Romeo series L The advancements being incorporated into the car Merosi and his team were engineering when the G1 was released signaled the end of brass era engineering principles and the beginning of a new era of automotive design.
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.
“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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.