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Kling’s 300SLR shortly after his crash. Photo by John Bradshaw courtesy Dale LaFollette.
Story by Pete Vack
From the VeloceToday Archives, October 2017
Before the 1955 Mille Miglia, Enzo Ferrari was worried about the entry of the Mercedes-Benz 300SLRs so he opted to install a 4.4 liter engine in place of the regular 3.7 liter six into a lengthened Monza chassis.
Which was fine, except that he didn’t tell anyone, even the drivers.
Fangio on the Mille Miglia. Note the Spica injection. Photo by John Bradshaw courtesy of Dale LaFollette.
Story by Pete Vack
From the VeloceToday Archives, October 2017
Part 1 addressed the two main teams that participated in the 1955 Mille Miglia, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari. No one else was even in the game for overall victory and with at least four entries each, one of the two was going to win the event.
Before we proceed, last week we noted that there were many 300SL Gullwings that were used for practice weeks before the event itself, which would be a victory for the Germans in all classes, including our own late John Fitch, who placed 5th overall with a Gullwing and won his class, a remarkable achievement.
Win a Premium Subscription to VeloceToday if you can who can tell us exactly when and where this photo was taken, and prove it. Photo by Jerry Lehrer.
By Pete Vack
Alfa Romeo 2.9 S/N 412014 Halley’s Comet
Frank Cantanzariti, he of the above placard, was reportedly in the electronics business and lived on Partridge Rd, Cornwall-On-Hudson, Newburgh, New York, about 40 miles north of New York City. Very little is known about him today, and though his business and life may have been exemplary, his main claim to fame via the internet may be that for one shining year circa 1952, Mr. Cantanazariti owned this fabulous Alfa 2.9. Furthermore, he had it on display at the 1952 or 1953 New York Auto show, where it was photographed by Jerry Lehrer. Mr. Cantanzariti put about a 1000 miles on the car, making a grand total of 16000 miles before selling it to Mike Garber via Zumbachs’ in New York.
Story and photos by Graham Gauld
It was back in 1966, having visited and written about the famous Monte Carlo Rally for a few years, that I decided I would try the Swedish Rally. This was another World Rally Championship event held in February approximately 1677 miles North of Monte Carlo and in the middle of the Swedish region of Värmland.
After a few telephone calls to Paris, I finally managed to persuade our old friend Henry Manney III to come North to Sweden for an adventure. He agreed it would certainly be something different. We met in Gothenburg airport where Volvo had delivered a Volvo Amazon for us to use on the event and equipped with fully studded tires. [Read more…] about A Sonnett by Gauld
By Pete Vack
From the VeloceToday Archives, August, 2016
The last automotive star of the movie The Racers has been found and is now under restoration and being readied for Pebble Beach 2017. The Vignale-bodied 1400 Fiat had a very brief role in the movie. It was difficult for even the hard core among us to determine exactly what make and model it was.
The Bonds in front of the R&T offices with their Ferrari 330GT, 1964.* Courtesy Marilee (Lee) Bond Nudo
By Pete Vack with Jim Sitz, John R. Bond, Jr. and Marilee (Lee) Bond Nudo
John Bond took over a distressed Road and Track in the fall of 1952, but always admitted that Elaine was the brains of the outfit. David E. Davis wrote (C&D Nov 1990) that she “…was the ramrod that turned R&T into the magazine it was in the Sixties and Seventies.”
Shannons Adelaide Rally, South Australia, 24-27 March 2021
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
Originally planned for the second half of 2020, the Shannons Adelaide Rally, like many worldwide, was another casualty of the pandemic. Towards the end of the year, when the lights at the end of the tunnel were shining again in South Australia, late summer seemed an ideal time to run the postponed event. Over fifty entrants came from interstate, braving the uncertainty of lockdowns or quarantine. As it turned out, not all the roads were dry during the four-day meeting, but this didn’t deter competitors and results were in doubt until the final stages on Saturday.
Montage by Peter Darnall.
“Kas” Kaster passed away on April 11, 2021. As a tribute, we republish Peter Darnall’s article about the Triumph K car, designed by Peter Brock and engineered and built by Kastner. From the VeloceToday Archives, August 2016
Story by Peter Darnall
Black and White photos courtesy Peter Brock
The K-car has always been one of my favorite designs – Peter Brock
High praise indeed! Peter Brock can include the Corvette Stingray, the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, and the Hino Samurai in the portfolio of exciting cars he has been involved with. I first saw the Triumph TR-250K in person at the David Love Memorial event at Sonoma earlier this year. The sophisticated wedge-shaped profile of the car was simply elegant. The K-Car, on its looks alone, might have saved Triumph from oblivion, but it was never put into production.
And therein lies a tale…
The story of the early years of Road and Track, thanks to Jim Sitz.
Off to a great start: Bonneville, 1951. Road and Track, Hop Up, and Motor Trend staff members gather for the Bonneville Speed Week. Jerry Cheseborough is on the far left, that might be Oliver Billingsley on the other side of the MG. Motor Trend photographer unknown. Courtesy Jim Sitz.
By Pete Vack and Jim Sitz
Ed. note: Most of the information below was provided by historian Jim Sitz, who was a witness to the early years at the magazine, via emails to me over a period of weeks in 2020. He also was in the possession of the rare photos taken at the Road & Track offices in 1951, obtained from the Billingsley collection in the early 1990s. We have not been able to determine who took these photos or under what circumstances. Any questions regarding these photos can be sent to the Editor at vack@cox.net.
You Bet Your Life
In 1952, while Groucho Marx was gambling his future on the new-fangled TV with a show called “You Bet Your Life”, a thirty-nine-year-old engineer in California with a bright, enthusiastic wife, a new son and a MGTC was betting that the sports car fad was here to stay. In fact he was betting his family’s entire future on a sports car magazine that was deeply in hock. It had been offered to other magazine publishers but turned down, and one wouldn’t even take Road and Track (no ampersand in the early days; the “&” in the title was introduced in 1954) for just the bills. But staff members John and Elaine Bond were determined to save the magazine and were fully aware of its potential of a magazine devoted to the growing sports car movement. They decided to take a huge risk. [Read more…] about The Early Years of Road and Track
Charles Nearburg – 1954 Lancia D50A the 2019 HMSA Spring Club Event run at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Nikon 200mm f/11 at 160 second for speed motion blur.
Interview by Brandes Elitch
Dennis Gray grew up in Turlock, California, back then a tiny ranching community of perhaps 10,000 people. In 1959, when Dennis was in 10th grade, his father gave him a Nikon camera. From that auspicious beginning, today Dennis is recognized as one a handful of the most important auto race photographers in the United States, with a body of work stretching over sixty years, and he is still shooting. [Read more…] about Dennis Gray: A Master of Auto Racing Photography
Jonathan Feiber – 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 in Group 3A – 1955-1961 Sports Racing Cars over 2000cc at the 2017 Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion, Nikon 300mm f/13 at 1/250 second.
Intro by Brandes Elitch
All Photos copyright Dennis Gray
Read the Interview with Dennis Gray
In my last column, I interviewed noted photographer Dennis Gray in Modesto last month. Dennis discussed some of his techniques for race photography based on fifty plus years of work. Afterwards, we realized that we needed to show more of his output, hence this second column. The photos speak for themselves and do not require additional commentary. However, I thought I would say a few words about this subject in general to put things in perspective for our readers. [Read more…] about Dennis Gray Photo Gallery
Story By Michael T. Lynch
From the VeloceToday Archives, September 2018
When the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance decides to have a Special Class, they leave no stone unturned, and the result is always spectacular. This year featured a marque dear to VeloceToday readers’ hearts, OSCA, the Maserati Brothers jewel-like masterpieces that dominated smaller displacement classes on both sides of the Atlantic in the immediate post-WWII period. Pebble’s foraging led to entries from Canada, Germany, Israel and Japan, as well as examples resident in the U.S. [Read more…] about Michael Lynch’s OSCA Pocket History