The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Richard Bartholomew photo.
Story by Wallace Wyss
When I go to a Cars ‘n Coffee in Malibu, I expect a little different mix of cars rather than I find at some event inland. But it is rare when you see a car that raced -and won its class at Le Mans– being driven on the street. Even in Malibu.
Mercedes-Benz W165
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
As we reported last week, Jonathan Sharp, as usual, attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed, held on July 6-7. He took photos of everything else that moved, or was stationary in the paddock, and while we generally just publish images of Italian or French cars, Jonathan’s enthusiastic eye includes cars from Germany and Great Britain. And so a year late, we present Jonathan’s unpublished, more comprehensive look at the cars that attended last year’s FOS, so many that we had to break it up into two parts, cars A-I and L-V. Last week we published cars in alphabetical order A-I, and this week we wrap it up with L-V, below. [Read more…] about Festival of Speed Revisited, Part 2
Til next year, Arturo….we hope.
Story by Staff
Photos by Jonathan Sharp from the 2019 Festival of Speed
Goodwood: The showcase of our passion…
There is nothing like Goodwood in the world; in our humble opinion and that of our two veteran race correspondents, Jonathan Sharp and Hugues Vanhoolandt, Goodwood puts on the three (Member’s Meeting, Festival of Speed, and the Goodwood Revival) greatest classic motoring events on earth and supreme showcases for our passion.
…is in trouble…
Every year we take for granted the long list of famous drivers, spectacular cars, shows, displays and outstanding racing, and assume it will always be there, bigger and better. But that may not always be the case. Due to the cancellation of all three of this year’s events, Goodwood is facing serious financial difficulties. According to the Goodwood Supporters Association, “…social distancing has had a catastrophic impact on our ability to operate. It is a worrying time and we are doing what we can to salvage a future for our events. We rely on our headline events to generate all of our operating profit, their absence places not only future events but even the long-term future of the estate under considerable strain.” [Read more…] about Goodwood: Will it last?
This Ferrari 288 GTO s/n 55223 is the answer to a crucial online auction question: Can $1 million cars sell online? Not only is the answer “yes” with a final price of $2.3 million, but it is one of two seven-figure cars sold in RM Sotheby’s second Online Only auction, Driving into Summer. The other was a Ferrari Enzo that brought $2.6 million a few lots later. Photo courtesy RM Sotheby’s.
By Rick Carey
Other than home repairs, yard work, baking and Netflix binging, much of life has gone remote and online.
That’s true for collector car auctions, too
We’ve now seen enough online only auctions to reach some conclusions, the most important of them being: online only collector car auctions are a commercial success, if lacking in the excitement generated by their live counterparts.
Nice to see on the track: The Ferrari 166MM 212 Uovo
By Jonathan Sharp
Last year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, held on July 6-7, Jonathan Sharp decided to concentrate on photographing the drivers, and created an unprecedented look at the champions who attended the event. This incredible gallery can be seen here. Ironically, the last photo was of Arturo Merzario walking away, and we said, ‘Til next year, Arturo…” We didn’t know at the time there would be no next year. [Read more…] about New Photos of Goodwood’s Festival of Speed
Chivasso-Turin 9-9-05 September 9, 1905
By Pete Vack with Dale LaFollette, Aldo Zana and Graham Gauld
Sidebar by Greg Vack
We really enjoy trying to solve automotive mysteries, but this is a real cold case… 115 years old, making it a daunting task.
The twelve photos below, all from 1905, came from the collection of Dale LaFollette, who tells the story of how they were discovered. “Dean Newton was one my partners in Vintage Motorbooks, the collectable book business that we formed in the late 1970s. (Logan Gray owns it today.) Newton found them in a desk drawer and surmised that they had been in a book…we would find all sorts of odds and ends in books we bought.” [Read more…] about Itala over the Alps: A 115 Year-old Mystery
Before his second run for the LSR in 1964, Donald Campbell thought he had had it. But then, “I suddenly looked up and there was my father reflected in the windscreen as clearly as you are sitting there now…”
Why a story about the LSR Bluebirds in VeloceToday, one that has no Italian or French connections? Jonathan Sharp is our writer and our connection, as he not only has several Alfas but has a superb story to tell about the short and heroic life of Donald Campbell, including an exclusive story about the Campbell’s wallet, retrieved from his XKE right after the fatal accident in 1967 and never been on public display. A great story is a great story, whatever the country. Ed.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
From the Archives, February 2017
On Friday the 17th July 1964, after four years of struggle, Donald Campbell, CBE, finally broke John Cobb’s 1947 Land Speed record speed of 394.20 mph, driving his Bristol Proteus Gas Turbine powered Bluebird CN7. His friend Craig Breedlove had gone faster but his J47 Jet powered Spirit of America was considered by the governing body to be a tricycle, and more importantly, was not wheel driven so did not at the time meet the rules laid down. [Read more…] about The Short and Heroic Life of Donald Campbell
(Photo by Andre van Bever)
By Willem Oosthoek
Ferrari arrived loaded for bear at the Nürburgring in May 1956. The Scuderia was leading the five-race World Sports Car Championship at that point, with overwhelming victories to its name in the 12 Hours of Sebring [Juan Manuel Fangio/Eugenio Castellotti in a 3.5-liter, 4-cylinder 860 Monza] and the Mille Miglia [Castellotti again, in a 3.5-liter V12 290MM]. Only the season opener, the 1000 KM of Buenos Aires, had been captured by archrival Maserati, with their 3-liter, 6-cylinder 300S. The Trident’s 300S model was underpowered compared to the big Ferraris but it handled better, and the superb driving skills of Stirling Moss, ably assisted by local driver Carlos Menditeguy, had made all the difference in Argentina.
Patriarca Fiat 750 S Siluro, Mille Miglia 2016
By Hugues Vanhoolandt and Dino Brunori
In this installment of Etceterini Corner, Hugues Vanhoolandt shows us another set of six cars, and thanks to Dino Brunori, we focus on the Patriarca family, whose mission was the Mille Miglia.
So that’s a Jaguar?
Story by Graham Gauld
I have often mentioned in the past the power of coincidence, and the other day I happened to be going through my Jaguar notes for a possible book, and was amazed to find that I seem to have bumped into all sorts of Jaguars fitted with special bodies in a variety of places.
What makes this slightly different from normal is that Jaguar were not well known as cars attractive to specialist coachbuilders, yet it is surprising just how many well-known companies have built special bodies on Jaguars in period. Amongst them are Pinin Farina, Ghia, Michelotti and Zagato.
Two Jaguars I wanted to talk about were one clothed in the style of Ghia in Turin and the other in the style of Bill Flajole of Detroit.
Text and photos by John Sexton, art and layout by Jodi Ellis
From the Archives, July 2010
What makes Retro Special? The cars? The models? The automobilia? The parts? Or maybe the food, people ambiance and just plain Paris. This is what it looked like 10 years ago….
Here are the Top Entries, with comments from Burt Levy below the caption idea. Find out if you are a winner! [Read more…] about Winners of the Alfa Amore Caption Contest