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De Tomaso Mangusta vs Corvette C8

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A half century separates the 1969 De Tomaso Mangusta and the 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette.

By Dick Ruzzin

What drives a company like De Tomaso or Chevrolet to demonstrate its soul by creating cars that will hopefully outperform those of its peers? To put its image on the line and be confident that it will win? To challenge what is considered the best in all the world and not be afraid?

This is really a story of two companies, one very small and one very big. Fifty years separate the two landmark mid-engine efforts, the Mangusta and the C8 Corvette. For Alessandro de Tomaso, it was very personal, as he wrote in the Mangusta Owners Manual. Fortunately, in the history and heritage of General Motors and Chevrolet, there remains a spark called Corvette, which still displays the very essence of what an automobile is about.

Herein, we examine both cars from an owner’s perspective. [Read more…] about De Tomaso Mangusta vs Corvette C8

Salon Privé Concours, 2020

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Lead image: Mussolini had decreed an order to Italianize foreign-sounding names, hence Carrozzeria Touring became Carrozzeria Turinga, as shown here on the bonnet emblems of the Trossi 6C Alfa Romeo, featured below.

Salon Privé event founders Andrew and David Bagley and all those involved in this year’s Concours (which took place at Blenheim Palace in the heart of the Cotswolds, September 23-26, 2020), must have breathed a huge sigh of relief on the morning of the opening day of the event, even though it was raining. [Read more…] about Salon Privé Concours, 2020

McCluggage and Hawthorn Part 3

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June 6th, 1958. Mike Hawthorn being interviewed near the Vanwall van at Reims. Photo by Robert Pauley

Story by Denise McCluggage
Photos and captions by Graham Gauld and Robert Pauley

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Read Part 2

On top of the Le Mans crash of 1955 that killed four score or more and for which many Germans, mostly in the press, blamed Mike Hawthorn as a key instrument, he was having his darkest season in Grand Prix racing. He collected not a point toward the championship. Nothing. He was driving for Tony Vandervell and the Vanwalls were still suffering from birth pangs. Vanwall, like Mike, still had three full years to go to its world championship.

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Alfa Amore: Learning, Winning and Cheating

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Taking the Loeber receptionist for a victory lap at State Fair Park in 1981.

By BS Levy

Would you sell your soul for half-a-second? OK, how about a WHOLE second?

As detailed last time, with our extensive rulebook reading (much of it between the lines) and subsequent garage preparation at the dealership (which, BTW, rampaged through our checking account like Godzilla demolishing Tokyo…but, jeez, don’t tell Carol) we had a promising track weapon with which to do battle. Even so, it was obvious we had some dialing-in and detailing to do. Which meant money.

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The Bend Classic, South Australia, 2020

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Grant Perryman, 1968 Lola-Ferrari T70

Story and photos by Vince Johnson

The Bend Classic, South Australia 5-6 Sept 2020

Scheduling a race meeting for local entries only, on a Fathers’ Day weekend, along with distancing and state border restrictions due to Covid19, would seem to be a recipe destined for limited success. The pandemic had meant car racing had been on hold for six months at South Australia’s ‘The Bend Motorsport Park’, a hundred kilometres south-east of Adelaide, but the state’s impressive record in managing the virus saw restrictions being gradually eased. Over seventy entries in six categories signed up for two days of timed sprints on the 3.41 kilometre West Circuit, and the public took full advantage of free spectator admission.

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McCluggage and Hawthorn Part 2

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The first Ferrari Mike Hawthorn raced was this modified 375 4.5 litre car, the Thinwall Special entered by Tony Vandervell seen standing beside the car. The meeting was at the Turnberry circuit in 1953.

Story by Denise McCluggage
Photos and captions by Graham Gauld

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There have been many “firsts” in the life of John Michael Hawthorn starting that tenth day in April, 1929, when he first saw light of day. His father, Leslie, was a garage owner and a man active in motorcycling and motor-racing circles, putting Mike close to this world from the time he was a tyke.

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Cooper-Fiat Part 2: Resurrection

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The fabled car’s first glimpse of daylight in 25 years. Note the color and also, to the left of the front wheel, and below the side view mirror, a Pabst Motors sticker.

Story by Bob Birmingham

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After his impressive drive at Marlboro, finishing a close second to the Alfa engined Cooper, there occurred a major renovation to Dick Eisenmann’s Cooper.

From time to time, he frequented a foreign car repair shop just down the road from his office. In anticipation of a lengthy business trip, he took his Cooper there for a little “mechanical sweetening and anything else that was needed.” Upon returning, he found the car painted — a tomato orange had replaced the historic Team Cunningham blue over white. [Read more…] about Cooper-Fiat Part 2: Resurrection

Stapp Record Car on Film

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Story by Dale LaFollette

Stop the Press! Oh, we can’t but this bit of YouTube just surfaced in reference to the below article and it simply must be seen. We’ve added this video to Dale LaFollette’s March 2019 piece on the Stapp record car.

https://youtu.be/8N9vTqY0ZRc

I have spent the last twenty-five years collecting, buying and selling period racing photography that interested me. I have known of the car illustrated here and had spent several years looking for a good vintage print when this one became available. My reason for the search was based on the wonderful story surrounding the builder of this car and the car itself. [Read more…] about Stapp Record Car on Film

Hampton Court Concours, 2020

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

I kept expecting to receive an email stating that the Hampton Concours had to be cancelled due to current circumstances, but it never came. So the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court was on, hot on the heels of the London Concours, and I was very happy. I was truly amazed that, with all the travel restrictions and quarantine regulations around the world, that the event’s steering committee was able to come up with such an interesting entry. [Read more…] about Hampton Court Concours, 2020

Luigi Villoresi, Gentleman and a Racer, P2

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Luigi Villoresi photographed at the 1954 TT at Dundrod in Ireland. Graham Gauld photo.

By Graham Gauld

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It was whilst in England for the 1949 British Grand Prix on May 14 that Luigi Villoresi received a surprise. “I had a message from Enzo Ferrari to say he had sent a single seater 166C Ferrari to Brussels for me to race in the Brussels Grand Prix, and a new 166MM sports car( 0016M) to Luxembourg to race in a sports car race the following weekend.”

Luigi continued. “I won both races and when I got back to Milan I had a telephone call from a journalist friend called Corrado Fillipini telling me that Enzo Ferrari wanted me to drive for him; so why didn’t I go and see him and sign for Ferrari?”

This provided a dilemma for Villoresi, as he had disliked Enzo Ferrari since the day of the accident that killed his brother Emilio at Monza, back in 1939.

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Lime Rock Historic Festival, September 3-7

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Santo Spadaro, 1965 Lancia Fulvia GT 2C

Story and photos by Sean Smith

On September 3 through 7th, 2020, Lime Rock Park held their 38th edition of the Historic Festival. There were five days of beautiful Connecticut weather at a beautiful track, but no spectators to witness the racing, and a very small crowd allowed in for the Sunday in the Park Concours and gathering of the Marques.

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McCluggage and Hawthorn Part 1

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Mike Hawthorn, Concentrating hard on the exit from the hairpin with the Jaguar D-Type in the 1955 Tourist Trophy race at Dundrod.

From the Archives, September, 2013

Story by Denise McCLuggage
Photos and captions by Graham Gauld

The late Marquis de Portago was once passing judgment on various Grand Prix drivers and marking the ones he thought most likely to succeed to Fangio’s throne. One famous name he dismissed with a shrug: “He’s too hard to classify. He’s erratic. He seldom finishes. He never takes care of himself.”

If Portago had lived until 1959, he would have seen the driver he named least-likely-to-succeed become the 1958 driving champion of the world. But he would be no more surprised than the tall, tow-headed wearer of the crown — Mike Hawthorn — himself.

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