The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
1973 Fiat Abarth 124 Rally
By Gianni Petta and Pete Vack
Photos by Gianni Petta
We’ve never covered the Classic Targa Florio, but historian and Sicilian resident Gianni Petta has photographed the event for years. Petta is known to our readers as the creator of the stunning Targa Florio dioramas, which we featured a year ago in VeloceToday (The 1970 Targa Florio). [Read more…] about Classic Targa Florio, October 15-18, 2020
Photographed around 1996, the Carma FF is in almost concours condition.
From the Archives, August 2014
Story and photos by Graham Gauld
Has anyone seen the Carma FF lately?
On August 5th, 2014, Martino Finotto died of cancer at the age of 80. He was a Milanese gentleman driver, his family fortune stemming from their pharmaceutical company. Finotto was the man behind various racing ventures with his business partner and racing driver Carlo Facetti. Together they ran Achille Motors in Milan where Facetti was in charge. [Read more…] about Facetti Ferrari Carma
Epic Alfa Battle. Photo by Michael Dipleco.
Story by Sean Smith
Photos by Sean Smith unless otherwise noted
Anniversaries are meant to be celebrated. Alfa Romeo was having a big one – 110 years old. There were many celebrations planned, but 2020 gave us a nasty slap in the face with COVID 19, and the carefree world of vintage racing got put on everyone’s back burner with events being canceled across the country. No racing, no camaraderie, no fun. We all had more serious things to think about. We got locked in, locked down, and locked out. Summer passed by with very few high points.
Le Mans, June 1959. Bill Kimberly and E.D. Martin taking E.D.’s Ferrari 250TR through the scrutineering process. (Henri Beroul)
Story by Willem Oosthoek
Expecting an early sprint contest between the Ferrari and Aston Martin works entries at the 1959 Le Mans 24 hours, E.D. and Bill decided to drive at a conservative pace early on and see what would happen. After seven hours they had reached 10th place, climbing to 9th overall in the next hour. Bill: “We were very careful not to overdo it and we stayed very close to our set lap times. Then transmission trouble struck, and we had to retire. We were running 8th overall when it happened.” They completed 108 laps in nine hours.
Dale Powers in his Crosley, circa 1954. Dale Powers photo
By Eric Davison
With a sidebar on the Bandini Crosley
COVID 19 has raised hell with most lives and relationships. Too much togetherness has caused some serious family breaches. Just about every activity that you can name has been affected. Hang around at your favorite tavern? No! A round of golf with your pals? No, unless you each have a private cart. So much for the fellowship that has drawn so many to the game. Maybe trout fishing in a river in Montana is OK but fishing is a lonely sport to begin with. Football games, baseball games, basketball; they all seem a bit weird without screaming fans.
It seems that us car guys have been spared. Those of us who enjoy hands-on experiences with machines propelled by fossil fuels can still participate. Got a great car. Get in it and go. Or, go to the garage and polish it. Or, just sit there and admire it.
If you are thinking about spending as much as 20 million (or more) on three used Alfas at tomorrow night’s Sotheby’s Auction, it is advised that you read the following four articles, which provide additional background information about the Scaglione B.A.T.s. From the Archives of VeloceToday, they were published in 2019 but timely and relevant today.
After making a few sketches, working with Ezio Cingolani, who was responsible for fabrication, Franco Scaglione developed a full size model, watched daily by Nuccio Bertone. This is B.A.T. 5
What are these openings for? One, to strengthen the rather large fin itself, and two, to allow some of the air to escape that was ‘tunneled’ through the extremely inward curved fins on B.A.T. 7.
Aiming to create more of a GT car and needing a direct connection with Alfa, Scaglione forgot penetration and allowed the use of the new Giulietta grille on B.A.T. 9.
Courtesy Centro Documentazione Storica Alfa Romeo
Gulf Coast Region’s SCCA executive Bill Kimberly posing with his 2-liter Ferrari 500TR (chassis 0642) at Pensacola’s Corry Field Naval Air Station in April 1959. (Willem Oosthoek Collection)
By Willem Oosthoek
With his purchase of the Ferrari 500TR previously raced by Chick Butscher and Lucky Casner, Bill Kimberly finally had an opportunity to contest feature victories in SCCA Regionals. It would prove difficult, though, as competition in the Southeast was stiff for a more than two-year old, mid-sized bolide.
We are told that the Bugatti automobile is a Type 46. Wouldn’t it have been nice for the Cité du Train to have a Royale next to the Automotrice? We are sure someone can help here…
By John Waterhouse
Hot on the heels of last week’s review of the new Bugatti Automotrice book came an email from VeloceToday contributor and resident Renault expert John Waterhouse, who said he once visited the
From our Archives, October, 2018
By Vince Johnson and Pete Vack
Photos by Vince Johnson
A Bit on the Brescia
Vince Johnson will detail the ‘Butterfly’ Bugatti below, but first a few interesting facts about Ettore’s most successful model in terms of sales. The Brescia Bugatti was an evolution of Bugatti’s first production car from 1910, the Type 10 and Type 13. During that period, Bugatti model nomenclature was based on the length of the wheelbase, in general, the T 13 being the shortest, and the T23 the longest. But in 1921, after the total domination of an event in Italy, Ettore Bugatti decided to name his most recent model after the race.
Pensacola, Florida, April 1959. Bill Kimberly, Executive of the SCCA’s Gulf Region, in his 2-liter Ferrari 500TR, chassis 0642. (Willem Oosthoek Collection)
By Willem Oosthoek Part 1
It all started way back in 1872, when four men partnered up to establish a paper mill in Neenah, Wisconsin. By 1880 the fast-growing business was incorporated under the name Kimberly-Clark, with one of the partners, John Kimberly, serving as its CEO. One of John’s grandsons, James “Jim” Kimberly eventually ran the business until 1950, when he retired to concentrate on a new full-time hobby: sports car racing. Jim’s job as Chairman and CEO was taken over by his brother Jack Kimberly, who happened to have a young son, soon to be fascinated with Uncle Jimmy’s new hobby. That son was Bill Kimberly, and in spite of their age difference, Jim and Bill are often confused when it comes to motor racing history.
The 1932 Salmson GS (Grande Sport) that arrived in the village. (Jane Wallis-Hosken)
By Graham Gauld
I live in a small village in the south of France in the hills behind the beaches of Cannes and Frejus where very little happens. However, I am constantly reminded of the major role France played in the birth and development of automobile racing. [Read more…] about A Salmson in Claviers
Story by Pete Vack
From the Archives, February, 2018
Despite a good working relationship with Enzo Ferrari, Carlo Abarth constructed just one Ferrari-based race car. Serial Number 0262M wore its Abarth bodywork for barely a season before shedding it for a Scaglietti suit. But exactly how the first body came to be is a moot point: Was it or was it not a Scaglione design?
As Abarth and Ferrari succeeded in their respective racing classes, the two men grew to respect each other’s accomplishments. In a 2003 interview with this author, Lorenzo “Renzo” Avidano, who was Carlo Abarth’s director of motor sports and right-hand man for the entire life of the company, says that Enzo Ferrari and Carlo Abarth “enjoyed a very good business relationship, and in fact did meet on several occasions.” In his very personal Una Vita Per L’Automobile, Ferrari describes Carlo Abarth as “a diligent and capable German.”