The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
French cars from lost manufacturers are a common sight at Retromobile. This 1950 DB HBR cabriolet by Antem was produced in 32 examples; some competed in great motorsport events like Le Mans and Sebring.
Photos and captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
1929 Mercedes SSK driven by German ace Jochen Mass.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
October 12-13, 2013
In only four years, the Zoute Grand Prix, Knokke-le-Zoute has become a traditional date on the Belgian calendar of classic car rallies and concours.
Scheduled just before winter sets in, it is a last occasion for enthusiasts to run their beloved classics on a two-day rally on the back roads of Knokke, in the region near the medieval city of Bruges, or to show their treasures at the Concours d’elegance, held at the Royal Zoute Golf Club.
[Read more…] about Vanhoolandt at the Zoute Grand Prix Concours and Rally
The winner of the 2013 Mille Miglia was the Argentinian crew Tonconogy-Berisso on a Bugatti Type 40 of 1927.
Story and Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Last week was the 31st edition of the Mille Miglia Storica Rally, which is the world’s biggest mobile car museum, travelling along the beautiful roads of Italy from Brescia to
Roma and back. This year there more more cars entered than ever before: 415 cars at the start compared to the traditional amount of 375.
[Read more…] about Mille Miglia 2013 by Hugues Vanhoolandt
1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super was used to transport special visitors of the factory in Arese, like the President of the Italian Republic in 1966.
Photos and Captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
[Hugues Vanhoolandt first introduced himself to us five years ago during the 2008 Essen show. Since then, this wondeful photographer has taken photos for VeloceToday all over the world. And once again, we are proud to present his work and views from Essen. Editor.]
[Read more…] about Techno Classica Essen 2013
The star of Retromobile this year was the Citroën DS, presented at the Paris Show in 1955. Nothing like this had ever been seen before.
Photos and Captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
[Read more…] about French Cars at Retro by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Maserati 250 F s/n 2521 wears the colors of the Monaco principality. This car, driven by the local André Testut, failed to qualify at the 1958 Monaco GP.
Photos and captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
[Read more…] about Italian Cars at Retro by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Hugues Vanhoolandt takes us on tour of the Louwman Museum, also known as the Dutch National Motor Museum.
The Dutch National Motor Museum is also called the Louwman Museum, due to the name of its founder, P.W. Louwman, who began to show his collection of cars in a museum in 1934. Mr. Louwman was Dodge and Chrysler importer in the Netherlands and his son, Evert, is now the Toyota and Lexus importer.
The Louwman collection is the oldest private collection of motor cars in the world.
At the time of our visit, the museum housed a special exhibition of pre-war Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows, on loan from the Stuttgart Museum, but Italian and French cars are always well represented in the collection.
Louwman’s will send the famous Roland Garros Black Bess Bugatti to the Paris Retromobile show in February. Read about Garros and the Black Bess Bugatti in VeloceToday this month.
This 1933 Maserati 8CM saw three of the greatest drivers of the time behind the wheel; Raymond Sommer, Tazio Nuvolari and Piero Taruffi.
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Le Mans Touring was driven at Le Mans by Louis Chiron and Franco Cortese.
1941 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Spider Corsa ‘Balena’ was an experimental car in which the engine and the body were developed by Gioacchino Colombo, who later designed the 125 Ferrari V12.
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Villa d’Este driven by Toine Hezemans, the famous Dutch Alfa race car driver of the 60’s and 70’s.
Story and Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
October 5-7, 2012
For the third consecutive year, the city of Knokke in Belgium presented the Zoute Grand Prix, consisting of a two day rally for cars built between 1920 and 1965, plus a Concours d’Elégance and a Parade of modern GT and Supercars.
Knokke is a chic resort on the Belgian coast about ten miles away from Bruges. Often called the Venice of the North, it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities with over 600 years of history.
The Zoute Grand Prix is growing every year and in 2013, a vintage car auction held by Bonhams is to be added to the activities.
Despite the damp conditions, the rally drew 150 participants who traveled more than 160 miles per day on the picturesque roads of Flanders. On each day, the start and arrival point was located at the King Albert Place at Knokke-le-Zoute.
The sun was back for the Concours d’Elégance held on the Fairway 1 of the Royal Zoute Golf Club. Many classic automobiles from the major Belgian and Dutch collections were on display. More information can be found at Zoutegrandprix.be
Here are a few of the images from the weekend.
The Rally
Despite the damp conditions of the rally, this Delahaye 135 is having a good run.
Paul Stewart drove one of the Mercedes. But here, his gear in repose.
Twenty four frames from the camera of Hugues Vanhoolandt.
The five Auto-Unions in the Swiss GP replica pits.
A line up of pre-war Mercedes and Auto Unions like this hasn't happened before and may not again, so enjoy.
Elegance is not only for cars but also for entrants...
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
The more you scroll, the more delighted you’ll be. Pebble is first, followed by the Rolex Motorsports Reunion. Nobody does it better than Vanhoolandt, and we are proud and lucky to have his photography grace the pages of VeloceToday. Thank you, Hugues!–Pete Vack, Editor.
This unique 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport originally had a Zagato body and rebodied in 1938 with a design by Count Revelli de Beaumont.
Two Hispano-Suizas in front of the Lodge at Pebble Beach.
1936 Hispano-Suiza J12 Saoutchik Cabriolet at Bixby Bridge, near Big Sur, during the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance.
This 1947 Delahaye 135 MS is bodied by Langenthal, a small
1932 Delage D8 SS 100 Figoni Cabriolet from the Keller Collection.
Ferrari 410 Sport Scaglietti s/n 0598CM on spectacular US 1, South of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
The 5-liter V12 of the 410 Sport.
Also in the Ferrari Competition class, the 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Scaglietti s/n 0763 GT, delivered new to the Belgian Ferrari importer Jacques Swaters of Ecurie Francorchamps.
The magic is not Monterey; the magic is in the way that our photographer Hugues Vanhoolandt gets the cars without the bodies. We thought it was because of the huge VELOCETODAYPRESS badge he wears, but it is due more to just plain hard work, persistance and his dedication to being at the right spot at the right time, waiting for that Henri Cartier-Bresson decisive moment. Here is Part 1 of Monterey Week by Vanhoolandt.
Quail Rally
The Quail Rally marked the start of the Monterey Classic Car week on Tuesday 14th August with at least 30 classic cars of high quality.
...among them, a rare Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione s/n 07641.
Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue
on the same day, Carmel hosts its annual Concours on the Avenue where people can see vehicles ranging from a small cars like this 1959 Autobianchi Bianchina Trasformabile (or convertible).
Fiat Grand Prix Transporter bodied by Bartoletti, used by Maserati, Scarab and Shelby racing teams. It also appears in the film Le Mans.
Alfa Duetto, a very well done restoration.
Maserati 8CM enjoying life.
By Hugues Vanhoolandt
This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed’s main theme was ‘Young Guns – Born to Win’, celebrating drivers, riders, designers and engineers of motor sport. Alain Prost was in particular honored by a display of the F1 cars he drove.
Other highlights were the celebration of Lotus 60th anniversary and a display of cars from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s collection (see our report next week).
But there was a lot happening for VeloceToday fans, so let’s see what was out there on the French and Italian sides.
For the 50th birthday of the famous Alpine, the Renault Collection brought to Goodwood this 1800 S version, driven by Jean Ragnotti, ex-works Renault Rally (and sportscar) driver.
Alpine A110-50, the successor? (see VT of 5th July)
Although busy with its F1 and Le Mans programs, Renault entered this little R5 in the 1978 Monte Carlo Rally where it took 2nd and 3rd overall with Ragnotti and Frequelin.