Simca Aronde Plein Ciel with coachwork by Facel.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
We continue with the offerings from French Car Day at Brooklands, Renault and Citroen up….
Events
VSCC Prescott 2023
1922/30 Austin Maggot.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
I had not visited an event at the Prescott Hill climb since 2016 so I decided it was time for another visit on August 5-6. The event, the VSCC (Vintage Sports-Car Club) speed championship round 5 ‘Vintage Prescott.’ So has the place changed over the years? Not that I could tell, it is still a lovely setting in the heart of the countryside and in the quieter moments it is possible to hear the distant sound of a steam whistle from the nearby Heritage steam railway above the sounds of the birds.
A Prescott Primer
Bugattis enjoy a rare moment of sun. David Hand’s 1925 T39 sits next to the 1924 Brescia T13 of Charles Knill-Jones.
By Jonathan Sharp
From the VeloceToday Archives, 2012
The Cotswolds: bucolic golden-hued thatched cottages, rolling farm land, wheat fields swaying in a warm summer breeze, antique shops, old English country inns selling fine English ales. All this and more, for it is also the home of the Bugatti Owners Club of Great Britain and the famous Prescott Hill climb.
Cartier Style et Luxe at the Festival of Speed
Entered by Ferrari Classiche, a 1966 330 GT 2 plus 2
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
As mentioned in my previous reports, after completing all the necessary requirements in the press room at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, my first port of call is to try to capture the entrants in the Cartier Style et Luxe concours before they get buried in a sea of people. As in previous years the classes were a diverse and eclectic mix covering everything from early cyclecars to Low Riders and GT1 Homologation specials. The weather on Friday was not so good and as you know Saturday was cancelled, but I managed to grab a few extra shots on Sunday once the sun had come out.
Classic Aircraft at Goodwood
Hurricane
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
If you have been with us for the past few years and have read my ramblings you are probably already aware of my love for old cars and historic racing. Well I have also inherited my father’s love of old aeroplanes, so the Goodwood Revival each year is a double whammy for me. Not just fantastic and rare old racing cars, but fantastic and rare old aeroplanes courtesy of the annual Freddy March Spirit of Aviation Concours for Aeroplanes built before 1966 held as part of the Revival meeting. [Read more…] about Classic Aircraft at Goodwood
A Walk in the Paddock with Jon
1958 Ferrari 250TR, chassis 0732TR, known as Lucybelle and raced as a private entry at the Le Mans 24 hour race by Ed Hugues and Ernie Erickson, finishing fourth in class and seventh overall. Later returned to the US and raced extensively in SCCA events.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is now held over four days, plenty of time to cover all the action and maybe spend some time just enjoying the show. Unable to attend day one (Thursday) due to a family commitment was no problem I thought, as it still leaves three days, more than enough time. Friday dawns cloudy and grey, weather forecast not so good. Leave the house a 5:40am as lots to do and I do not like to queue.
The 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps 2023
If the BMW M4 GT3 is only in its second year of competition, the German manufacturer has long been faithful to the 24 Hours of Francorchamps. Thanks to the #98, entered by the German team Rowe Racing and driven by the trio Philipp Eng/Marco Wittmann/Nick Yelloly, the Munich manufacturer won the race for the 25th time in 75 editions.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Each year, the 24 Hours of Francorchamps is the biggest race in the world reserved for GT class cars. 2023 was the 75th edition of the race, held on July 1-2. Next year it will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Formerly reserved for touring cars, GTs have been on the grid since 2001 and since then their success has been undeniable, the grid comprising no less than 70 cars this year, representing 8 different manufacturers. This represents no less than 251 drivers entered, the cars of the PRO class having only three drivers while, in the other classes, the crews have four drivers.
Festival of Speed with Hugues Vanhoolandt
In order to celebrate Porsche’s 75th anniversary with dignity, the monumental sculpture located in front of Goodwood House was dedicated to the Stuttgart brand. Here, in the foreground, the 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 in Brumos colors used at the time by the young Mexican Hector Rebaque before his move to Formula 1 in the late 70s.
Photos and story by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Coming from Belgium, I was back at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 16th for the first time in 4 years. Since then Covid 19 and Brexit have happened. However, I was not too out of place because the Festival of Speed is still as successful (and causes as many traffic jams!) and still arouse as much enthusiasm among fans. The British weather is also always equal to itself, with heavy rain punctuating Friday afternoon while Saturday was completely canceled due to storms (a first in 30 years of Festival of Speed)! Finally, there was only Sunday left to enjoy the various themes prepared by Lord March and his team such as the 75th anniversaries of Porsche, Lotus and the first race at Goodwood as well as the 60th anniversary of McLaren and the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, among other celebrations. But let’s rather see in pictures a brief overview of the festivities.
Goodwood Festival of Speed: Drivers
Derek Bell helps celebrate the 60 years of McLaren.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Familiar faces, new faces, young faces, and certainly some old faces. With this years Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 14-18) not just celebrating 75 years of Motor Racing at Goodwood but also the 60th anniversary of McLaren, 75 years of Porsche and the 100th anniversary of Le Mans. The bike guys from Moto GP were there and certainly plenty of well known and some not so well known (to me) faces to spot during what, unfortunately due to the weather, became a somewhat truncated and shortened weekend. Due to an inability to be at two places at once the following are those stars I managed to catch, for the ones I missed, sorry! We remind you that if you are in need of more information about any of the drivers below, highlight the name, go to Google, paste.
In the Shadow of Checkpoint Charlie
Greetings from Berlin: Ralph Mantel and Stefanie Schmidt with the Sestriere.
Story by Ralph Mantel
Photos by Blazej Zulawski at Classic Driver
July 8th, 2023, a hot summer night in Berlin, one of those nights you don’t want to go to bed but rather go out and enjoy the temperatures with cold drinks and wonderful people, perhaps attending the Berlin Flitzer Club and Classic Driver Meeting. The Club is gathering together and inviting their people for an privately held event called “Gran Futurismo.“
It is happening inside an Industrial Power Substation built in 1924, located in the former East Berlin, just around the corner from Checkpoint Charlie. Have you ever heard about CPC? During the cold war CPC was a guarded gate inside the Wall of Berlin. The gate connected Berlin’s American sector to the Russian district. Numerous spy movies play around Checkpoint Charlie. Now, after the German reunion the area is right in the heart of Berlin (Berlin Mitte) and hip and cool.
Heveningham Concours 2023
1960 Bristol 406 Sports Saloon by Zagato. This example is chassis 5299, one of six constructed, that was sold by Tony Crook to Richard Robinson, a well-known Bristol owners club member, who retained the car for three decades. Compared to a standard 406, the Zagato Sports Saloon is shorter, lower, and lighter to the tune of 260kg giving the car a top speed in the order of 120 mph. Between 2002 and 2005, 5299 was restored as to how it appeared at the 1960 Earls Court Motor Show.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Information provided by event organizers
I am writing this intro to the Heveningham show on what has for me become a free Saturday (July 15) as day three of the Festival of Speed at Goodwood has just been cancelled, meaning I can stay home. The sun is shining but it is very windy, not kind to tents and other temporary structures built on the Goodwood Estate. What a change to last Saturday (July 8th) when I was in Suffolk at Heveningham Hall for the Country Fair and Concours where the sun shone down but the heat and humidity were to put mildly…yuk!. So here is our report from that somewhat better weekend.
100th Anniversary Le Mans Classic
Even Shelby Cobra Daytona designer and occasional VeloceToday contributor Peter Brock (with the green cap) was on hand to support the Cobra Daytona teams.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Le Mans Classic has traditionally been held in even years. However, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Peter Auto have deviated from the rule this year given that 2023 is the year of the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For this unique occasion, eleven grids were brought together with 800 cars entered as well as 200 clubs representing 9,200 cars. Spectators came in large numbers; the classic event reached the figure of 235,000 three weeks after the 325,000 spectators who attended the ‘real’ 24 Hours race. This is proof that motorsport is not about to die and is even doing better than ever.