The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
We got a lot of comments on the recent Merit Kit story by Aldo Zana. A lot. For years, your Editor, holed up in a very northern Minnesota town in the 1950s, thought he was the only guy in the world who knew about Merit kits. [Read more…] about Merit Kits and the Missing BlueBird
A conversation about the Stapp Record car and it’s demise.
Dear Dale,
Nice article and nice photo, a well-known one. I fully agree with the conclusion of the article. I attach here a period color art of the Stapp’s accident published by the Italian popular magazine La Tribuna Illustrata, May 8, 1932. [Read more…] about Death of the Stapp Land Speed Record Car
Story by Sean Smith
Santo Spadaro’s first car was a Lancia D50 Grand Prix car, but at only 3 years old, it was one he could hold in his hand. The racer was clutched in his hand while he sat in the grandstand at Watkins Glen with his family watching the full-size racers do battle.
Story by Aldo Zana
Herein, Aldo Zana describes the functions of the AISA, (the Italian Association for the History of the Automobile), and discusses the recent conference on Jim Clark. Please consider joining the AISA, open to all serious automobile and motorcyle enthusiasts.
AISA General Description
The AISA (Associazione Italiana per la Storia dell’Automobile – Italian Association for the History of the Automobile) was established 1987 in Milan by a group of prominent Italian enthusiasts and experts of the motoring world, including executives, designers, engineers, university professors, historians and journalists. [Read more…] about AISA Conferences and Monographs
By Philippe Defechereux
Early in the year 1946, the famed Traction Avant fully captured the French public’s attention for almost the entire year. Though this time in a most unlikely role starring a rather horrifying supporting actor.
By Wallace Wyss
Auction photos courtesy Mecum Auction
You would think that since I have been writing about cars for a half-century or so, I would have heard about this one. But it’s new to me.
The whole range of the Merit 1:24-scale plastic kit assembled and painted in period: mid-Fifties. Front line: British F1 and the Jaguar D-Type. Mid row: Italian F1 and Grand Prix racers and the Lotus 11. Rear row: French racers, Mercedes W196, Cooper 500 MkIX and Aston Martin DB3S.
Text, photos and models by Aldo Zana
It was hard times in the second half of the Fifties for European kids in love with Formula One and longing to become part of its world by collecting and playing with model racers. [Read more…] about Merit 1:24 Scale Model Kits
Above, original art, ‘Rendezvous with 458 Italia’ by Chad Glass.
By Stephen Mitchell
Artwork by Chad Glass
From the Archives, July 20, 2011
Would it be possible to recreate Claude Lelouch’s legendary film ‘Rendezvous?’ Director Stephen Mitchell thought so and he had plan. [Read more…] about Rendezvous in a Ferrari
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!!!
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 And How! Mr. Stapp’s Imaginative LSR
Story and photos by Brandes Elitch
“Every automotive enthusiast the world over ought to go down on their knees at least once a year, preferably February 2, to give thanks for the birth of Andre Citroën…Citroën shows flashes of engineering genius so pure that you stop short and wonder why on earth car designers persist in doing things any other way.” – David Owen
This year Retromobile celebrated the centenary of the Automobiles Citroën. In this short space I can only highlight some of the history of the company and its products, but fortunately there is an enormous amount of material printed and on the web that you can find. [Read more…] about 100 Years for Citroën at Retro
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Is it the quality of Retromobile that makes many of the European up market classic car dealers participate, or is it the participation of the said dealers that make Retromobile such a high quality event? I don’t know, but it works.
Story and photos by Sean Smith
As so many of us do, Max Girardo inherited the automotive bug from his dad.
His father was into rallying, but as an 18-year-old in Italy, his weapon of choice was limited to Fiat 500s; then an upgrade to an 850 coupe. The pinnacle of his father’s career was the Renault 8 Gordini. After that, an accident broke his ankle and sidelined him for a while… at that point he met his future wife, and never really got back into it.