The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
By Pete Vack
Photos by Robert Pauley
A brief excerpt from “Cuban Grand Prix 1957”
When, in 1957, Robert Pauley wanted to go to Cuba “…to get a chance to see his heroes”, he may well have added “before it was too late,” for he would bear witness to the end of a very great era of motor racing. [Read more…] about 1957: When Heroes Raced
Qualifying on the Friday was wet, very. (Photo courtesy Goodwood RRC)
Story by Jon Dooley
As a teenager in 1961 Jon Dooley sat in the Woodcote stand at Goodwood and watched Karl Foitek in a Giulietta TI come around at the end of the first lap in among the 3.8 Jaguars. But on the next lap Fiotek was nerfed into a spin which effectively ended his race. Ever since then Dooley has dreamt of seeing a TI win at Goodwood. In September of 2107, Dooley finally saw his favorite car triumph. Here is his story….
The Goodwood Revival Meeting sets out to reproduce touring car (saloon) car racing from the fifties and sixties. The rules back then were the less stringent Group 3 based Appendix J and the “Goodwood HRDC” rules seek to reproduce what was historically appropriate. [Read more…] about A Giulietta at Goodwood
Story and photos by Guy Anderson
As you have presumably or at least hopefully read in Part 3 of the Desert Countach, we picked up the ex-Sheikh’s Lambo after it had been thoroughly trashed by over eager cargo workers at the airport.
After driving to N.Y. with the slowest-ever Longchamps to pick up the Countach at the airport, we headed for a gas station to fuel them up since the Countach was sitting dead on empty. We found a gas station just a few blocks from the cargo gate. The Countach was starting to warm up after driving her to take on fuel in both tanks. As the engine oil warmed so came the smoke. The car was now looking more like a freight train smoking up the countryside rather than this gorgeous exotic Italian sports car. Surprisingly, the car ran exceptionally well considering the Smoky-Joe this car had become. I recalled what I had been told by the cargo worker: [Read more…] about Desert Bull, the Final Chapter
Story and color images by Al Axelrod
From the Archives, November 2011
In the early fifties, a hot rodder entrepreneur by the name of Bill Frick established Bill Frick Motors and found a ready market for an estimated 200 Fordillacs. As it sounds, a Fordillac was a 1949 Ford with the newly introduced 331ci Cadillac V8, shoehorned into the Ford. Along with Phil Walters (aka Ted Tappet), a very highly regarded race car driver in midgets and sportscars, they managed a successful engine conversion garage in Rockville Center, New York named, naturally, Bill Frick Motors. Things were looking up for the team when along came Briggs Cunningham, who bought a Fordillac and decided he wanted to go racing. Cunningham opened a car building facility in Florida and took Walters with him.
Story by Sean Smith
All photos copyright Sean Smith unless otherwise noted
Bradley Price became aware of automobiles at eye level. His father was an enthusiast, and when Bradley was young his dad had an Austin Healey 100-6. That went away and was replaced by an XK140 Jaguar that his father still owns. Being a young boy, these machines were looming entities. Bradley would examine them closely, looking at all the details. A piece of chrome, a tail-light, a shiny set of spokes. Cars resonated with him. He responded to their call where his older brother did not. Bradley was hooked.
Story and photos by Guy Anderson
If you read the story about the Desert Miura you would remember the black Countach S that was sitting in a building located in Mussafa, U.A.E. The car was owned by a Sheikh from Abu Dhabi and I was asked to make an offer on it. As I reported, I did make an offer of 30,000.00 USD to George after I heard the engine start and run. I did not know if the offer was considered because that Countach never came up again in conversation so it quickly became a non-issue. [Read more…] about Desert Bulls: Desert Countach Part 3
Andrea Curami driving his Fiat 1100 Cabriolet in original condition. (Curami family/Aisa)
Story by the Editor with input from Aldo Zana and Dino Brunori
Many of us are beginning to wonder how, when or if we’ll be remembered when we pass on. One might hope that on occasion, one might be remembered for kindness, giving, caring, loving, or perhaps just for a wonderful smile or unique talent.
But among those of us who live with a passion, be it cannons or churches or cars, there is a certain group of dearly departed who are not only remembered but appreciated often. [Read more…] about Historian Andrea Curami
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Click images to ENLARGE
There are thousands of scenes to photograph at the Revival and we apologize for publishing so many seemingly endless images in this article. However, the Goodwood Revival comes only once a year and while in some respects is the same (the venue, the races, many of the cars) every year there will be something decidedly different which will make me go ‘Wow!’
Story and photos by Guy Anderson
In Part 2 of his 1984 Arabian adventure, Anderson finds his Miura and much more.
At the airport in Abu Dhabi, we had been escorted into a special room where an agent reopened my luggage and pointed to a magazine. There was a beautiful girl on the magazine cover in a two piece bathing suit leaning against a Rolls-Royce. One of the agents said in English; “Why do you have this? This is blue material. This is illegal here!” It wasn’t Penthouse or Playboy, it was the Robb Report. [Read more…] about Enter the Bulls: Desert Miura Part 2
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Born in 2014, the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours, held in the gardens of the Chantilly Domain, has already become one of the main events of the classic car world. [Read more…] about Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours
In our feature, https://velocetoday.com/a-touch-of-dantes-genius-the-junior-racers/ we stated that a Taraschi driven by Berardo Taraschi won the first ever Formula Junior event in 1958. Longtime reader and historian Aldo Zana took us to task on the subject, correcting our mistake (and his) and providing a number of great photos of that first F Jr. event as can be seen below. Editor [Read more…] about April 25, 1958 The First Formula Junior Race
Story by Guy Anderson
Photos by Author unless otherwise noted
In the early 1980s there were rumors of a 1972 Miura SV sitting in the desert near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was also rumored that the Miura SV had sustained minor body damage in Lebanon then shipped to U.A.E with only 4K kilometers showing. [Read more…] about Desert Bulls