Peter Giddings, the Chain Gang and Firle
By Peter Giddings
All photos courtesy Peter Giddings unless marked otherwise
Last week Jonathan Sharp wrote up a very nice piece for us about the Firle Hillclimb Revival, with plenty of enticing photos of car guys and girls just having fun with their classics. It certainly hit a note with our readers. Then Peter Giddings emailed us about his experiences driving a Frazer Nash ‘Chain Gang’ at the original Firle Hillclimb in 1963. We begged for more and here is his story:
I could not believe my eyes when I saw your “Firle Hillclimb Revival”, the setting for several of my early attempts at competitive speed hill climbing.” I attach a report from Autosport, July 19, 1963 which reads in part, “Last May P. H. Giddings had rocketed up in 28.69 secs. in a 1928 Frazer Nash fitted with a 1926 A.C. engine, and on Sunday this incredible device did 28.66 secs. to take third place in the most hotly contested class of the day. How this chain-driven car can be coaxed up Firle so quickly only Mr. Giddings knows!” [Read more…] about Peter Giddings, the Chain Gang and Firle
Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Review P 2
By Pete Vack
As we have seen in last week’s review, this set is 800 pages long documenting the cars (and trucks) designed by Marcello Gandini. Volume One left off with the Ferrari 308GT4, one of Bertone’s few flirtations with the Maranello firm. After studying Gandini styles for some 400 pages, one may look at the 308GT4 with new and more appreciative eyes, and according to Sen, the Ferrari “…epitomizes the wedge look of the 70s extremely well.” Volume 2 begins in 1974, just when one might think Gandini’s career at Bertone is reaching its peak. But in fact it had just begun.
[Read more…] about Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Review P 2Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, 2016
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
Sunday 2 October, 2016
Following an exceptionally damp winter, the Barossa Valley north of Adelaide was at its greenest for the Sporting Car Club of SA’s annual Vintage Hillclimb meet. Festivities got underway with a Welcome Dinner at the Brauhaus Hotel in Angaston on Friday evening, followed by Saturday’s tour of the wine district. Morning tea and a light lunch left plenty of room for the Annual Dinner at the Wanera Wine Bar Restaurant that night, but on Sunday morning it was down to business at the club’s Collingrove track. [Read more…] about Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, 2016
Driving the Wild Miura S
Last week we did a story about a drive with Paul Wilson in his Miura and noted the lack of interest the car elicited as we drove around. But that was not the case, says John Wright, back in 1973 when his students got a chance to see a Miura up close. Wright also finagled a drive in the ‘beast’ so do read on….Ed.
By John R. Wright
For three years, I taught in Toronto at a school called Thornhill Collegiate, just north of Toronto. Because I was racing a Formula Vee at the time and had an interest in cars, the head of the Technical Department asked me to be a staff sponsor for a school autosports club. We would meet regularly, and I would sign out films from various sources like Labatts or Players on racing or rallying and show them in my classroom after school was over. The club would also organize various events like driving skill contests and gymkhanas. We would also participate in local fun rallies organized by the Deutsche Automobile Club in which I had a membership. In addition, we would also get in guest speakers, usually local race car drivers, like Formula Ford Champion Gary Magwood or Canadian racer Horst Kroll. [Read more…] about Driving the Wild Miura S
VeloceToday for November 1, 2016
Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Reviewed
Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Volume One by Gautam Sen
ISBN 978-1-85443-279-7 regular, ISBN 978-1-85443-280-3 deluxe
2 Volume set 400 pages in each volume
924 images (449 Volume I and 475 Volume II) – many never seen before!
Over one hundred of Gandini’s designs featured
600 copies of the regular editions, 400 numbered and signed by both Marcello Gandini and Gautam Sen
Published by Dalton Watson, 2016
Our Price: $350.00
Shipping Costs: FREE SHIPPING TO USA AND UK. Shipping to all other countries will be charged one flat rate for first item, additional books in the same order are shipped for no additional s/h charge.
Order Here
By Pete Vack
Right up front, let us tell you that this 800-page, two-volume set entitled Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design is one of the best books on automotive designers we’ve ever read. We did a quick Internet search and found many new (and old) books on Italian designers, (see list at end of this article) but none that approached the coverage of Gandini. It is devastatingly interesting, beautifully illustrated, nails down the history of every design and/or car touched by Marcello Gandini. The author, Gautam Sen, weaves the designer’s comments (from an introvert who is almost incapable of commenting on himself or his work) into a fascinating story backed by interesting and relevant histories. [Read more…] about Marcello Gandini, Maestro of Design Reviewed
Driving and Maintaining a Lamborghini Miura S
By Pete Vack
The way to gain entrance into the realm of the Dallara/Gandini masterpiece that is the Miura is to gently push the door latch button from the Fiat 850 and pull a bit on the chrome fin at the bottom of the row of black fins to the rear of the door window.
“Be careful getting in. Here’s how you have to do it. Get your butt over the seat and gently lower it straight down. Don’t wiggle. Don’t squirm. The reason is because the seats are original cloth inserts and any heavy lateral movement stresses out the material,” said Paul Wilson.
[Read more…] about Driving and Maintaining a Lamborghini Miura SFirle Hillclimb Revival, U.K.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
On the Sunday following the Goodwood Revival rather than taking a rest or perhaps cutting the lawn, my pals and I took a trip just down the road from our respective homes to the Firle Hill Climb Revival, being run for the second year by the Bo Peep Drivers Club.
The first Firle Hill climb took place in 1949, run by the Bentley Drivers Club. The climb was 600 yards in length and quite steep, running up Bo Peep Lane to the top of the Sussex Downs. [Read more…] about Firle Hillclimb Revival, U.K.
VeloceToday for October 25, 2016
Zoute Grand Prix, 2016: Splendor in the Grass
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
October 6-9 2016– The fashionable bathing resort of Knokke Le Zoute, on the Belgian coast, hosted the seventh edition of the Zoute Grand Prix. Spread over four days, the Zoute Grand Prix consists of five events:
– the Zoute Top Marques with 14 stages held in the streets of Knokke, presenting the newest models of 14 premium marques
– the Zoute Rally which is a regularity rally for almost 200 pre-1965 cars
– the Zoute Sale by Bonhams
– the Zoute GT Tour which is a short rally for the latest Supercars
– the Zoute Concours d’Elégance which is held on two locations: on Saturday on the Approach Golf and on Sunday on Fairway 1 of the
Royal Zoute Golf Club where the judging and the award ceremony take place. All participating cars are then shown to the general public on the Albert Place, in the city center.
Steve McQueen’s Siata
Surprised that Steve McQueen owned a Siata? That is interesting enough, but discovering that the young actor affixed a Ferrari badge to the 208S he bought might be even more surprising, and at the same time perhaps tells us about another side of the man himself. We must give thanks to Matt Stone for this information and presenting it in his book, “McQueen’s Machines”, and current owner Tony Singer, whose words constitute the bulk of the story below. In addition, collector Christophe Pund was kind enough to allow us to publish Michelotti’s original drawing of the Siata 208S, which is also supplied with the two volume Otto Vu set, authored by Tony Adriaensens. (read review). If you’d like to know more about Tony Singer, read about him here. Ed.