VeloceToday.com – Page 180 – The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Amelia Roadside Attractions

March 31, 2015 By pete

Bill Warner catches a ride with Sir Stirling in the 300SLR.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

Dear Pete,

Up like a lark for a crack of dawn start this morning. The general consensus among other photographers who have covered the event before was to get there before first light, so I did. Not sure why though! Had a problem finding the car park; I knew where it was as I had parked in it yesterday but could not see the entrance to it due to the flashing red and blue lights from all the local Police patrol cars all crowded around the entrance to the Ritz Carlton controlling the traffic, of which, at that hour, I was the sum total of it.

Then walking across the damp grass of the greens it would have been but the work of a moment to fall into the lake having been dazzled by the spotlights set up to light the way. It was good fun however to watch the buildup and to see the cars arriving. Most of my fellow photographers seemed to spend the time enjoying the free breakfast. Perhaps that is why they suggested getting there early.

I was not sure what cars to expect. I had made an effort since picking up the program on Friday to not look at the entry list so I was rather pleasantly surprised as the field filled up. Variety was very evident throughout the field with special classes this year for Stutz, the Porsche 914, Classic Hot Rods, Orphan Concept Cars and probably the strangest yet most fun class of all, Cars of the Cowboys!

'And I learned this from old man Farina..'

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Milan AutoClassica 2015

March 31, 2015 By pete

Moretti Cita, 1948.

Photos by Alessandro Gerelli

A brief description from the Milan Autoclassica website: “Milano AutoClassica is dedicated to enthusiasts, specialists in the field and whoever wants to draw closer to the fascinating world of Classic Cars. One major goal is to spread the love of our hobby among the younger and more dynamic generations. Following on from the successful outcome of the first two editions and the huge success of the third, Milano Autoclassica returned in 2015, even bigger and better than before. Covering a more extensive exhibition area, with ample areas to test-drive the cars in the open and special events planned for enthusiasts, the curious, and newcomers, making it possible to fully experience classical and sporting cars, together with the world that revolves around them: magnificent vehicles, accessories, special events and Guest Cars; restorers, registers, models, and an area dedicated to private sales.”

As Gerelli notes, the atmosphere is much different than that of France’s Retromobile, where the old car dealers are of a higher class. But even for a long time trouper like Gerelli, there is always something he has never seen before…as his photos below indicate.

Read about Milan Autoclassica 2014

Lancia Stratos GT Facetti Group 4.

Ferrari 500 TR 1956 (#0638 MDTR).

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VeloceToday for March 24, 2015

March 24, 2015 By pete

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In Memory of Richard Irish

By Carl Goodwin

One of the great sports car drivers of the fifties is gone now. Dick Irish passed away March 19, 2015 of congestive heart failure at the age of 85.

Several highlights illuminated his driving career. In 1951, he traded his aluminum-bodied Jaguar XK-120 for a Norton-engined Kieft Formula III and a Ford pick-up truck to haul it. With the Kieft he established several track records at the Janesville, Wisconsin Airport and the Brynfan Tyddyn road races, where one turn was named “Irish Corner.”

Dick Irish getting ready to go with his F3 Kieft at Watkins Glen, 1952. At left is his brother Bud who was doing pit crew time. Irish remembers the car and the girl. ‘The gal in the plaid shorts and white blouse is movie star Claudia Hall. Bob Said had screwed up and had TWO dates for the event so asked me to take care of Claudia.’ The Kieft, however, failed to start the race. Photo courtesy Richard Irish.

In 1952, he and co-driver Bob Fergus took a third place overall in the Sebring 12-Hour race, leading four Ferraris and three Jaguars with a 1500cc Siata Gran Sport. They also placed second on Index of Performance and first in Class F. Some say Irish could have driven Formula One.

In 1954, he campaigned a 4.5 liter Ferrari coupe belonging to Marty Christiansen. With this car he beat Walt Hansgen in a C-Type Jaguar in the rain at Watkins Glen. He was a member of the elite Road Racing Driver’s Club and a life member of the Sports Car Club of America.

Irish knew many people in the sport including colorful importer Tony Pompeo, Cunningham Team driver Sherwood Johnston, car-builder Hal Ullrich, and Enzo Ferrari. Irish became one of the few allowed by Enzo to watch the building of his 275 GTB at the factory. Dick was a long time reader and supporter of VeloceToday and his many comments and suggestions were always much appreciated.

Dick wore the uniform of his country and, as an Army veteran who served in Korea, he was a patriotic American who constantly sent emails and letters to newspapers, senators, representatives and friends on issues that would benefit our great country. Those who knew him will miss him. God bless Dick Irish.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, in their home near Oklahoma City.

FOR SALE! Style Auto duplicates: Numbers available are:
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*$25 Ads for anyone who has something to sell, to giveaway, or to holler about. Ad will be placed above the fold and run for one month. Contact vack@cox.net .

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Don Black’s Alfa Romeo Competition Reference Handbook

March 24, 2015 By pete

Sold out! Many thanks to all who ordered!
The editor…

By Carl Goodwin

Would you like a 220 HP Alfa?

In the heyday of U.S. importer Alfa Romeo Inc. – that would be the late ‘60s to the late ‘90s – a bright, enthusiastic engineer named Don Black managed Alfa’s racing activities during his evenings and weekends.

With the help and support of the president of the organization, Arturo Reitz, he organized contingency programs for Alfa racers. For those drivers who finished 1st, 2nd or 3rd in class, they got $300, $200 or $100. It doesn’t sound like much now, but in 1971 it was a nice payoff. During the first year of this program, the five leading drivers were given a brand new Alfa 2600 roadster for their accomplishments!

Make your 1600 vintage race ready...Photo by Vince Johnson.

To keep Alfas ahead of the competition, with a name that often began with the letter P and was built in Bavaria, Don Black’s racer support program also provided technical advice. “We were just reporting things,” Don commented. “Some of the teams were ahead of us.” Other information came from Autodelta and some came from Don Black’s engineering activities. Production was handled by Kathy Ruccio, who did the typing, printing, assembling and mailing of the information. New pages were issued weekly. [Read more…] about Don Black’s Alfa Romeo Competition Reference Handbook

The Three Musketeers, Part 1

March 24, 2015 By pete

Combination of the three: Emile Darl'mat asked Marcel Pourtout to clothe this Peugeot 601 with a design by Georges Paulin. At the 1935 Concours d’Elegance in Monte Carlo, the actress Josette Day presented this dramatic, ultra-modern, full-width pontoon with Paulin's disappearing hardtop.

By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

This is the story of three men who, in the prewar years and especially during the 1930 ties, combined their ambition, enthusiasm and skills to create a number of unforgettable and trendsetting automobiles. The names of these ‘three musketeers’: Emile Darl’mat (1892 – 1970), a successful Paris car dealer, Marcel Pourtout (1894 -1979), a master craftsman and coachbuilder and Georges Paulin (1902 – 1942), a dentist and a very talented ‘amateur’ body designer.

Read Part 2
Read Part 3

In 2002 I was lucky enough to interview Claude Pourtout in his office at the Fédération Française de la Carrosserie. Claude was at the time a Vice-President and the historian of this organization. He was also the son of Marcel Pourtout, whose coachbuilding company had built a number of these magic Darl’mat sports cars. He told me quite a lot about the endeavors of his father, his friends Emile Darl’mat, Georges Paulin and the history of the company Carrosserie Pourtout. He also lent me a number of unique drawings and photos, which I was allowed to copy. The originals I returned to him with a draft of my article. We met again at the next Rétromobile show and made an appointment to continue our conversation soon. Unfortunately his health deteriorated and that never happened. When in 2004 he died, I filed my notes because they were incomplete and I more or less forgot about them.

But now I have retrieved them and – with some additional information – here is what he told me.

Emile Darl’mat

The name Darl’mat literally means ‘a very good person’ in Breton, the language of the French province of Brittany. Although born in the north of France, Emile Darl’mat was indeed a very good person. After he had completed his training as a mechanic and worked in a Renault garage, a wealthy businessman offered him a job as chauffeur/mécanicien. He had to accompany the man to San Francisco and remained there for a year. When in 1921 he returned to France, Darl’mat wanted to become a car dealer. During his stay in the US he had managed to save some money and with a loan from his former employer he could sign a lease contract for a garage at 35 Rue Malar in Paris (a stone’s throw from the Esplanade des Invalides). Darl’mat was a man of action with a clear vision about what he wanted to achieve and from 1923 onward his dealership represented Panhard, Peugeot and La Buire automobiles. [Read more…] about The Three Musketeers, Part 1

Adventures at Amelia, 2015

March 24, 2015 By pete

The Eichenbaum’s1955 Lancia B24S Spider America.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Wednesday March 11: Arrival

Just a quick E mail to let you know we have arrived at Amelia Island. Do you know, I have already seen my first classic of the trip without having even left Heathrow Airport. Whilst looking out of the window of our somewhat tired Boeing 767 and trying to psyche myself up for an eight hour flight to New York, I spotted the most beautiful airliner ever built, greatly missed Concorde. Got me thinking; with the Concorde, it would be only three hours and a couple of glasses of champagne and we would be in New York. She was parked just outside the British Airways maintenance hangar and still looking like she is ready to fly at a moment’s notice. I think that maybe the world of aviation took a step back the day she ceased to fly. At any rate, should be an easy day tomorrow with just my pass to pick up at Amelia.

Thursday: Auctions

Got my pass, no problems. Took a quick peak at the RM auction preview. My wife fell for a cute Italian, the 1952 Fiat Topolino they had on offer; well she is half Italian herself. She also decided that the red Muira with gold wheels and a blue interior was far too gaudy and still would not want to own it even when I told her that the colors were probably period correct. The Topolino made over $52k, and the Muira? – over $2 million. For my fantasy garage? Oh probably the 1931 Alfa 6C, or possibly the 1953 Siata 300C but at $2.4 million and $258k respectively all I can do is dream, and perhaps buy a lottery ticket.

Friday: 8 Flags Tour

James Sprague's 1937 Alvis Speed 25 awaits the start of the 8 Flags Rally early on the Friday morning.

The first major event of the weekend was held today. The Tour is a more recent addition to the main Concours Event. A varied mix of 35 cars from Hot Rods to Ferraris departed the Ritz Carlton Hotel at around 8:30 am and toured down to Huguenot Memorial Park which is on Fort George Island, and then drove back to downtown Fernandino Beach via the Fort Clinch State Park. I caught the start and then followed the cars down to Talbot Island where I managed to snap the cars on their return leg. Shot back to our Hotel to pick up my wife and we arrived at Fort Clinch just as the heavens opened. However the rain did not stop tour and my wife became my glamorous umbrella holding assistant. But the rain stopped and my wife was able to meet the great Sir Stirling Moss, something she had wanted to do for years. He really is a proper Gent of the old school. Now Stirling had started the tour as a passenger in Simon Taylor’s HWM Stovebolt Special, a car which Sir Stirling had driven back in the early 1950s. However, as the weather had turned inclement, it was thought best that Sir Stirling complete the tour in a car with a roof on it. Well he is 85 years old! This left Simon with an empty passenger seat. That is until he offered it to my wife, who, much to my surprise, jumped at the chance. Was I jealous? What do you think? Still somebody had to drive our rental car back. My last view of my wife was of her head being flung backwards as Simon unleashed 600 BHP per ton on a wet road. Simon has had the car for over 17 years and drives it on average 3000 miles a year, on the road and on the track. My wife and I were reunited at the end of the tour when the cars were displayed in and around the center of Fernandino Beach. My wife is not really a car gal but she was bubbling and full of Stovebolt facts and figures. The green Fiat Topolino of the day before being quickly forgotten. She had previously decided at Fort Clinch that the Grey Lancia B24 was her new favorite. The Lancia is now number two on her list. Thanks Simon, you made her holiday. Later in the afternoon we took a trip to the Omni resort to pick up another pass and whilst there took a look at another auction preview. Luckily nothing took her fancy.

BMW 328... Alas I can not be sure who owns this.

John and Betty Murphy's 1934 Alfa Romeo Pescara Prototype.

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Phillip Island Classic 2015

March 24, 2015 By pete

Neil Choi Alfetta Peter Richards Marcos 3L turn 10.

Story and Photos by Vince Johnson

With over five hundred entries track time during the Classic is always at a premium, so the Victorian Historic Racing Register held the briefing for all drivers on Thursday afternoon. Scrutineering was underway before breakfast on Friday and with qualifying done by lunchtime, racing commenced soon after. The celebration this year was for 50 years of the Mustang and it wasn’t hard to guess what would be on the grid in the over 3500cc Historic Touring Car races.

Dino 196 recreation.

Prior to the event, there was an interesting entry online, but the Dutton Garage’s 1959 Dino 196 unfortunately didn’t venture onto the circuit. Tucked away in its pit garage, it turned out to be one of Vincenzo Marciano’s recreations, built in Tuscany around twenty years ago. Fantuzzi would have certainly approved of its lines. Its chassis carried # MV005 and it was fitted with 2 litre Dino V6 #135B-0000001096.

Andrew Cannon Maserati 250S Aubrey Paverd MGTC, turn 9.

Andrew Cannon was back. Last year he drove the late Sir Jack Brabham on demonstration runs around the track in Maserati 250S chassis #1655, engine #2431 and this year it was Sir Jack’s widow, Lady Margaret’s turn. The car also ran in the Group Lb sports category during the weekend.

Paddins Dowling ERA R10B Nick McDonald Elva Courier, turn 10.

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VeloceToday for March 17, 2015

March 17, 2015 By pete

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Rent a Race Car to drive in the 2015 Mille Miglia, Bassano, and other Italian Vintage events! Drive this rare Siata Daina Coupe, an A.C. Ace, or a Colli barchetta or others. This is an opportunity of a lifetime.
Don’t wait, these cars are rented out quickly for 2015!
Contact vack@cox.net for further details.

*$25 Ads for anyone who has something to sell, to giveaway, or to holler about. Ad will be placed above the fold and run for one month. Contact vack@cox.net .

_________________

Top Acrobatics: The Saga of the Disappearing Hardtop

March 17, 2015 By pete

The French make Peugeot pioneered the retractable hardtop in the early 1930 ties by selling Éclipse bodies, made by coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout, on their 301 and 601 chassis. The concept of the Peugeot 402 Éclipse was also based on Georges Paulin’s patent. But this model, introduced in October 1935, was built in Peugeot’s own factory. Between 1936 and 1940 some 580 units were produced.

In the next three weeks, Gijsbert Paul Berk will detail the lives of three important Frenchman who had a tremendous influence on automobile design: Georges Paulin, Marcel Pourtout and Emile Darl’mat, the three Musketeers. Much of their combined work evolved around the development of the disappearing hardtop as conceived by Georges Paulin. To give us a further insight into how clever kinematics conquered the auto industry, Gijsbert-Paul sent us this history.

By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

In the previous decades nearly all the major car manufacturers have introduced retractable hardtops in their popular or premium convertible models.

Opel had them on the Tigra TwinTop, Ford on their Fiesta and Focus models, Renault provided a glass paneled ‘see through’ hard top on the Megane CC, Volvo on the C 70 and BMW on the type 4 cabriolet. There even exist Ferrari California and Ferrari 458 Italia Spider versions with a retractable top. [Read more…] about Top Acrobatics: The Saga of the Disappearing Hardtop

Bowtie Ferraris: S/N 0168

March 17, 2015 By pete

This week we present another chapter from Randy Cook’s new book Bowtie Ferraris, the only book ever published about Chevy engined Ferraris.

By Randy Cook

This was one of six 225S competition berlinettas, a Vignale-bodied, triple porthole car, delivered in 1952 to Luigi Chinetti for Peter and Robert Yung of New York City. The Yungs raced the car in the 1953 Sebring 12 Hour race finishing eighth overall and second in class.

In 1955 it was sold to Santiago Gonzalez of Havana, Cuba who co-drove it with Gilberto Hernandez to first in class and second overall in the Sagua-Havana Rallye. On October 10, 1955, the pair won the Cuban Sports Car Grand Prix in the car.

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Geneva 2015

March 17, 2015 By pete

Bugatti Veyron La Finale: end of the production of this model. There will soon be a new car by Bugatti.

Story and photos by Alessandro Gerelli

Alessandro Gerelli has been attending the Geneva shows since 2004 and reporting on the Italian and French cars since then. This year he again traveled from his home in Milan to Europe’s most prestigious car show to bring us the latest from Geneva.

Also read our report on the state of the Italian car styling industry, also with Alessandro’s photos.

The new Alfa 4C spider.

The Alfa's interior.

Pagani Huayra.

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Italian Car Design: Stasis or Change?

March 17, 2015 By pete

From 2015: The Ferrari Touring Superleggera Berlinetta Lusso combines beautiful proportions and timeless classic lines with state-of-the-art mechanical technology from the Ferrari F12. Scroll down to see cars from 2009 to the present from the Geneva Auto Show. Photo credit Gijsbert-Paul Berk

Photos and captions by Alessandro Gerelli unless otherwise noted
Commentary by Gijsbert-Paul Berk

We thought it might be fun to look at the reports from the Geneva show since 2009; what has changed in the past seven years? (In fact, VeloceToday can go back to 2004, but that is beating a dead horse; see a report from the 2004 Geneva show). Why do things appear the same? Are Italian designer in stasis, or are we just seeing the end of design cycles (such as the Bugatti Veyron)?

Armed with photos from photographer Alessandro Gerelli, we asked Gijsbert-Paul Berk his opinion; after all, he has been attending European Motor shows since the early 1950s, so has literally seen it all. He winds up with some interesting comments on what he considers the star of this year’s show.

The Economy

I believe that part of the answer to why designs seem unchanging is that from 2008 onward the economy of the western world has been in a pretty bad shape. That means that the market for extravagant fast cars has declined, and this of course has its effect, not only on the specialist coachbuilders, but on the entire auto industry. It is sad to see how many once famous names have disappeared.

Overdesign

I am also convinced that people are fed up with designers who have lost contact with reality and forget that cars, even sports cars, are made to transport people in safety and comfort. Of course aerodynamic laws have to be respected and in some cases spoilers are necessary. Personally I also detest ‘overdesign’ and in this respect like to quote the French pilot and writer Saint Exupéry: “Perfection has been achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”. I realize that he meant this for writing books but in my mind it is also true in the applied arts, such as architecture and body design.

A new era is ahead

Are we at the end of a design era? To quote Winston Churchill: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” The auto industry (that now has a history of nearly 120 years) is by nature and necessity rather conservative, because there is a lot of money invested in their existing factories and revolutionary changes in product lines are costly. But there is change on the horizon.

During the last decades computer and biosciences have evolved at a much faster rate than the technical innovation of our automobiles. I am convinced that in the coming years many new technologies will be incorporated in our cars to make them more ecological friendly, easier to use and improve traffic safety. In a few decades we will certainly have electric cars charged by induction panels in the roads while one is driving. They will also be equipped with autonomous driving controls that make it possible to use you smartphone or tablet and work when going somewhere. I have only one wish: that these vehicles will not all have a similar shape, and look alike, such as our fridges do today.

And your opinion: here’s a look at the Italians at Geneva from 2009 to 2015.

2009

A Bugatti Veyron Bleu Centenaire, one of the most expensive cars in the exhibition. The Fiat 500C (Cabriolet) has been one of the most interesting stars in the whole exhibition.

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