VeloceToday.com – Page 184 – The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

London Classic Car Show, January 8-11

January 20, 2015 By pete

McLaren-F1 One of the corner stones of the show was a display in tribute to the designer Adrian Newey. Under the heading of cars that most inspired Adrian was this rather fetching McLaren F1. Described as the first properly built hypercar and the last car you could drive to Le Mans and win.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

The seasonal lull for car events in the UK has just got a bit shorter following the introduction of the London Classic Car show held between the 8th and 11th January, in the Excel Center, which is located in the heart of the London Dockland area.

The show was billed as being different from the normal kind of indoor show; the difference is that many of the cars were demonstrated at the show. Down the middle of the show hall the organizers had laid out the “Grand Avenue” in which a great many of the cars on display were driven. At the top end of the Grand Avenue was a roundabout which allowed the cars to take a circular route in front of the crowd.

It was great to enjoy the sight and sound of a Maserati 250F being driven in January without having to stand frozen at a deserted race circuit. The one criticism I would have of the show was that the cars were only demonstrated twice on the day I attended. One run was in the morning and then again early on the Friday evening, by which time I was stuck in rush hour traffic on my journey home. While I didn’t get shots of the demonstration, you’ll find out what it was like if you go to their website London Classic Car Show.

Maybe next year the organizers can run the second demonstration earlier in the afternoon. The show is aiming to become the Retromobile of London and judging from what I saw I would say they are very much on track and they promise that next year it will be at least 50% bigger.

Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Pinin Farina. Built in 1950 this example is number 12 of 17 built. Recently imported from Southern Italy and available to purchase from Alfaholics.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
Login Subscribe

Bicester Heritage Meet, January 4th

January 20, 2015 By pete

Why we like the Bicester concept and event...

Story and photos by Roy P. Smith

Author of the four volume Alpine & Renault series, “Gordini-a true racing legend” and a VeloceToday correspondent, Roy Smith is photographed signing a limited number of copies of his latest book “The Porsche 924 Carrera”. Order your signed copy from Veloce Publishing now.

Two events in four days kicked of the 2015 year, and it was only January! On January the 1st the now-regular gathering in the ancient town of Stony Stratford saw the car parks closed to regular visitors and the high street choc a block with exotica. (See my report in last week’s VeloceToday.) The big one though was to follow just three days later on January 4th, at the Bicester Heritage Sunday Brunch Scramble in England. The rapidly expanding quarterly meeting where the news was that registrations had closed over a week before due to being heavily oversubscribed. 800 cars were due with Morgan being the major invited marque. A sunny day as was originally forecast and everyone was hopeful.

All 51 Morgans. The chill didn't stop them from coming, and coming, and coming.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
Login Subscribe

VeloceToday for January 13, 2015

January 13, 2015 By pete

On tap for you this week is Part 2 of the incredible Baillon Barn Find; we begin our series of Robert Little’s fantastic photographs of Autodelta at its peak; Roy Smith brings in the New Year at Stoney Stratford; the Editor recalls the not-so-Immortal Alfettas. Thanks for all the donations, please keep them coming!

_________________

WANTED! I would like to put together a set of STYLE AUTO QUARTERLY (ARCHITETTURA DELLA CARROZZERIA). Bimonthly from 1964 – 1978. Location unimportant providing you will ship to the UK! I realize a full run is rare, willing to purchase a part/incomplete run of copies.
Contact:willgrant@yahoo.co.uk

Limited Edition, numbered Stanguellini prints available now from Graham Gauld. Email directly for prices and shipping; several numbered copies of the below art still available. Shipping location is Southern France. Click on photo to see all selections.
Contact:Grahamgauld@Gmail.com

FINE ART T-Shirts
Classic car portraitist offering fine art tees of his favorite paintings. All have caption pertaining to art services. Available now, L,S,2XL, and M.Other sizes require two weeks wait. $50 each.

CONTACT Photojournalistpro@gmail.com

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 .

Inside the Walls of Autodelta, Part 1

January 13, 2015 By pete

Robert Little contacted VeloceToday recently and asked if we’d be interested in re-publishing his historic photos and descriptions of Autodelta, taken in the early 1970s, which had previously appeared in the “Alfa Owner” and now on his own website, of which he says “The new name is www.AutodeltaGoldenYears.com and I will continue to use www.RobertLittle.US at the same time for the next few years.”

We jumped at the opportunity; the photos and his story are unique and of great interest and value. “It’s actually quite an amazing and true story – one that has not been known to have been repeated in the history of Italian motor racing. Looking back one finds it difficult to believe it actually happened as it did…” wrote Mr. Little. This Introduction explains how his magical sojourn came about; the rest of the chapters will concentrate on his amazing photographic record of Autodelta at its prime.

By Robert Little

(Read Part 2)
(Read Part 3)
(Read Part 4)
(Read Part 5)
(Read Part 6)
(Read Part 7)

A native Detroiter and son of a Chrysler Corporation engineer, I grew up helping my father in the garage. We built five Soap Box Derby cars for the annual Detroit races and together we restored a 1922 Model T Ford coupe.

My interests eventually diverged with the acquisition of my Michigan driver’s license, and spent weekends as a volunteer at the Waterford Hills (Michigan) race track. There, it was obvious that small nimble lightweight automobiles could run circles around heavier, over-powered/under braked “Detroit Iron”…and found that Alfa Romeo vehicles came factory-equipped with superior handling and braking characteristics.

Entering college in the fall of 1968, I co-founded the Michigan State University Sports Car Club (which incidentally grew to become the second largest such college car club among American universities behind the UCLA club), and after four years and some intensely-Alfa Romeo summers, graduated with a B.A. in Mass Communication and Marketing.

I joined the Alfa Romeo Owner’s Club and met Tom Tann and Joe Benson (author of the still famous Illustrated Alfa Romeo Buyer’s Guide). At the time, they co-owned a blue Alfa Romeo TZ-1. In 1970 Tom and I decided to drive it to Sebring, Florida in a 24 hour non-stop run. I had been invited to be a Pit Marshal for Alec Ulmann’s organization, assigned to the Autodelta team pit area, of course! There, we met members of the Autodelta team and acquaintances developed.

In the pits with the Autodelta T33 at Sebring in 1970. Photo copyright Robert Little.

With one Sebring 12 Hours under my belt and watching Steve McQueen, Jackie Ickx, Vic Elford and other world-class masters grind it out for the Twelve Hours, I became hooked on the thought of someday becoming a part of the World Championship-of-Makes level of competition – in my opinion, the most exciting and thrilling world-class level of automobile competition. In those days it was the national prestige of the entire Italian nation battling Germany, France, and England for honor and world domination…without the visual clutter of unnecessarily high levels of commercialization. And in the case of Italy, it was purely Ferrari versus Alfa Romeo….Enzo Ferrari versus Carlo Chiti. [Read more…] about Inside the Walls of Autodelta, Part 1

Baillon Barn Find of the Century Part 2

January 13, 2015 By pete

Chassis #100272 as found. Even in a state of decay, it has lost none of its intensity or beauty. (Artcurial Motorcars) Click to enlarge.

By Peter M. Larsen

Read Part 1

TALBOT-LAGO T26 RECORD SAOUTCHIK #100272

Talbot-Lago T26 Record chassis #100272 is the second of the three momentous Saoutchik barnfinds in the collection of the late Jacques Baillon. The emergence of this extremely rare car is all the more remarkable, as it was believed lost.

It shares the chassis as well as its powerful engine and mechanicals with Talbot-Lago T26 #100239 which was featured last week and is one of 208 T26 Records manufactured in 1948. The vast majority of these cars were given one of a number of factory body styles manufactured in-house by Talbot. #100272 is one of the rare instances where a Record chassis was sent to a prominent Carrosserie to receive a one-off body. The price of the Record chassis alone was an astronomical 1,165,000 francs in 1948. Saoutchik charged 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 francs for a full-size convertible body. When delivered, the price of admission for #100272 would have approached 4,000,000 francs, more than enough to buy ten complete Citroën Traction Avants!

Talbot T26 Record chassis #100272 when new. (Collection Peter Larsen) Click to enlarge.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
Login Subscribe

The Mortal Alfa Romeo Alfetta

January 13, 2015 By pete

By Pete Vack
Photos from Alfa Brochures

The Alfetta Sedan and GT

The Alfetta series—which are roughly defined herein as any of the front engined, de Dion transaxle cars made from 1973 to 1992, were created to replace the existing solid axle Alfas, and to significantly improve the highly praised handling characteristics of the Alfas produced up to that point.

The Alfetta took its name from the famous 158/159 Alfa Romeo Grand Prix cars, raced from 1939 to 1951. These unbeatable race cars featured a similar transaxle layout, and were called the small Alfa, or Alfetta, because of the 1500cc displacement. However, a major difference was that the Grand Prix car left the clutch at the engine end, a difference that as we shall see, meant a great deal. All in all, the Grand Prix car was one of the most successful and perfect front engined Grand Prix cars ever constructed; the Alfetta series was not, and the name as applied to the production car didn’t last long. which was probably a good thing.

A fantastic idea in concept, but keeping that long driveshaft vibration free as it turned at engine speed was difficult to achieve. However, the 50-50 weight distribution made the Alfettas and their successors a joy to drive.

Still, we had hope. The Alfetta was conceived under the technical direction of Rudolph Hruska, who had been recalled by Alfa to replace the great Dr. Orazio Satta Puliga. In every way, the conception, the idea, the dream of the new Alfetta was thoroughly commendable, and held great promise. [Read more…] about The Mortal Alfa Romeo Alfetta

Stony Stratford Vintage and Classic Meeting, UK

January 13, 2015 By pete

The Gordon Keeble once owned by the Author.

Story and photos by Roy P. Smith

January the 1st 2015; what’s the first thing any old car enthusiast does? He goes to the wonderfully-supported and well-respected Stony Stratford Vintage and Classic gathering.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
Login Subscribe

VeloceToday for January 6, 2015

January 6, 2015 By pete

This week, Peter Larsen, author of the encyclopedic three volume Saoutchik, gives VeloceToday an expert’s opinion of the Saoutchik treasures found in the Baillon Barn Find. Part 1 this week, Part 2 and 3 to follow. Graham Gauld recalls the Italian collector Count Zanon, we find Ferrari and Miller treasures in Dick Merritt’s driveway, and a look at Alf Francis, Racing Mechanic.

_________________

CONTACT Photojournalistpro@gmail.com

*$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 .

Baillon Barn Find of the Century Part 1

January 6, 2015 By pete

By Peter M. Larsen

Read Part 2

Read Part 3

There are barnfinds. And then there are barnfinds. Imagine the reaction when the corrugated siding of the lean-to next to the secluded château in the west of France came down and a long-lost Talbot-Lago T26 Record chassis came to light. And more: this T26 chassis # 100239 was not just fitted with a factory body, but with a unique and rakish fastback coupé design built by the Carrosserie Jacques Saoutchik in the rue Jacques Dulud in Neuilly-sur-Seine!

This incredibly rare and outstanding automobile was one of three such Saoutchik barnfinds in the 60 cars of the collection of the late Jacques Baillon. All three are superb examples of the swoopy and extravagant styles designed by Pierre Saoutchik after the Second World War. In truth, one can call the Baillon collection the barnfind of the century. As Pierre Novikoff of the Artcurial auction house remarked: “Never again, anywhere in the world, will such a treasure be unearthed.”

Here is the first of three articles about the three extraordinary Saoutchik cars found in the Baillon collection. [Read more…] about Baillon Barn Find of the Century Part 1

Count Vittorio Zanon di Valgiurata

January 6, 2015 By pete

Count Vittorio Zanon at the wheel of his 204A Cisitalia Abarth.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

You would think that the Italians, of all people, would be avid collectors of cars but, generally speaking, this was not a popular hobby until the late 1960s. Nevertheless, there were such collectors, but often very private, usually old money individuals with a great taste for style. One of these was Count Vittorio Zanon di Valgiurata.

This content is for Premium Subscriber members only.
Login Subscribe

Ferrari Collection Revealed

January 6, 2015 By pete

Collecting Ferraris in a Michigan suburb....Photo by Chris Cooper. Click to enlarge.

By Pete Vack
Photos by Chris Cooper

It is the juxtaposition of a lower middle class neighborhood and modest house with the millions of dollars of machinery in the driveway that makes the following photos so stunning, unreal and unworldly.

In addition, the photos are not Brownie snapshots or early Polaroids but taken with a then-expensive Leica 35mm in the hands of Chris Cooper, a man with a good eye and steady hand. This gives a professional appearance to the treasures, as if someone knew that this was a sight to behold.

0224AT in another driveway. Back in 1967 or 1968, this Ferrari Mexico 340 Vignale Coupe, s/n 0224AT, was sitting in Cal Gleason’s driveway in Detroit. Cal was not a rich man, merely a man with good taste, recalled Eric Davison, who took this photo. This weekend Cal would have also been a very rich man, had he kept the Ferrari. It rolled off the block for $4,290,000, according to RM Auctions in 2011.

[Read more…]

VeloceToday for December 30, 2014

December 30, 2014 By pete

Coming in VeloceToday in January

We are on a holiday break, but working to get these stories ready…

*Peter Larsen on Saoutchik Talbots found in the Baillon Collection
*Inside the Walls; Rare color photos from inside Autodelta
*France vs. Italy: The Coachbuilders
*Restoring a Saoutchik bodied Delahaye, wood and all
*Graham Gauld on Count Zanon
And that’s just for a start!

Once every quarter we gather up all the articles we’ve published to date that year. So here are all the articles we’ve published this year from January 1st 2014 to December 16th. Since there are 199 icons and articles, it is a long scroll. Click on each small photo to read the story.

*Please keep VeloceToday running with a small donation

Have a Happy New Year!

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January