The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
The Hans Sipma main photo for the TZ poster.
Vincent Van Gogh: “For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.”
October 22, 1882, letter to his brother Theo.
Story by James Lanoway
During the time when Fritz Duernberger’s TZ 105 was away for ten months for its restoration by Ed Arnold in 1981, Hans Sipma had been envisaging doing something photographically with Fritz’s Vancouver garage floor, painted like the Italian flag.
Bob Cullinan takes us to this year’s Mille Miglia (June 17-21) in this series of six vignettes with photos and video interviews with a variety of entrants, driving everything from the winning Alfa in this segment, to a huge Lincoln Capri and a lost BMW 328. [Ed.]
Story, video and photos by Bob Cullinan
In this segment, Bob Cullinan finds out what it’s like to enter a large American car in a race better suited to a Bandini. Never before have we looked at the Mille Miglia from the perspective of a Lincoln Capri! [Ed.]
Story, video and photos by Bob Cullinan
BWM driver and veteran entrants John and Julie Herlihy had a slight disagreement about where to turn while on the route. How could this happen, and where did they end up?? Ah, Italy! [Ed.]
Story, video and photos by Bob Cullinan
1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300.
Story by Brandes Elitch, photos by Hal Schuette unless otherwise noted
Hillsborough is a small town just 17 miles south of San Francisco. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income there was more than $250,000. A previous Bloomberg analysis ranked Hillsborough as the fifth richest town in the US. The Hillsborough Concours is held at the Crystal Springs Golf Club, this year on June 22.
Fritz’s blue TZ and Hans’ white Giulietta Sprint, along with Mel Kaminski’s red Sprint, on the way to Portland. Photo by Hans Sipma.
Story by James Lanoway
Fritz and Theresa Duernberger came to Vancouver, B.C., in 1966 after five years in Houston, Texas, where Fritz’s parents lived after emigrating from Salzburg, Austria in 1961. Fritz’s fascination with Alfas began at age 14 in Salzburg when he saw a two-tone light green Giulietta Sprint with a darker green roof outside the machine shop where he was an apprentice.
1978 Ferrari 308 GTB. This example was purchased from Cooper’s of Leicester via Tony Willis, to the sales director of BMW Concessionaires TKM.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
After several long trips to Italy to follow my passion for old cars, a trip from Brighton to the London Concours was a pleasant diversion. It is but a short train ride up to the capital; catch a Thameslink train up to London bridge station, then a pleasant stroll across London Bridge, pass the monument to the Great Fire of London, then pass the Bank of England, and a few minutes later you arrive at the green oasis that is home to the Honourable Artillery Company.
But as the train pulls into London Bridge Station it starts to rain.
Unlike the two “official” 499Ps, the #83 driven by Robert Kubica, Yiefei Ye and Philip Hanson had a flawless race with no incidents or driver errors, making its victory all the more deserved.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Every year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans field seems to gain in quality, this time with 21 cars lining up in the premier class representing eight manufacturers. Ferrari, winner of the first three rounds of the 2025 World Endurance Championship, was the big favorite, even though the qualifying results gave Cadillac, which had the two fastest times, a lot of hope.
Cohabitation between prototypes and GTs is sometimes problematic, as seen here at the Dunlop chicane where the Ziggo Sport Tempesta Team Ferrari of Hui/Froggatt/Cheever is sent spinning by an LMP2. Despite this incident, the #193 will finish 14th in class.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
In the LMGT3 class, twenty-four cars were entered by nine different manufacturers. Before the race, it was difficult to make a prediction, but the race ultimately saw Porsche and Ferrari emerge at the forefront. And just like last year, one of the Porsches entered by the Manthey team took the win, with five cars from different manufacturers in the top five places. Let’s take a look at each manufacturer’s performances.
The TZ Poster. Photos of and for the poster by Hans Sipma.
Story by James Lanoway
If ever there was a paragon of poster art that speaks to the fascination with fine Italian automobiles, it would have to be this one. Its visual effect is arresting, the harmony of design sublime, drawing the eye back to it repetitively, to drink up its offerings. It predates the digital era and yet persists as suitably contemporary. How was it conceived and brought forth, and who was involved in its creation? Here is its story, and that of its creators.
And guess who won Le Mans a week later?
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Since the creation of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923, technical scrutineering (Pesage in French) has been a pre-race ritual. It often took place in the city, sometimes at the circuit, but the tradition endures, and it’s an unmissable event for the city of Le Mans. It’s also an opportunity to discover the new liveries of certain cars, new crews, and to gauge each team’s chances.
Crowd pleasing Alfas at Valletta.
Story and photos by Gary Axon
Considering its overall population of just 550,000 inhabitants, the diminutive but beautiful Mediterranean island of Malta has a surprisingly large number of older and interesting cars. Every year in early June since 2017 (excluding the Covid period), many of the proud local owners and restorers of these classic vehicles gather next to the Maltese Parliament building at St. George’s Square in the historic capital city of Valletta for the annual Valletta International Concours (VIC).