Caribbean Capers Book Review
Review by Pete Vack
Photos courtesdy Racemaker Press
Caribbean Capers: The Cuban Grand Prix Races of 1957-1958 & 1960
Joel Finn, Racemaker Press, 2010
12 x 9 inches, 368 pages, over 500 mostly black and white photos
$199.95
FREE US SHIPPING for VeloceToday customers!
Send all inquiries to Maria@racemaker.com
Dear Joel,
Well, you did good this time. We might add that you almost always do good. I am constantly referring to your Testa Rossa book and the ARCA history, and I don’t even have copy of your most appreciated book, American Road Racing 1948-1950 but there is no doubt I’ll be getting one soon.
This time even Willem Oosthoek calls your latest book like it is. “Joel Finn’s Caribbean Capers is comprehensive, mostly well-researched and full of many interesting images of the Cuban races. I doubt another book on the subject of the Cuban Grand Prix will ever be written, since there just isn’t anything more to report than is in this book.”
[Read more…] about Caribbean Capers Book Review
Phillip Island Classic, Australia
Story and Photos by Vince Johnson
Usually the scream of a high-revving V12 engine shouts “Italian”, but the best sounds from the track at this year’s Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport (March 8-10) were from a pair of Matra Simcas. Brought to the Classic by father and son team of Hall & Hall (UK), chassis #1 and #5 each had Le Mans credentials, third places at the 1973 and 1974 24-hour enduro, to go with the sound. They were up against some stiff opponents in the featured ‘International Sportscar Challenge’ races, giving away hundreds of cubic inches to the Can-Am opposition.
[Read more…] about Phillip Island Classic, Australia
A History of Concept Cars
Following our recent article on today’s concept cars and designers, Gijsbert-Paul Berk begins a new series of historical articles that will convey the history of dream and show cars and examine which concept cars or design studies influenced the shapes of our automobiles. Below, three interesting and legendary fashions that helped set styling trends.
Breaking Away
Concept cars, dream cars, or show cars by any name are not by any means new. Historically, dream cars are outrageous, crowd-pleasers and often trend-setters. The story of the dream car begins in 1896 as the French made a concentrated effort to make the new motor car look less like ‘horseless carriages’. In general, the design and construction of automobile bodies was the work of coachbuilders, who only a few years before, had built the horse-drawn carriages. This similarity sometimes caused confusion and irritated a number of people.
This was one of the reasons why the well-known Parisian department store “Le Louvre” organized a competition for ideas for the coachwork of ‘modern’ motor cars in 1896. The contest was open to all kinds of artists such as painters and sculptors but also to architects and coachbuilders. The prizewinning entry was a scale model made from wax, cardboard and glass by Pierre Selmersheim, an architect and furniture designer. As can be seen from the competition, the Selmersheim design was fairly radical and advanced for the era. A photo of it was widely publicized in the French newspapers and European motoring magazines. But none of the many French coachbuilders was interested in building it.
These drawings are additional entries in the competition. It is easy to see why the Selmersheim design in the lead photo above, won.
Geneva with Alessandro Gerelli
Photos and Story by Alessandro Gerelli
[Read more…] about Geneva with Alessandro Gerelli
Order NOW, we have only one signed photos left!
Our Features This Week, March 14, 2013
Making People Dream: Design Chiefs Discuss Concept Cars
Top Design Chiefs Discuss Concept Cars
Concept cars; one sees them today at every international Motor Show. Earlier this year there was even a special exhibition of both concept cars and concept motor bikes in Paris, as part of the 28th Festival International d’Automobile.
Over the years it has become a tradition that a number of leading car manufacturers and famous design studios show their vision for the future at major cars shows. Some of these concepts are far-fetched fantasies, with details – such as door constructions – that are impossible to realize in economical mass production, or use materials that are either too expensive or otherwise unsuitable. Others are more realistic reflections of how some models of the next generation will look.
During the 20th century, the construction and style of automobiles evolved quite dramatically. The dreamcars, or showcars certainly added interest and excitement to the various Exhibitions or Concourses d’Elegance. But in today’s world, is there a future for concept cars?
Today, however, the automobile is a fully mature consumer product. Creating concept cars is an expensive endeavor. And aside from the haute couture fashion houses, no other industry presents products which are not yet for sale. Cars are, after all, merely appliances. One wonders why the industry continues to spend huge amounts on concept cars that the visitors cannot buy. Why create demand for models that are not yet and indeed may never be in the showrooms?
Microcosms from Gauld and Wyss
Gauld recalls his Heinkel days, Wyss finds a Isetta Convertible
By Graham Gauld
I was recently reminded of a very special trip I made to Modena back in 1958. The reminder was the RM Auction held recently which featured the multitude of microcars that Bruce Weiner had collected and showed in his Microcar Museum in Madison, Georgia.
There have been many microcars built in the history of the automobile but in mid-1950s in Europe they became very popular during the Suez Canal Crisis in 1956. [Read more…] about Microcosms from Gauld and Wyss
A Look at Today’s Concept Cars
Ferrari Sergio Concept Car
The Ferrari Sergio Concept is a windscreen-less open two-seater sports car (Barchetta). Its mechanicals are those of a Ferrari 458 Spider. Thus the concept car has the same wheelbase and tracks and is also powered by a 4.5L V8, mated to a seven-speed sequential gear box.
[Read more…] about A Look at Today’s Concept Cars
Our Features This Week, March 7th 2012
Desert Classic 2013
Story by Michael T. Lynch
Photos by author unless otherwise noted.
The 2013 edition of the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance was held on the combined properties of the Doral Desert Princess Resort and the Desert Princess Country Club on Sunday, February 24th. Clear skies and wind off the San Jacinto mountains marked the day. [Read more…] about Desert Classic 2013