VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Our Features This Week, October 3rd 2012

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*We sadly note the death of Annie Soisbault with an all-too-short appreciation of her life. The article is the first post beneath our regular buttons, below.

*Graham Gauld’s Mike Sparken Story was divided into three for the purposes of instant mass consumption. HOWEVER, both Parts 2 and 3 of The Greatest Car Swap Story Ever are in this issue. Plus, listen to Sparken on tape in a short interview …all right here in VeloceToday.

*We HATE pop-ups! So why is there a new pop up in the articles? Because we need to remind readers to become Premium Subscribers, or we’ll soon have no articles at all. And, the new pop up does not appear on past articles when accessed by our Premium Subscribers, which is just another reason to belly up to the bar and put your money down!

Annie Soisbault, 1934-2012

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Photo by Graham Gauld

French rally and race driver Annie Soisbault passed away on September 18th at the age of 78.

Not well known in the U.S., Soisbault was nevertheless one of the finest women drivers of the 1950-60s, a time in which women were participating in large numbers in both racing and rallying. Soisbault’s peers, sometimes competitors and friends included Gilberte Thirion, Pat Moss, Ann Wisdom, Sheila Van Damm, Denise McCluggage, Evy Rosqvist, Betty Skelton, Louisette Texier, Annie Bousquet and many more truly excellent women drivers.

[Read more…] about Annie Soisbault, 1934-2012

Mike Sparken Part 2: The Alfa 2.9 Berlinetta

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Alfa 2.9 Berlinetta

Mike Sparken would end up with this 1938 Alfa Berlinetta, but he would not have it for long...

By Graham Gauld
Photos by Graham Gauld unless otherwise noted

Last week we learned how Mike Sparken came into motor racing, his exploits with his very special Aston Martin DB3 and his Ferrari Monza, and how he had retired from racing after the British Grand Prix of 1955, where he drove a Gordini into seventh place. But what he did after he retired from racing would make him famous throughout the world…

Throughout his racing career, and later into his time with the Grand Prix Drivers Club, he met up with another well-known private entrant of the time who was born and spent his early life in Brazil and then moved to Paris; Hernano da Silva Ramos.

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Mike Sparken Part 3: The Alfetta 158/159

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Alfa-158/9

The Alfa 158/9 at the Paul Ricard circuit.

By Graham Gauld
Photos by Gauld unless otherwise noted.

As we have learned in Part I, Lord Doune was a bit in the dark as to the importance of the 1938 Alfa 2.9 Berlinetta, and returned it to Danny Margulies who in turn called upon Mike Sparken.

Mike Sparken was more aware of the importance of the Sommer/Biondetti Alfa. He spared no expense to have it taken apart and rebuilt by Paul Grist. The engine was sent to Tony Merrick and he did a wonderful job on it. But Grist had really done his part superbly. When I had seen the car in Doune collection, the grille was wrong; it looked like chicken wire rather than the elegant egg-box grille of the original. Thanks to Grist, the car turned out to be stunning. It was road -taxed in England but Mike Sparken had a plan in mind.

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Intermountain Concours d’Elegance-Lehi, Utah 2012

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Ferrari Enzo in the Garden; the scenery at the Intermountain Concours is as spectaular as the cars.

By Wallace Wyss
Images by Booker-All Rights Reserved.

A world class Concours in Utah? There’s potential here!

First of all, there’s the cars. While this writer is not familiar with the classic cars in Utah, and rarely hears of Utah entries at events, he saw an incredible wealth of cars come out of the woodwork at the 2012 Intermountain Concours, representing a strong car culture.

Among them were several million dollar and multi-million dollar cars if you want to take value as one criterion (and the marketplace acknowledges this with big auctions adjoining these events, often on the actual grounds of famous Concours like Pebble Beach). [Read more…] about Intermountain Concours d’Elegance-Lehi, Utah 2012

Portfolio 1966 Ferrari 365 California

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365 California has a Pininfarina body and a 365P engine...enough said? Photo by Booker.

By Wallace Wyss

Enzo Ferrari definitely knew what side of the bread was buttered. Although he had production cars and race cars in production, he realized he would have to make special limited editions for executives and movie stars, because after all, exclusive wasn’t exclusive if there were hundreds of a model made.
[Read more…] about Portfolio 1966 Ferrari 365 California

Our Features This Week, September 26, 2012

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Last week in the Epilogue to the French Grand Prix at Tours, we included a link to a YouTube video called ‘Supercharged, The Grand Prix Car, 1924-1939.’ It is a shortened version of the original 79 minute VCR that was produced in 1985. (which now can only be found used). The video covers all Grand Prix racing from 1924-1939, from Donnington to Tripoli. It’s one of the best of the genre we’ve ever seen, with scenes in color by George Monkhouse, restored cars being driven by John Watson, and much more great documentary film, well edited and well written. The footage of the Silver Arrows is particularly interesting in light of this year’s Goodwood Revival (covered this week, below).

If you haven’t seen it, click on the image at left to watch it. You’ll return to VeloceToday with a new appreciation of those very important interwar years. _________________

Mike Sparken: Private Entrant Part I

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Mike Sparken, winning at Oulton Park in the rain with his trusty 750 Monza.

In the 1950s, if you had talent and the necessary finances, you could become a successful racing driver as a private entrant. This is the story of one of them, a French-born racing driver by the name of Mike Sparken. We were working on this article when on September 21, Sparken died at his home in the South of France at the age of eighty two. Our sincere condolences to his family; we wish he could have lived to read the following story.

By Graham Gauld

Mike Sparken, or Michael Poberejsky, to cite his proper name, was born in Paris in 1930 to a wealthy Russian family that had left Russia for Paris at the time of the 1917 Revolution.

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Goodwood Gallery: Vanhoolandt

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Paul Stewart drove one of the Mercedes. But here, his gear in repose.

Twenty four frames from the camera of Hugues Vanhoolandt.

Auto union GP

The five Auto-Unions in the Swiss GP replica pits.

A line up of pre-war Mercedes and Auto Unions like this hasn't happened before and may not again, so enjoy.

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Goodwood Gallery: Jonathan Sharp

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Jean Alesi

Jean Alesi, happy to drive one of the GTOs.

Twenty images from the camera of Jonathan Sharp.

moss-and-surtees

Moss has a few words with Surtees.

Merzario enjoying the crowds and the Rolls-Royce.

Ken Brack set to drive the Mickey Thompson special.

Gurney and Lord March.

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Coppa d’oro delle Dolomiti, 2012

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This year's winner is Canè and Galliani with a Lancia Aprilia.

Story and Photos by Alessandro Gerelli

A very rainy edition of the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti in Cortina d’Ampezzo witnessed the victory of Canè Galliani in both the events, the Coppa and the “Alte Sfere Heritage by Bark” of Sunday morning.

As for other international events, the cars in the entry list are becoming more and more “young”: this year no Ferraris, only two Maseratis, no Oscas, one Bugatti, very few etceterinis, few Alfas, but many Jaguar, Triumph, Austin, Porsche.
See the website, Coppadorodelledolomiti for more details.

Maserati A6GCS (Boglioli/Pezzia).

Maserati A6GCS (Boglioli/Pezzia).

Maserati A6GCS (Bellue/Peter).

Maserati A6GCS (Laurent Bellue/Come).

[Read more…] about Coppa d’oro delle Dolomiti, 2012

Grand Prix of Singapore

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Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso

By Pete Vack
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

Time Enough
If there is one thing we will remember about Singapore 2012, it will not be the great drive by Massa, not the winning excellence of Vettel, not the intelligent drive by Alonso for third, nor the sudden race-changing retirements of both Hamilton and Maldonado, nor that the race was foreshortened by the clock. [Read more…] about Grand Prix of Singapore

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