VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Frank Lance, Lonestar Master Mechanic Part 2

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Dallas, October 1960. Frank Lance and Bob Schroeder working on Jim Hall’s second Birdcage Maserati, chassis 2463, before the Times Grand Prix at Riverside.

As told by Frank Lance to Willem Oosthoek
All photos by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.

Read Part 1

After their adventures In Nassau, Frank and Red Byron stopped at Sebring to watch the first U.S. Grand Prix, won by Bruce McLaren in a works Cooper/Climax. It had been a busy 1959 year, and not only confined to competition cars.

Frank: “In the latter part of 1959 we also restored a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing coupe that Jim had taken as a trade-in. Red and I did an in-car rebuild of the engine as well as installing a made-to-order air conditioning. This may have been the only 300SL to be air conditioned. Foy Barrett did a total body job with a candy apple red paint job. Red and I took it for a shake-down run going through Plano at 142 mph, with Red driving. Jim kept that car until several years ago and sold it for a nice sum.”

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Alfas and Abarths at Auto e Motor d’Epoca

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

So said the media packet, “You are cordially invited to the unveiling of the new Alfa Romeo 33 at 2:30 on Thursday” or words to that effect. So at 2:30 I joined the crowd, all with their camera phones ready, to watch the unveiling, and to my surprise it was on time! After a few speeches (in Italian of course) the red cover was pulled back and yes it is very nice. But

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Jackie Stewart’s First F1 Drive

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Stewart and the author, the Rand Grand Prix poster.

Story by Robert Young

Some time back I was in a lonely corner of the Goodwood paddock admiring a race car when I sensed someone close by.
I looked up and instinctively said “Hello” to which a dapper fellow wearing a tartan cap replied “Hello”.

Stunned for something to say I stuttered “I saw your first ever Formula One race.”

Sir Jackie Stewart smiled and recalled “…it was the 1964 Rand Grand Prix in South Africa and I drove the Lotus.” He proceeded to tell me a little about the event.

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Paul Wilson and the Larz Anderson Museum

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Paul Wilson will be formally introducing his Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline Massachusetts on November 30.

Larz and Isabelle Anderson

Diplomat and ambassador Larz Anderson and his wife, Isabelle Weld Perkins, were fascinating people. Both were wealthy, but Isabelle was by far the richer.* [Read more…] about Paul Wilson and the Larz Anderson Museum

Frank Lance, Lonestar Master Mechanic

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Dallas, November 1960. Frank Lance welding the cracked tubes on Jim Hall’s Birdcage Maserati, chassis 2463. The tube structure between the shock absorbers needed reinforcing as well.

As told by Frank Lance to Willem Oosthoek.
All photos by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection] unless otherwise stated

I met Frank at the Old Race Drivers Reunion, organized by R. David Jones, a former SCCA top official, at his Soldier Creek Ranch in Fort Worth a few years ago. In addition to Frank, I met Bill Janowski, Delmo Johnson, Bob Schroeder, Jim Hall, Willis Murphy, J.C. Kilburn, Enus Wilson, Toly Arutunoff, John Mecom and many other people associated with motor racing in The Golden Age. Frank stood out with his excellent memory at 90 years of age, and I decided he deserved to have his race history in writing. Frank and I put together his story via email and I used the many photos from my collections. Parts of this series appeared earlier in my book “Sports Car Racing in the South”(Dalton Watson). Most images of Frank’s early years were the work of Dallas Times Herald photographer Bob Jackson, a racing enthusiast. Jackson became a winner of the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for Photography for his image of Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald in the Dallas Courthouse.

Race drivers are the ones who receive all the attention and glory in the press. Their mechanics seldom do. Yet, Frank Lance’s career should get our attention as well. Frank served as the racing mechanic for five of the most prominent Texas drivers and team owners of the fifties and sixties: Jim Hall, Ebb Rose, Carroll Shelby, John Mecom and A.J. Foyt. He saw it all, from amateur [SCCA] and professional [USAC] sports car racing in the U.S., international long-distance racing at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans, Formula One racing at Watkins Glen, Riverside and Mexico City, to the Indianapolis 500, where he was part of the winning team twice. And all that in only a ten-year timeframe.

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Auto e Moto d’Epoca at Bologna 2023

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A personal favorite, 1963 Osca 1600 SP (Sperimentale)

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

It was all very last minute as I had not intended to go, but as this year was the 40th running of the Auto e Moto d’Epoca classic car show, (October 26-29)and the first year for the event at its new location in Bologna, I decided grab a less-than-cheap flight out to Bologna, arriving on the afternoon of first day of the show. [Read more…] about Auto e Moto d’Epoca at Bologna 2023

ArtCenter Design Invitational 2023

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Joe Duray, left and the author with Joe’s 3500GT Maserati.

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

On October 28th, the Art Center in Pasadena hosted the ArtCenter Design Invitational for their alumni, famous designers, and guests, including a small display of show cars of the past, today, and the future. This has been an annual event, which began in 2002.

The Art Center itself is 75 years old. The Automotive Design Department was founded in 1948. The mission is to develop creative leaders and innovators in art and design. Their vision is to create a new model for art and design education in the 21st century, which they characterize as: “Learn to create and influence change.” I think it is fair to say that this is the most famous design college in the world. [Read more…] about ArtCenter Design Invitational 2023

Paul Wilson, Karl Ludvigsen, Dalton Watson

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Paul Wilson at the Larz Anderson Museum

For all of you who have followed the adventures of Paul Wilson as he designs and constructs his own coachwork on the Alfa 6C 2500 chassis, we’ve got some great news for you! On November 30, 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m., Wilson will formally present his coupe at the prestigious Larz Anderson Automobile Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts.

The Larz Automobile Museum in Brookline. Photo by Biruitorul – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4488803

As we all know and can readily see via the VeloceToday articles, Wilson is a master craftsman, who learned his art as he went along, thinking about each process while limiting his tools and materials to those available to coachbuilders of the 1930s. How he worked through the problems of doors, interiors, trunks, hood and fenders is a fascinating process and reveals his unique genius. Why he used steel instead of aluminum is also interesting as it altered the final form, as he was able to literally design the car as he created it. [Read more…] about Paul Wilson, Karl Ludvigsen, Dalton Watson

John Mecom Interview Part 2

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Part 2

By Harry Hurst
Photos courtesy John Mecom collection
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At one point you were the Lola distributor for North America. How did that come about and how did it end?
The beginning was when I bought what I thought was the first Lola GT – the one I saw at the London Racing Car. We became the distributor and went to the races with spare parts and support. We probably sold more than 20 T-70s. We spent a lot of money representing Lola. We were very sincere about it. And from time to time we made sure Eric could go on to the next day of production. But Carl came along with a better deal and Eric took it. I, unfortunately, did everything by handshake. Our friendship was over after that happened.

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Alpine Factory Tour Part 2: This is Insane!

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On the Targa Tasmania

Story by Mark Duder

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My love of Renaults began years ago. I had participating in the West Australian Rally Championships in the 60s and early 70s in a modified Renault R8 with good results and even did the 1970 Repco round Australia in a Renault R16. Of course the ultimate was the A110 Alpine. When I restored one years later, I would find a new friend by the most unusual coincidence.

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Yuriy Shevchuk, Artist

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1937 Aero 750 Sport Coupe variant by artist Yuriy Shevchuk.

Prague artist Yuriy Shevchuk has won international acclaim on three fronts; painting architecture, jazz musicians and vintage cars. Born in Kiev in 1961, Shevchuk now works with his son Denis who manages his international and local Czech exhibitions and negotiations among the customers and the online e-commerce. Wallace Wyss recently interviewed Yuriy, while the Editor combed the vast number of paintings displayed on his website, focusing on the cars. [Read more…] about Yuriy Shevchuk, Artist

Halloween Cars: Trick or Treat?

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Story and photos by Richard Bartholomew
From the VeloceToday Archives, October 2018

Why should children have all the fun of dressing up and scaring people? Though we get no treats from these endeavors that won’t stop us from pulling a little trick this time of year – actually all year – but here we go…spooky chopped tops and scary suicide doors abound, extra headlights or none at all, be afraid be very afraid. A lot of people are.

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