The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
1953 Pegaso Z-102 ‘Thrill’. Hugues Vanhoolandt photo.
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt and Jonathan Sharp
As was the case with Sunday’s Windsor Castle Concours, the previous Friday’s event at the Syon House was also attended by both Hugues Vanhoolandt and Jonathan Sharp. In this report we lead off with Vanhoolandts’s work. Saturday, Sharp emailed and sent his initial impression of the event:
[Read more…] about Salon Prive at Syon House in London, September 7, 2012
You didn’t think we’d finish Tours up without a full spec and result section? Below, just that. Below that, some YouTube links to several videos depicting the 1923 French Grand Prix.
Above, a notice about the 90th year celebration event at Tours which will take place next year. If you are interested in participating contact: grandprixdetours@wanadoo.fr.
Next week, Gijsbert-Paul Berk will provide an analysis of the race and its legacy. It will surprise you. [Ed.]
[Read more…] about 1923 Tours Grand Prix: Results, Videos, Specs and More
Massa's performance at Monza could not be faulted, but will fourth do?
By Pete Vack
Exclusive photos for VeloceToday by Roberto Motta
Just where did that guy come from? Sergio Perez, the rent-a-ride poster boy who has had a relatively lackluster year, took his Sauber from sixth row on the grid to finish 4.3 seconds behind winner Lewis Hamilton. In the process Perez set fastest lap, and dared to pass the two Scuderia Ferrari cars as if they were dragging anchors.
[Read more…] about Italian Grand Prix, Monza, September 9th, 2012
We can’t help but slather over the work done by Hugues Vanhoolandt at Monterey this year; this week is a real scroller but have forbearance and one will experience pleasure.
Roy Smith continues the remarkable story of the one and maybe not Marquis…and how it all ties in with the Rosiers, Le Mans, and the post-war miracle of Fiberglas.
This week we present the Art of Tours…Visions of the 1923 French Grand Prix. Gijsbert-Paul Berk has gathered up some of the best racing art around, all inspired by that epic event.
We are a week late on the report of the WRC Rally Germany…but everyone knew who would win even before the event took place. As usual click on the button icons to see the stories.
But wait, there’s more, if only your Editor just pontificating about Spa Francorchamps.
Shot of the race sent to us by Philipe Defechereux. Not sure who took the photo; if the photographer is out there our apologies, and you're hired!
By Pete Vack
After a full month away from the tracks, F1 racing returned to racing at Spa-Franchorchamps, one of the last of the real road racing venues.
[Read more…] about Belgium Grand Prix 2012
In Part 1, Barn Find, Smith described the search for the elusive “Marquis” which resulted in the amazing barn find of the Rédélé Special Number 2 in Pennsylvania. Part 2 deals with an eager American businessman, Zark W. Reed, who had a plan for Jean Rédélé and his car. Above, the Rogue; was this design by French racing driver Louis Rosier really the “Marquis”? And what is the connection to Rédélé? Read on.
By Roy Smith
Dreams of Glass
1953 witnessed the first Chevrolet Corvette to roll off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan. The concept of an all-glass-fiber production sports car had just become a reality. Glass fiber had arrived on the scene many years before. In the 1880s a glass maker from Massachusetts by the name of Edward Drummond Libbey had first discovered that glass in fiber “staple” silk-like format could be woven as a fabric – he even had a dress made that was exhibited at the Chicago World Fair in 1893.
[Read more…] about Marquis of Mystery Part 2: Dreams of Glass
Elegance is not only for cars but also for entrants...
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
The more you scroll, the more delighted you’ll be. Pebble is first, followed by the Rolex Motorsports Reunion. Nobody does it better than Vanhoolandt, and we are proud and lucky to have his photography grace the pages of VeloceToday. Thank you, Hugues!–Pete Vack, Editor.
This unique 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport originally had a Zagato body and rebodied in 1938 with a design by Count Revelli de Beaumont.
Two Hispano-Suizas in front of the Lodge at Pebble Beach.
1936 Hispano-Suiza J12 Saoutchik Cabriolet at Bixby Bridge, near Big Sur, during the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance.
This 1947 Delahaye 135 MS is bodied by Langenthal, a small
1932 Delage D8 SS 100 Figoni Cabriolet from the Keller Collection.
Ferrari 410 Sport Scaglietti s/n 0598CM on spectacular US 1, South of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
The 5-liter V12 of the 410 Sport.
Also in the Ferrari Competition class, the 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Scaglietti s/n 0763 GT, delivered new to the Belgian Ferrari importer Jacques Swaters of Ecurie Francorchamps.
The 1923 Tours Grand Prix has inspired many artists. Below are just a few of the paintings, cover art and advertisements that were generated by the epic event. Much of the art is still available via prints and we have linked appropriate sites to the paintings wherever possible. Please click on the images for ordering information and similar automotive art.
Art by Geo Ham (Georges Hamel) Art-deco impression of the Bugatti and Voisin.
[Read more…] about The Art of Tours: Visions of the 1923 French Grand Prix
By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy of Citroën Communication, Ford World Rally Team and ADAC Rallye Deutshland-Media
Sebastian Loeb achieved his seventh win of the season in nine rallies. His victory in the ADAC Rally Deutschland gave Loeb a margin of more than 54 points ahead of Hirvonen and his Ford WRC.
As usual, Loeb set the pace in the early moments of the event, winning the best time in the Shakedown run on the morning of August 23. On the special stage, Loeb was 0.8 ” ahead of Latvala and his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Following in formation were the other two Fords of Ostberg and Solberg, then the two Citroëns of Neuville and Hirvonen.
[Read more…] about Rally Germany 2012 In English and Italian
The Dino Ferrari of von Trips photographed at Sebring, December 12th 1959 by Robert F. Pauley. The damaged nose was the result of von Trips rear-ending the Ferrari of Tony Brooks, who then spent two minutes inthe pits assessing his own damage. Brooks placed third and lost the Championship to the rear-engined Cooper of Jack Brabham.
VeloceToday features the work of Gijsbert-Paul Berk, Marshall Buck, Eric Davison and Brandes Elitch; Graham Gauld, Alessandro Gerelli and Carl Goodwin; Michael T. Lynch, Karl Ludvigsen, Denise McCluggage, Ed McDonough and Roberto Motta; Jonathan Sharp, Roy Smith and Hugues Vanhoolandt; we even do Wally Wyss. And that’s not the half of it!
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A rare barn find in the States leads Roy Smith to Alpine’s Jean Rédélé, French Champion Louis Rosier, the post-war US sports car craze, Porsche champion Bob Hobert, and back to France for Retromobile, all in search of a car that never existed. An incredible story in three parts.
By Roy Smith
Barn Find
“The car belonged to my father, Raymond Buckwalter; he drove it for a while, and then parked it. I soon found out why he parked it when I wanted to drive the car for a few months in 1958. Every time I turned the motor off and left it for a while, the car wouldn’t start again without a push. This kind of thing you remember, believe me! I always parked in the same parking lot and the attendant always saved a spot for me. Five days a week they would push me to get it started. I guess my father figured I couldn’t go shopping unless I could find some kind person to push it a few feet, but as I was a young lady at the time, I always found some kind gentleman to give me a push. It was the battery; something was draining it. Rather than fix it my father liked to challenge me and he would often laugh at how I managed these small challenges. Now the memory of it makes me laugh – I can just imagine me in a parking lot at my age trying to get someone to give my car a push! When I went to get it painted in the late 90s we found traces of blue, so I assumed that was the original color.” —Mary Ann Wood
Photo of the strange French special taken by the Wood family in 2009.
The magic is not Monterey; the magic is in the way that our photographer Hugues Vanhoolandt gets the cars without the bodies. We thought it was because of the huge VELOCETODAYPRESS badge he wears, but it is due more to just plain hard work, persistance and his dedication to being at the right spot at the right time, waiting for that Henri Cartier-Bresson decisive moment. Here is Part 1 of Monterey Week by Vanhoolandt.
Quail Rally
The Quail Rally marked the start of the Monterey Classic Car week on Tuesday 14th August with at least 30 classic cars of high quality.
...among them, a rare Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione s/n 07641.
Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue
on the same day, Carmel hosts its annual Concours on the Avenue where people can see vehicles ranging from a small cars like this 1959 Autobianchi Bianchina Trasformabile (or convertible).
Fiat Grand Prix Transporter bodied by Bartoletti, used by Maserati, Scarab and Shelby racing teams. It also appears in the film Le Mans.
Alfa Duetto, a very well done restoration.