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Graham Gauld’s Monaco
A photo of the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix showing the old Gasworks hairpin with Frenchman Robert Manzon (who is 95 this year!) in his 2.3 liter Gordini leading Piero Carini’s 340 America Ferrari. Manzon had won the under 2 liter event the day before.
By Graham Gauld
Color images by Graham Gauld
The Monaco Historic Races are always full of surprises.
It’s been sixty years since the Monaco Grand Prix was held strictly for sports cars…the only occasion when the title “Grand Prix” was given to a sports car race rather than a Formula One event. At that 1952 meeting there were actually two races, one for up to 2 liter cars, the Monaco Cup, and one for over 2 liters for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Tony Crook, a pretty smart looking 92 year-old, was brought together with the Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica he raced to third place in the Monaco Cup sixty years ago. Driver John Ure gave him second place in the race for sports cars.
There were at least three cars at the Monaco Historics last weekend that took part in that race, which is not unusual. But also attending was one of the drivers who raced at the event, Tony Crook now 92 years of age! His presence was a truly delightful surprise. [Read more…] about Graham Gauld’s Monaco
Giovanni Savonuzzi’s Detroit Odyssey
1964: Giovanni Savonuzzi with the only Chrysler Turbine Car not painted bronze. The car was prepared for use in the movie “The Lively Set” starring James Darren and Pamela Tiffin. The photo was taken at his home in Franklin, Michigan. Photo courtesy Alberta Savonuzzi.
A Memoir by Robert F. Pauley
For over 25 years I worked in Chrysler’s Research Design Department and spent many years on the gas turbine program. I started at Chrysler in June 1953 as a chassis-engine designer and later was promoted to Design Supervisor for powerplant research. What follows are some remembrances of the time I spent on the Chrysler turbine program with the Italian engineer and designer Giovanni Savonuzzi. Initially we worked on the third floor of the Engineering Building in Chrysler’s Headquarters in Highland Park, a suburb of Detroit In June 1956 the entire turbine engineering group was transferred to a leased building on Greenfield Road in Detroit about eight miles from Highland Park. The building was devoted to the gas turbine program. It was there that my short but memorable relationship with Savonuzzi took place.
Author Robert F. Pauley and the Chryler Turbine Car at the Greenfield Road Plant, circa 1964.
Meeting Savonuzzi
I first met Savonuzzi under rather unusual circumstances. It was in the summer of 1958 and at the time I was working in the Greenfield Road Plant. One day my boss called me into his office and said that he had an assignment for me but that I was not to tell anyone about it. He said that there was an Italian engineer named Savonuzzi in Highland Park who needed some drafting/design work done and that I should go there and see what he wanted. “Wow,” I said, “…you mean THE Giovanni Savonuzzi?” John was taken aback and asked “How do you know about him – they told me it was a secret?” John was not a “car guy” so I had to explain to him that I had read all about Mr. Savonuzzi’s car designs and accomplishments in Road & Track magazine and other car publications. John said “I never heard of him.” And that ended the conversation.
Savonuzzi in the D46 Cisitalia circa 1946.
I drove to Highland Park with great anticipation and went up to the sixth floor of the Engineering Building as instructed. At that time the sixth floor was not being used and the corridors were empty. I found the unmarked door and entered into what appeared to have been the waiting room for some big-shot executive many years ago before World War II. The receptionist appeared to have no other job except to guard the door behind her, but when I told her who I was she stepped aside and announced that “Mr. Pauley is here.” The inner room was quite large with dark mahogany walls. There was a small desk, a couple of chairs and a drawing board covered with drawings and styling sketches but not much else. In the middle of the room was a work platform with a large clay model of an exciting-looking car on top of the pedestal.
Vanhoolandt at Monaco
While Graham Gauld brought us insights and personal stories from the pits at this year’s Historics, Hugues Vanhoolandt delivered his usual outstanding imagery from around the circuit. Below, twenty top shots for our readers.
Two early Gordinis. Number 16 is the very first Gordini single-seater,
The Lancia Marino, built by Marino Brandoli who drove it at the 1957 GP of Naples, Italy, here driven by ex-F1 driver Beppe Gabbiani. See Graham’s article for more information.
Tec Mec 250F was the ultimate evolution of the Maserati 250F. But it was immediately outpaced by the rear engined cars, its only outing being the 1959 US Grand Prix.
The Maserati A6 GCM (M for monoposto) was not accepted that year at the Monaco Grand Prix as it was reserved for Sports Cars. But they took part in the F1 World Drivers Championship, and did very well.
Julia De Baldanza battling at the ‘Swimming Pool’ corner with a Cooper T41.
Grid C commemorates the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix in which Ferraris took the five first places. Three 166 MM Touring barchettas like this one were at the start.
Concorso Pasadena
Photos by Brian Winer and Richard Bartholomew
Sometimes concours d’elegance promoters try too hard, taking years to work up a mini-Pebble Beach when a successful show satisfying to all concerned can be established for far less work and money.
The Concorso Pasadena seems to be a model of how to do such a show at very low cost and yet offer maximum entertainment for the public and the participants. This yearly event is run by the Southwest branch of the Ferrari Club of America and it’s an all-volunteer effort.
Carroll Shelby/Features This Week
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Carroll Shelby
As we remember Carroll Shelby, we offer two short vignettes. The first is written by Eric Davison, who wrote about the trials and tribulations of the Shelby Series 1 in his book “Snake Bit”. It is below in full.
The second remembrance, Carroll Shelby and the OSCA was written by Carl Goodwin, author of “They Started in MGs” includes rare shots of Shelby. [Ed.]
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I was fortunate. Carroll Shelby called me his friend.
I really didn’t get to know him personally until the late 90’s when I became involved in the project that became known as the Shelby Series 1. It was a tough program and there was a lot that could go wrong and did. I hung in there and I guess that he appreciated that fact.
That program ended and I retired to Florida in 2002. Every so often the phone would ring. My wife, Mary, would answer the phone and a raspy old voice would croak “Hi ya, honey, is Eric around?”
I would pick up the phone in awe of the fact that he would call. The message was always a short one. “Just checkin’ up on ya and letting you know that I love ya.”
I love you too, Carroll and I will miss you.
Eric Davison
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Spa 2012: Second Round of WEC In English and Italian
By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy of Ferrari and Porsche AG-Media-Press
Spa Francorchamps –
After a break of two months, the FIA World Endurance Championship was back in action during the weekend of May 4-5 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. [Read more…] about Spa 2012: Second Round of WEC In English and Italian
F1 “Grand Prix of America” Exclusive Preview
Image Courtesy Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial
By Phillipe Defechereux
East Coast F1 circuit all set to “Come Alive” in June 2013
Stories, rumors and gossip are all put to bed. It is real and here is the up-to-date story straight from those making it happen.
First we can confirm that developments for the “Grand Prix of America,” to be staged on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River directly across from Manhattan, are already well along. All the federal, state and local authorities involved approved the plans and logistics on October 15, 2011, with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie beaming in acquiescence during the televised press announcement. This feat was made possible by a triumvirate of top-level American promoters and investors highlighted below. All were pleased with the ten-year contract they secured from Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management (FOM), backed by the FIA.
[Read more…] about F1 “Grand Prix of America” Exclusive Preview
Carroll Shelby and the OSCA
A Shelby portrait taken in about 1956 by racing photographer Alix Lafontant. It is inscribed “The very best to my good friend Alix. – Carroll Shelby.”
By Carl Goodwin
Photos by Alix Lafontant copyright Carl Goodwin.
1956 was a great year for Carroll Shelby driving the Italian cars he loved. Up until a late-season off-course excursion in the sand at Thompson Raceway, he had notched 19 wins at road courses from coast to coast, driving a Ferrari 4.4, Ferrari Monza, Maserati 300S, and a Maserati 450S.
We were accustomed to seeing Shelby toss around the big Ferraris and Maseratis owned by John Edgar and Tony Parravano, but he was also a great driver in under two liter Italian cars such as the OSCA. One such race was at Road America.
Ferrari at Indy
Rare color image of Ascari at the Brickyard in 1952, courtesy Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
During the month of May and the Indy 500, it’s appropriate to think about two events, Monaco and the Indy 500. Most of us are probably very aware of the appearance at Indy of Alberto Ascari in 1952 and the broken wheel which ended his drive. However, more obscure are the other Ferrari entries that continued for some years after the 1952 event. Below Roberto Motta puts it all together in two parts with the help of images from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. [Ed.]
By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Ferraris attempts at “The Brickyard” began in 1952, but continued in subsequent years until 1956, with the last Ferrari Bardhal Experimental car. The results were never encouraging, partly because of a lack of preparation and commitment. Perhaps Ferrari did not take the unique and difficult requirements racing at the Indy 500 as seriously as was warranted. [Read more…] about Ferrari at Indy
Spanish Grand Prix 2012
Fernando Alonso, Pastor Maldonado, Kimi Raikkonen
By Pete Vack
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media, unless otherwise noted
It was an exciting race and yet a boring race. All too exciting was the action after the race was over when the Williams garage caught on fire. Contrary to early reports, at least nine team members were injured in the fire and one mechanic was airlifted to a Barcelona hospital. Sir Frank Williams was quickly taken from the area and is ok. It was an almost tragic end to a well deserved and surprising victory.
[Read more…] about Spanish Grand Prix 2012
Our Features This Week, May 9th, 2012
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