VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Vanhoolandt at Monaco

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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.

Gordinis

Two early Gordinis. Number 16 is the very first Gordini single-seater,

Lancia Marino

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

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.

Maserati A6gcm

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.

Maserati

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.

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Concorso Pasadena

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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.

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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.]
___________________

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

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ferrari 458

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

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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

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carroll shelby portrait

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.

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Ferrari at Indy

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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

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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

Moretti 750 Gran Sport Times Three

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Above: Posing with the Harry Jones Moretti are (left-to-right) Viola Jones, Pat McAfee (then wife of Jack McAfee), and Vi’s husband Harry Jones. Santa Barbara paddock, September 1954. Photo: John Edgar, Edgar Motorsport Archive
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By Pete Vack

Thanks to Peter Vanlaw, William Edgar, Alex Vazeos, Rex McAfee, Cliff Reuter, John de Boer, Karl Ludvigsen and Cindy Meitle.

Road & Track, August 1954. The color photo is by photographer and journalist Bob Rolofson; the car, a Moretti Gran Sport—the archetypical “Baby Ferrari”. No doubt many more people saw this photo than would ever lay eyes on the actual car itself; few subjected to the cover photo or the reality would likely soon forget the sight. Even today, the car stirs the imagination.

There might be ten or twenty of these 748cc Michelotti-designed “Gran Sport” Morettis around. John de Boer lists ten known berlinettas (Gran Sport) but emphatically states that the list is far from complete and is constantly updated and there may well be only eight in existence today. Two are very well known and have clear provenances… chassis 1293s (ex-Ludvigsen) and 1294s (now owned by Alex Vazeos), and a third the Road & Track cover car, is featured here for the first time in competition.

While doing last minute research for this article and with the help of William Edgar and Peter Vanlaw, we found some new insights about the Moretti Gran Sports that went though the hands of West Coast importer Ernie McAfee. The competition record of the GS is quite good, but hard to research. Next week in Part II we’ll provide what we know and hopefully readers can add to the list of events.

Saving the Gran Sports

Moretti-GS-750-Ludvigsen

Karl Ludvigsen at the Mille Miglia in 1998 with Moretti GS#1293s. He found, restored and cared for the car for twenty years before selling it to Larry Auriana in 1998.

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Cross Country Miura

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Guy Anderson is a famous exotic car dealer from the South who has identified himself with some of the most exciting cars including Ferrari, Lamborghini and the Cobra. Along the way he has had many adventures, some of which were harrowing at the time but are a good laugh now. He shared one story after being prodded by VT contributor Wallace Wyss

Story and Photos by Guy Anderson

This tale begins with the purchase of a pair of Miuras. One was a 1966 P400 that was painted in white with red and blue accents. The slats, eyelashes, rockers, bumpers and grills were painted in either red or blue. It was bizarre to look at, kind of a “beater”. The second car was a pale blue 1969 “S” with the paint being considered flat, not very glossy.

Both cars were the property of a man who advertised them in www.motors.co.uk.. When I saw the ad I immediately called the owner and struck up a deal to purchase the pair. I sent him a deposit and prepared to venture to Lake Tahoe to drive both the cars back to Atlanta, Georgia, a distance of approximately 2,500 miles.

The early P400 was running but the brakes did not work. The S would start but was popping and skipping “BAD” according to the owner.

The pictures of the cars arrived, but since the pictures were Polaroid shots, you couldn’t see anything but a faint blue and faint white silhouette of the Miuras sitting in a garage. After deliberating what tools and parts were needed to take, we decided on brake parts, alternator belts, points, plugs and a roll of high tension copper-core, spark plug wire and some spark plug ends. We also brought all tools necessary to make such a trip and a carb synchronizer for good measure. [Read more…] about Cross Country Miura

1975 Alfa Tipo 33-TT-12

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alfa-T33

By Alan Yankolonis

There are many stories surrounding the famous Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 that was developed during the period from 1967 through 1977 and there are still a few mysteries related to the provenance of some of these famous Alfas. Of particular interest was a car that was developed in 1975 as a test mule for modifications—AR-115-12-012, an experimental car that now resides in the Simeone Foundation. Previously, there has been very little published about this car, and below we hope to put forth a few theories about the car’s competition record.

Much of the research for this article is from an excellent book published in 2005 and written by Peter Collins and Ed McDonough, entitled; Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 The Development and Racing History. The book covers the ten year span of the development of the Tipo 33 with its racing history and the difficulty of tracking the many chassis numbers, as well as the many rumors and myths surrounding this car model and Alfa Romeo in general.

Alfa T33

The Simeone Alfa T33 as it appears today. The car had been restored by Ambrosiana Motor Car of Italy in 1988 and acquired by Dr. Fred Simeone shortly thereafter.

In the Collins/McDonough book, I read with interest that chassis number AR-115-12-012 which now resides with the Simone Foundation, received little mention as to its participation in the 1975 World Championship of Makes (WCM) (later called the World Sports Car Championship). Chassis #012 did not receive credit for participation in any of the WCM races that year, although a few races did not have chassis numbers listed. As best as I can determine five chassis were utilized in 1975, serial numbers ending in: 008, 009, 010, 011, and one test car. Could it be that #012 was in fact the test car?

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