The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
By Roberto Motta
Photo courtesy of the Archives Bertone
On November 2 the Italian Ministry of Heritage and Culture announced that the “Bertone Collection” kept at the company headquarters in Caprie, is now part of the national artistic heritage of Italy. Unfortunately, the Collection is missing some jewelry, but the majority of the collection now is safe.
[Read more…] about Bertone Museum Becomes a National Historic Site: In English and Italian
Art by Wallace Wyss
By Wallace Wyss
In 1959 Carroll Shelby won the biggest race there was in sports car racing, and that was the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He quit driving shortly after that, and just in time, because a heart condition he had managed to hide from the SCCA medical techs was threatening to take him out if he didn’t quit. He wasn’t worried about what he would do next; he was already was working on a plan to build his own sports car.
Although he was known for winning most of his victories in Ferraris and Maseratis, if you search deep down in the racing records you find that, among the fifty different marques of cars he drove was a Buick-powered special called “Ol’ Yaller”.
Shelby knew that the biggest expense in developing a new car was designing and engineering the chassis, the engine and transmission. If he could find a ready-made chassis that already had an existing engine and transmission, well then the problem was considerably smaller– only clothing it in an appropriately Italian sexy style and promoting it. He had spent too much time in Italy not to know that there were great designers and coachbuilders there. He also knew there was a snob appeal to having a car bodied in Italy. He probably had it in for Enzo Ferrari [according to historian Willem Oosthoek, when Shelby boasted of all his victories in the U.S., an unimpressed Enzo asked him: “But what was your competition?” Ed.]
so he thought why not stick it to the old man by having Ferrari’s own body builder build it?
His first idea was to use the All American Corvette. Hence the Corvette Italia.
[Read more…] about Shelby’s TdF
(Photos courtesy of Autodromo Nazionale Monza)
By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy of Roberto Motta, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Citroën Communication, Abu Dhabi World Rally Team and VW-media
Sebastien Loeb: Another win at Monza
On 25 and 27 November, Sebastien Loeb, assisted by his wife Severin as co-pilot, dominated the Monza Rally Show. The Alsatian and his Citroen DS3 WRC won seven of the nine special stages, finishing the event with 24 minute, 2-second lead over motorcycleman Valentino Rossi driving a Ford Focus WRC.
[Read more…] about Post Season Rally News: In English and Italian
This Dino 206S was seen again at the Algarve Historic Festival in Portugal. Here it is in 1965 at the Cesana-Torinese hill climb, its first outing as a hill climb car. Driver Ludovico Scarfiotti has his back to the camera and team manager Eugenio Dragoni.
Four from Portugal, by Graham Gauld
I have been humbled by the response to the first column and only hope I can keep you entertained for a few more months. I think one of the problems is that each chance meeting or race meeting provides an opportunity to dig out even more stories to flesh out information we have on some of the odder pieces of motor sport history. They might otherwise disappear when boring old farts like me arrive at the eventual pit stop hopefully in the sky.
This opportunity to flesh out more information was underlined for me a couple of weeks ago at the final big International European historic meeting, the Algarve Historic Festival in Portugal.
[Read more…] about Graham Gauld: By The Way
Ferrari's means of getting to the track in the 1960s.
Story and photos by Marshall Buck
I’m not sure exactly what it is, but there is something hypnotically attractive about vintage racing car transporters. I’m talking about the kind from the 1930s through the 1960s. Just like the rare competition cars they carry, old race transporters draw crowds anywhere they park. Especially the vintage European kind, of which there have been so very many types, configurations, and manufacturers of. Numerous magazine articles have been written, and even a couple of books have been published on them.
Big pencil, even bigger model!
Old race transporters appear to be one of the next phases of collector vehicles within the Vintage race car community. They are the “in” thing, and they are very cool. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if someday in the future, you find a special showing of these at one of the premier concours. Stranger things have happened.
Imposing rear view, and gives just a hint of extensive and complete underside detail.
By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy of Citroën Communication
With the conquest of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship, Sébastien Loeb won his eighth straight title, and became the most successful driver in the history of motorsport.
[Read more…] about The World’s Most Successful Driver: In English and Italian
Eric Davison’s stirring memoirs of his family and the early years at Watkins Glen evoked many great comments from young and old alike. The series is over, but PDFs of each chapter and the CD of the Davison/Lance photos are still available for Premium Subscribers.
If you are NOT a member, subscribe to our Premium Service now at receive a Free Watkins Glen CD while supplies last! Click below for details.
More features and reports below!
By Carl Goodwin
Photos by Chuck Hazle
The Annual Ray Boniface Picnic is more than a car show. It’s a way to make free breast cancer exams available to women in eastern Ohio who could not otherwise afford one. The Picnic raises money for and schedules two yearly programs providing free mammograms for women in the Warren and Youngstown area of Ohio.
[Read more…] about Boniface Picnic Benefits St. Elizabeth Health Center
Michael Lewis and Sergio Campana ready to test the F60 at Vallelunga.
Golden season continues for Michael Lewis:
He tests in the Ferrari F60; joins the FIA Institutes young driver excellence academy
By Roberto Motta
Photos: ACI Sport Italia and Ferrari-Media
On November 15, Michael Lewis and Sergio Campana achieved one of their wildest dreams: to drive a Ferrari Formula One.
The test is reserved for winners of the Italian Formula 3 Championship, and was organized by the Ferrari Driver Academy in collaboration with the ACI-CSAI and the Federal School of Vallelunga.
Both drivers had access to the Ferrari F60, Ferrari cars which took part in the World Championship in the 2009 season.
[Read more…] about Lewis Tests with Ferrari: In English and Italian
Sergio Scaglietti (l) is seen here with Piero Ferrari. Piero issued the following statement; 'He was one of my father’s best friends. He was next to me with Marco Piccinini also the day my father died and stayed with me the whole night until the funeral. I loved him and he was a very important part of my life. The world is emptier without Sergio.'
By Michael T. Lynch
The world has lost one of the great artisans of immediate post-World War II coachbuilding. Sergio Scaglietti died last Saturday night at his home. A son of Modena born in 1920, he joined his brother at Carrozzeria Emiliana when he was just 13, a year short of what Italian labor laws of the time allowed. This was due to the death of his father and the need for family income.