Dante Rubli is an internationally known artist who has been creating unique works of art for twenty five years. Based in Bern, Switzerland, Dante uses such diverse materials as wood, steel, gold, and platinum for his custom furniture, and now, automobiles. [Read more…] about 24 Karat Ferrari GTO Art to be Unveiled at Pebble Beach
Ferrari 458 Grand Am Italia in English and Italian
By Roberto Motta
Photos: Ferrari Media
After the GT2, GT3 and Challenge versions of the 458, on 18 July, at the Fiorano circuit, debuted the Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am, a model name one is more likely to remember, if in fact it becomes official nomenclature.
Based on the GT3 version of the Italia and destined for the U.S. Grand Am North American series, it was built in collaboration with Michelotto Cars of Padua, Italy,
[Read more…] about Ferrari 458 Grand Am Italia in English and Italian
Lamm’s Ferrari Book: Not New but Still Good (and cheap)
BOOK REVIEW:
Ferrari: Stories from Those who Lived the Legend
Author: John Lamm
Book Design: Chuck Queener
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition
(October 15, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0760328331
ISBN-13: 978-0760328330
Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds
Price:$60 On Sale, $15
To Order:Motorbooks
1-800-458-0454
A good book on Ferrari need not be expensive…
Review by Wallace Wyss and the Editor (in Italics)
There are car books written by those who, embarrassingly, never drove the cars they write about, or, if it’s race cars, never met one of the racers who raced one personally.
[Read more…] about Lamm’s Ferrari Book: Not New but Still Good (and cheap)
German Grand Prix; VeloceToday Rates the Drivers
By Pete Vack
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media
Ferrari loses in pit lane—not once but twice.
Almost eliminating all the recent gains made with the Italia, Ferrari managed to make a mess out of the German Grand Prix by twice losing the pit race. [Read more…] about German Grand Prix; VeloceToday Rates the Drivers
This Week, of Interest: Time Warp 275 GTB; Win a Poster
Stop press
Although a Ferrari 275 GTB was NOT the car used in the famous video “Rendezvous”, (see article below) here’s one that has been in a time warp that just came to our attention. Ferrari hunter Tom Shaugnessy recently obtained this totally original, virtually untouched alloy bodied 275 GTB and it will appear at Concorso this year, then be up for auction at the Gooding later in the weekend. Tom found it ealier this month at a Ferraris specialist shop. Good luck Tom…
This week’s contest
To win this poster courtesy of the Simeone Foundation , tell us what Frenchman, later to drive for Scuderia Ferrari, did not finish in this event. Last week’s winner was Gérard Gaud from France. We had multiple winners and we drew the name from hat. This week we’ll do the same. Entries close on Friday at 12 noon EDT USA. Send all entries to pete@velocetoday.com.
This week, things French
*Film maker Stephen Mitchell, new to VeloceToday, starts off the set by telling us how director Claude Lelouch influenced his life and work and ponders a recreation of his most famous work, “Rendezvous.” “Let’s do it again in a 458 Italia”, he says.
*Next comes two articles about the amazing blazing Renault Shooting Star, which sounds even nicer in French as “Etoile Filante”. The first part is free, (Freemium) feature, the second is for our Premium Members only. So please join up. You won’t be disappointed!
*Then, top photog Hugues Vanhoolandt sent us what he liked about the Goodwood Festival this year–at least the French and Italian cars he caught going up the hill.
Renedezvous Redux? Reflections on Claude Lelouch
By Stephen Mitchell
Artwork by Chad Glass
French Translation follows English text
When Stephen Mitchell was recently introduced to VeloceToday by Wallace Wyss, he told us a bit about himself, mentioning Ferrari, film making, and Paris. We added this up and asked him his thoughts on, of course, Claude Lelouch’s film ‘Rendezvous’. Bingo!! We pressed the right button.
Mitchell was born and raised to have a Hollywood career–literally. A native of Los Angeles, he studied sound, cinematography and editing with department heads from CBS Cinema Center in Studio City, California where Steve McQueen had his Solar Productions. Working as an extra and in small speaking parts in Hollywood films, he practically lived on the set of the television series Mission: Impossible as a family friend directed many of the show’s episodes. Obviously a film career was in the making, but instead of Hollywood, Mitchell’s film career began in France. “I went to Paris because I saw a film by Claude Lelouch—“A Man and a Woman”. It showed me exactly the kind of film I wanted to be making and it wasn’t happening in Hollywood.” We’ll let Mitchell take it from here…
While my interest in films was already well established, strangely enough my passion for cars took root while I was recovering from a head-on collision on the Ventura Freeway. I wasn’t expected to live through the first night but, in the end, my father and I both survived. I read one Road & Track magazine after another, learning and becoming excited about Ferraris, Formula One and the incredible collection of personalities that populated those worlds. It was family friend and mentor Paul Stanley, the director who issued a standing invitation to visit the sets he worked on, who told me I should see A Man and a Woman. (1966) It had impressed him and he figured I would like it, too. That was an understatement. [Read more…] about Renedezvous Redux? Reflections on Claude Lelouch
Renault Streamliner hits 190mph—in 1956!
By Roberto Motta
All photos by Renault Internal / Press
Part I Construction and Development
The post-war period saw a great development of the aerospace industry. In France, a little team of engineers decided to apply aeronautic technologies to a record car, and the result was the Étoile Filante (Shooting Star). It was a meteoric success….
Renault hits 190mph—in 1956! Part II
By Roberto Motta
All photos by Renault Internal / Press
The record
On August 17th, Albert Lory, his team and the French streamliner embarked on a airplane for the U.S.A. At the same time the U.S.A. subsidiary of Renault was mobilized under the leadership of Robert Lamaison, director of Renault U.S.A.
[Read more…] about Renault hits 190mph—in 1956! Part II
French and Italian Cars at Goodwood Festival
Hugues Vanhoolandt brings us the best of France and Italy, Goodwood Style.
Every year since 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Southern England attracts the best of the cars and drivers from past and present and even provides a look at the future of the automobile.
One of the themes of this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was “Giant steps in motor racing history”, and to illustrate the theme, some French cars in attendance were really appropriate. To mention a few, a 1930 Bugatti Type 53 four-wheel drive, the 1964 CD-Panhard with its aerodynamic shape to suit the straights of Le Mans, the four-wheel steering Peugeot 405 T 16 ‘Pikes Peak’, the 1977 Renault Turbo that revolutionized F1 and the 2010 electric powered Citroën Survolt. French cars have been on the leading edge of technological changes since the invention of the automobile.
Only the Festival of Speed can bring together so many different cars to give an instant view of more than a century of automotive history and this year Ferrari and Fiat were in showing cars that covered the span of that century. Chris Evans’ collection alone was worth the trip!
Italians
This Week, of Interest: Win the Best Nardi Book Ever
Our winner last week was Paul Jewell, who, along with many others, correctly answered that the mascherina was the Giulietta grille and of course in front of the car. Paul told us his father owns a Giulietta and he would give Evan’s book to him as a present. Now that’s neat. Many thanks to all who entered!
This week, an even bigger book is our prize as we celebrate another successful Le Mitichie a Bassano. Last week’s contest process worked well, so it will continue; there will probably always be mulitple correct answers, so we’ll put them in a hat and make a drawing the old analog way. In addition, our friends from Australia said, please, add another day before closing the contest as they are a day behind us. Identify the car and year made in the photo above and send your answer to pete@velocetoday.com before 12 noon EDT July 15th 2011.
Not only has Dino Brunori authored the best Nardi book ever (and our best selling book), but is instrumental in organizing the beautiful barchettas at Bassano event. Again this year Charles Schoendorf writes the story from behind the wheel of his Arnolt Bristol.
To keep with the theme of small Italian cars this week, we offer up a bit about Abarth Days in Italy, thanks to Roberto Motta. More to come on Abarths soon.
We welcome a new advertizer, and an important one. Borrani Americas wants to make sure you know all about Borrani’s current line of wheels and services. We want you to know all about the fascinating history of Borrani and the wire wheel, and kick it off with an introduction in this edition of VeloceToday. We’ll start with the basics…like did you know you could get Borranis for your Cadillac? And be sure to check out the new line of Borrani wheels from X to S.
The we have the sleeper GP–which came alive in a big way on the very last lap. See Erik’s report on the British Grand Prix.
Scroll away!
Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano 2011
By Chuck Schoendorf and Dino Brunori
Photos by Dino Brunori
If you own an open sports car from the golden era of the great Italian road races like the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio or Coppa d’Oro, you must attend Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano. Come once and you will become a Mitiche addict, and both a certified sports car driver and a certified nut ! A certified driver because of the gruelling, non-stop challenging mountain roads, a certified nut because all the cars are barchettas, meaning open cockpit, and it always rains in the mountains!
[Read more…] about Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano 2011
Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano 2011 Images
Photo Story by Dino Brunori
Le Mitiche Sport brings out a wide variety of historic racing cars not seen elsewhere in the world including a great number of of our favorite small displacement Italian sports racers. But also eligible are the legendary big cars like the Mercedes SSK below making it an event not to be missed.
[Read more…] about Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano 2011 Images