VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Musings at the Mullin

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Photo by Hugues Vanhoolandt.

As we have all learned, Eric Davison has been around cars for a very long time, from his Watkins Glen days with his father to haunting car and art museums with his wife. So when we found he was going to the Mullin, we asked him to bring back a report on something off the beaten path. Said Davison of the assignment after he returned, “It sounds so very easy but when you are in the Mullin Museum and basically overwhelmed by the magnificence of the cars and of the building’s French decor and the general ambience, the task becomes more complicated.” So did he succeed and bring back a few surprises? We think so—
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Indian Grand Prix 2011: Bully for Formula One

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Jenson Button, Adrian Newey, Sebastian Vettel, and Fernando Alonso

By Pete Vack

Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

Bully for India and Formula One

One of our more illustrious Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, was a member of the Bull Moose Party and was given to using the word “Bully” in a positive manner, as in meaning “good”, “great” or “excellent”. Roosevelt also coined the term “Bully Pulpit”, which has an additional meaning here—the “Bully Pulpit” being the ability of the President to use his ‘pulpit’ in an influential manner. And a pulpit is what we have here, what you are reading; a podium, a platform, an opportunity to speak our mind and to have thousands hear it or read it.
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Watkins Glen Memoirs Part 5: 1951

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Within a few weeks Dad was contacted by the person who had left the note on our SS100. He was serious about wanting the car. While Dad had not contemplated selling, he was bitterly disappointed by the fact that he did not get to race at the Glen. He named a price, one that covered the purchase price, the paint job and a small profit. The car was sold and one Saturday a mechanic showed up and with Dad’s help, replaced the rod bearing and drove off.

Fortunately I had convinced Dad to do a painting of the car and I was the recipient of a magnificent rendition of DWU 834, a lasting memento of the car and of his talents.

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The Frick Vignales

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Frick Cad Vignale

Photo of one of the three known Frick Vignale Cadillacs by Axelrod.

Recently Al Axelrod reported on the Morgan Adams Concours in Denver and spotted a car that piqued our interest, since we had no prior knowledge of such an Italian American hybrid. We asked him to pursue it and he did. His report caused further investigation the results of which we reveal in an addendum from Staff, immediately following Al’s report.

Story and color images by Al Axelrod

In the early fifties, a hot rodder entrepreneur by the name of Bill Frick established Bill Frick Motors and found a ready market for an estimated 200 Fordillacs. As it sounds, a Fordillac was a 1949 Ford with the newly introduced 331ci Cadillac V8, shoehorned into the Ford. Along with Phil Walters (aka Ted Tappet), a very highly regarded race car driver in midgets and sportscars, they managed a successful engine conversion garage in New York Things were looking up for the team when Briggs Cunningham, who often employed both Frick and Walters, decided to open a car building facility in Florida and took the pair with him.

Frick Cad Vignale

Seemingly well proportioned from the front, the convertible is the most attractive of the three Frick Vignales.

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One Man’s Pantera

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A Man and his Car Series: Al Axelrod going on 33 Years with one Pantera.

By Wallace Wyss

They say after many years of marriage a couple tends to look alike.

So far, after a 34-year “marriage” to his Pantera, Al Axelrod hasn’t yet taken on a silver patina (except for a wee bit of gray around the temples…) like his Pantera, but it could happen.

Why so long with one car?

“It meets my needs as far as an exotic,” says Axelrod, who for 24 years ran his own shop adjacent to Beverly Hills servicing special interest and exotic cars.

Axelrod now lives in Centennial, Colorado, where, even though he’s in his mid 70’s, he still looks forward to each ski season, especially at Copper Mountain and Vail, let alone A-Basin and Winter Park.

But when there’s no snow on the ground, for entertainment, he drives his 1972 Pantera. (or maybe his ‘32 Ford street rod stake truck) “I bought the Pantera with 26k miles on it, fried engine and all, back in 1976,” he recalls after maintaining it for the original owner who purchased it at a Lincoln-Mercury dealer in Hollywood and refused to take it back there for “warrantee” work.

Hey, if you're 75 and you're still skiing, then you can handle a rip-roarin' sports car like a Pantera.

“I had looked at several and knew not to get the very early ones which had cooling problems and some detail issues needing upgrading. By the time mine (mid 72) was made they had sorted all that out.”

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Senna, Manso and a Dog

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By Brandes Elitch

Senna, the movie, won the World Cinema Audience Award in the documentary category at the Sundance Festival this year.


Recently, I saw the movie “Senna.” It must be in limited release, because only one theatre in my town of 150,000 souls is showing it, and even then for just a few showings. There is a great story here somewhere, but you wouldn’t know it from this film. The most basic elements of character development were missing. I didn’t know much more about Senna at the end of the film than at the beginning, not to mention what the distinguishing characteristics were in the cars and tracks he raced. [Read more…] about Senna, Manso and a Dog

The Color of Watkins Glen Street Years–Free!

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1949: A Fiat 1100 Zagato makes a rare appearance in the U.S. On the car is a sign with the name of a Fiat dealer but we can’t read it; can our readers help? Zagato made a series of these Panoramica coupes, taking advantage of a new material called Plexiglas. This image is one of the 260 color and b&w photos on the Watkins Glen CD. Be sure to sign up for VeloceToday and get your FREE CD. Photo by Harold Lance.

Siata Crosley 1951: Otto Linton in the Siata at the Glen. Linton will be the guest speaker at a VSCCA Luncheon, December 4th, in Somers NY. Contact frankrighetti33@aol.com for details. This image is one of the 260 color and b&w photos on the Watkins Glen CD. Be sure to sign up for VeloceToday and get your FREE CD. Photo by Harold Lance.

bugatti t351948: Bill Milliken’s T35A Bugatti before the incident at “Thrill Curve”. Milliken rolled the Bugatti and henceforth “Thrill Curve” became “Milliken’s Corner”. Milliken was unharmed. This is one of the 260 color and b&w photos on the Watkins Glen CD. Be sure to sign up for VeloceToday and get your FREE CD. Photo by Harold Lance.

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