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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

The Paul Farago Story

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Watkins Glen, 1949. Paul Farago parades his Farago Fiat in streets. Color photo by Eric Davison.

By Eric Davison

The entry list of racing cars for the 1948-1950 events at Watkins Glen was a mixed lot and most were cars produced before WW2. One of the few new cars and arguably one of the most attractive was the Farago Fiat.

Paul Farago was an Italian from Calabria, Italy who immigrated to Detroit with his family in 1930.  Paul’s father operated a bus line and Paul was a skilled mechanic by the time the family arrived in Detroit. He quickly established himself as an expert on foreign car repairs as well as a race car driver on local Michigan dirt tracks.

When WW2 broke out Farago served in the Army Air Corps.  When the war ended he established Farago Auto Service at 18725 John R. Street between Detroit’s Six and Seven Mile Roads.  His business flourished as the private garages of Detroit and its suburbs spilled out all the wonderful cars that had been put on blocks for ‘the duration.’

Farago was also a charter member of the Detroit Region of the Sports Car Club of America.  The Region had been formed when Bill Woods and his brother Jack placed a classified ad in a Detroit newspaper.  The Woods brothers were sports car enthusiasts and were the owners of Woods’ Motors on Detroit’s east side.  They sold MGs, Hillmans and other miscellaneous imports. [Read more…] about The Paul Farago Story

Spa Classic 2011

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Small turnout at the first Spa Classic didn't deter our man Vanhoolandt from bringing back great shots. The Raidillon corner, pictured here, is the landmark of the circuit, a right turn uphill that F1 cars take flat out.

Photos and Captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt

Belgian Vincent Gaye always spectacular in his Ferrari 250 GT SWB s/n 2069GT, winner of the race for pre-66 Italians Sports and GTs.

The first Spa Classic was held at the end of May on a circuit called by some ‘the most beautiful circuit in the world’, Francorchamps in the Ardennes region in southern Belgium.
It is certainly one of the most challenging racetracks with fast corners, climbs and descents.
[Read more…] about Spa Classic 2011

This Week, of Interest

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Ferraris on the Big Screen?
It could happen, but they may have to share track space with Fords…

By Wallace Wyss


According to a story disseminated by Reuters last week, director Michael Mann is in talks with 20th Century Fox to develop and potentially direct “Go Like Hell,” the real-life story of the famous competition between the Ford Motor Co. and Ferrari that led to Ford winning the Le Mans in 1967. (Ironically the Reuters reporter must have forgotten that Ford first won in 1966.)

The Reuters story says that Ford ” was the first American car maker to win the world’s oldest car race, held annually in France. For years, Ferrari had dominated the contest.”

20th Century Fox plans to base their film on A.J. Baime’s (a Playboy editor) book of the same name, which they describe as the story of when “a young Henry Ford II — determined to infuse new life into his family’s company — decided to get into the European racing scene. With the help of racer Carroll Shelby and Lee Iacocca, Ford built and designed a car that could take on Ferrari cars, known for their speed and style. They ultimately won the Le Mans.”

In actuality, Ford pretty much designed the GT40 without Shelby’s help and ran their first season in endurance racing–1964–without his help but in the winter of ’64 sent the Ford GTs to Shelby to sort out since they had failed so miserably in ’64.

The Reuters story says “Insiders say the initial idea was for Mann to develop the script.” Various stories in the last few days say a script already exists, penned by Jason Keller. He has sold several scripts and is also developing “The Devil’s Throat” with Josh Brolin attached to star, as well as being in pre-production on “Snow White.” Coincidentally Brolin has been reported in being interested in the film, as well as Brad Pitt, though no stars are attached as yet.

Mann is a great friend of Ferrari. He, of course, is famous for featuring the Daytona Spyder in the pilot of the TV show Miami Vice though in the TV series itself it was a replica, later replaced by a Ferrari Testarossa replica. In the later feature film of Miami Vice, he features a Ferrari 430 Spyder. In 2009, Mann produced and directed a 3-minute promotional film on the new Ferrari California Spyder which was played at the American preview in Santa Monica to a Ferrari-owning crowd of invitees. Mann also once displayed his own modern Ferrari 599 GTO at a concours at the Art Center College of Design.

Wallace Wyss, a prolific non-fiction book author, has just signed with an agent to promote his unpublished suspense thriller set in the world of Ferraris.”
[Ed.]

A Tribute to Ingegner Mauro Forghieri May 6th -June 12th In English and Italian

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The entrance to the exhibition with an image of Mauro Forghieri sitting in a 8 cylinder formula one car.

 

Photos and story by Alessandro Gerelli

Scroll down for Italian text

At the beginning of 1960s, I was a boy attending high school who didn’t know anything about cars; my family didn’t even own one.

But automobiles suddenly got my attention and quickly expanded to include the car-racing world, where I quickly discovered the existence of a brand called Ferrari, competing in many different classes.

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Rally Argentina in English and Italian

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By Roberto Motta

Photos courtesy of Citroën Communication, Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, Ford Motor Company

Earlier this month, with the Rally of Sardinia, we had a glimpse of the future of the WRC with the debut of the Mini and the announcement of the WV Polo R for 2013. Three weeks later, the month of May witnessed the sixth round of the World Rally in 2011, and the second trip to South America. This time it was the Rally Argentina.
[Read more…] about Rally Argentina in English and Italian

Monaco Grand Prix

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Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button

By Pete Vack

Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

We have mentioned the young Japanese driver Kobayashi before in these spaces; it is becoming clearer that this year he is gaining in status and experience while both learning from and taking the race to the former seven time World Champion Michael Schumacher. [Read more…] about Monaco Grand Prix

Lynch at Lockbourne, 1953

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With the help of Doug Chadwick’s photo collection, Michael T. Lynch recalls the event and put captions to the photos below.

Not many single seaters were seen in early SCCA racing. This is Woodie Garber’s Alfa 308 at Lockbourne. Even then, it was well traveled, having participated in European Grands Prix, U.S. ARCA racing, the Indianapolis 500 and the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. It did not finish.

Lockbourne AFB, 1953. Here’s one of the great Italians of the 50s in U.S. racing. This is Fritz Koster’s Maserati A6GCS. It won its class in the main event that day and was later owned by historian/auto executive Karl Ludvigsen. It now is back in the Koster family and is still racing.

[Read more…] about Lynch at Lockbourne, 1953

An Affair (by which) to Remember

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Michael T. Lynch recalls the past while on the One Lap of Marin.

By Michael T. Lynch

Every now and then I do something with cars that takes me back to the joys I encountered when I first became involved with foreign cars. By the time I was in my very early teens, I had a pretty good exposure to American racing, including midgets, sprints and what were then called big cars – Indianapolis machinery. Like most youths of my era, I had a romance with hot rods. Before my high school years, I had some experiences that changed my perspective. I saw a Jaguar XK-120 on the street in Cleveland and was blown away.
[Read more…] about An Affair (by which) to Remember

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