VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Cavallino 2011: The Breakers

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Ferrari 375 America Pininfarina SN 0293 AL winner of the Jet Aviation Cup.

Photos by Alessandro Gerelli

The Palm Beach Cavallino Classic 2011 was held January 18-23 at the Breakers Resort Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2011, this gathering is a six-day convention for Ferrari owners and enthusiasts, with participants and their 400 Ferraris attending from the U.S. and Europe. Below are a selection of photos from convention at the Breakers.
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Cavallino 2011: Mar-a-Lago and Palm Beach International

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Abarth 1000.

Photos by Alessandro Gerelli

The first major event of the Cavallino Classic XX was the Florida Trophy, a two-day track meet at Palm Beach International Raceway on Thursday and Friday, January 20 & 21. Over 120 competition Ferraris revived memories of past and present glory, as their owners drove these historic machines again in a race course setting.

Saturday was the concorso at the Breakers, and finally Sunday the last event in Mar-a-Lago, a wonderful club in Palm Beach: not only Ferraris but also a lot of fantastic old cars including Rolls, Mercedes, Cunningham, etc. Below are photos from Mar-a-Lago and Palm Beach International.
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This Week, of Interest: Alfa Museum in Jeopardy

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Petition to Save the Alfa Museum at Arese—Do it NOW

If you are already aware of this situation, please click here to sign the petition: www.alfaromeoarese.com

Perhaps you’ve heard some rumors of the fate of the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, to the effect that Fiat plans to tear down the building and create a different structure—and not a new museum. This would in effect get around the recent government edict to protect the Alfa Museum and the cars in the collection, as the edict did not mention the building itself. The fate of the cars in the Museum, which itself would no longer exist physically, would then be in jeopardy, sold, or moved to Turin rather than remain in their native city.

We had our man in Milan, Roberto Motta, check out the story. He is his report:

Fiat is attempting to change the constraint of the Ministry of Culture for the Protection of the Alfa Romeo Historical Museum and Archives annex. Their apparent goal would be to tear down the building in which the historic Alfas are housed. (Read our article about Saving the Museum)

The ongoing attempt by FIAT is to make a change to the proviso which would allow the sale of some of the jewels now in the Museum in Arese; or provide the ability to sell the whole property and move the remaining cars to Turin. This would mean that a priceless national heritage would be eradicated from its historical context and then dismember what remains, something that already happened to the Lancia cars. This is precisely what most enthusiasts and the city of Milan and Arese do not wish to happen!

To avoid this, the Alfa Romeo Club Milan has created a blog, which is monitored constantly in order to collect the signatures of fans who want to keep the archive and museum at the site of Arese.

Heads UP…

It is vitally important that we all react quickly for at end of January, the Ministry of Culture will check the objections and requests for amendments. Then the Council of Ministers shall issue the decree after examining the reasons of those who have “promoted” the initiative to recognize the interest of national historic structure in Milan. So your signature is needed before that time!

To express your opinion, it is not necessary to subscribe to the blog: just post a comment. The homepage of the blog is www.alfaromeoarese.com There are over 500 signatures so far, but VeloceToday can easily add thousands of more signatures if our readers respond, so please follow the below instructions!

How to sign the petition:

Click on the site, find “commenti” at the lower right side of the grey box. There will be a number before the word commenti indicating the number of comments. Click on that. Scroll down all the way to the end of the comments section to see the comments box. Enter your comment, (make it brief and to the point) and in the box below which says “Comment Come”, select ‘Anonimo’ and hit “Posta Commento.” A screen will come up with a visual id script, enter that and your message will be posted. It may take a minute or two but it will work, and it is important. Remember if send as anonymous (anonimo) you may want to put your name in the text box.

FERRARI FF: A NEW FAMILY CAR

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By Roberto Motta
Photos: Ferrari-Media – Giovanni Gastel

The new Prancing Horse car is a revolutionary four-seater, four-wheel drive and, of course, is powered by an exceptional V12 engine

Ferrari has revealed the first three images of the new FF, the most powerful and versatile four-seater ever built by Ferrari, and the first Prancing Horse four-wheel drive. The new FF, for Ferrari Four, is an entirely new GT designed by Pininfarina under the direction of Ferrari’s own chief designer, Flavio Manzoni.
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Lancia Flaminia Sales Brochures

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Once in a while I’m forced to go into the depths of our files to remember what I had forgotten we have lying around. Then I think, well, shucks, I bet our readers would like to see some of this stuff. And so, we give you the below without further editorializing. The first brochure is from 1966.
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Via Flaminia 2011

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A Lancia will take us on a quick tour..

By Bart Kleyn
Driving through car-loving Italy.

Why is it that Italian cars are made for small curvy roads ? Why do Italian cars want to rev ? Is it possible this has to do with the roads for which they were conceived ?

If you don’t know the answer to these questions: go to Italy. If you do know the answer, then you want to go to Italy.
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And the Monte Winner is…Peugeot 207 S 2000

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Once in the snow, the game changed for Bouffier.

By Roberto Motta
Photos by Peugeot-media and Renault communication

This year, Peugeot badly wanted to win the centenary Monte, and they succeeded! The 2011 Rallye Monte-Carlo was won by Bouffier/Panseri at the wheel of the 207 S2000.

After the first stage, the 207 S2000 and the Peugeot France driver controlled the rally and went on to take the win.

“At the beginning, I wasn’t the fastest driver on this rally which was never easy. This is the best win of my career,” said Bryan Bouffier. “I wonder whether I will ever experience anything like this again. Winning the Monte Carlo is magic!”
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This Week, of Interest

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50th Anniversary of Formula One at Watkins Glen Events and Programs

The International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen has announced that Mario Andretti will be serving as the honorary chairman for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Formula One at Watkins Glen, a year-long celebration with a lot of great activities and events planned for 2011. Below is a calendar of confirmed events as of January 18th. We urge our readers to support these events and support the IMRRC with a donation. For details, go to their website at www.racingarchives.org.
January
~ Sir Jack Brabham’s Cooper Climax T51 on display at the Center.
~ Full series of Watkins Glen Formula One event posters on display at the Center.
~ Michael Turner paintings used for Formula One program covers and posters on display at the Center.
~ Bob Gillespie paintings of the 1961 and 1969 Formula One races on display at the Center.
February~ Feb. 26, 1 p.m.: Center Conversations talk by Bill Green and Michael Argetsinger about the Formula Libre races leading up to the Oct. 8, 1961 debut of Formula One at Watkins Glen, with a focus on the first race through film and slides.
April~ April 16: Formula One cars on display all day at the Center.
~ April 16: Showing of the documentary, “Making of Grand Prix,” all day at the Center.
~ April 16, 1 p.m.: Honor the 100th birthday of Bill Milliken, chief steward for Formula One races for the series’ first 10 years at Watkins Glen.
~ April 16, 3 p.m.: Center Conversations talk by motorsports writer Pete Lyons speaks about Formula One in the 1970s, when he was working in Europe for Autosport.
~ April 16, 6 p.m.: Showing of “Grand Prix” at The Glen Theater, Franklin Street, Watkins Glen. $5 donation for the Center requested.
~ April 17: Formula One cars on display at Watkins Glen International for Opening Weekend.
May~ May 7: Center Conversations talk by racing great Bobby Rahal on his experiences in both Formula One and the Indy 500. The Indy 500 is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
July~ July 9, 1 p.m.: Center Conversations talk by race fan and history buff Kevin Hughey to honor the American Formula One drivers who raced at Watkins Glen.
September~ Sept. 9: Launch of Michael Argetsinger’s new book “Formula One at Watkins Glen: 20 Years of the United States Grand Prix 1961-1980” at the Grand Prix Festival.
~ Sept. 9, 3 p.m.: Legends Speak at the Grand Prix Festival presents a panel of speakers about Formula One at Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen: A Walk Through History Then and Now

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A walk through the streets of Watkins Glen in 1950 would have revealed this Simca 8. Photo by Frank Shaffer.

In this article we have combined recent images of the town of Watkins Glen as it is today with never before published photos of a walk through the town in 1949 and 1950.

By Pete Vack with historic photos by Frank Shaffer

Visiting Watkins Glen is taking a walk—and a drive–through the history of American sportscar racing. Through the efforts of the late Cameron Argetsinger, road racing in U.S. began right here; you can tour the original, dangerous, yet beautiful circuit, virtually unchanged in 59 years. The original and complete circuit consisting of public roads has been not only preserved but protected under the National Register of Historic Places.

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First Ferrari Challenge, Now the Maserati MC GT Stradale

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Credit Maserti/Mario Chiarappa

The Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale will be the fastest, lightest and most powerful model in the company’s range, and promises to match great performance with supreme refinement

By Roberto Motta
Photos courtesy Maserati/Mario Chiarappa

While the Ferrari 458 Challenge had its world debut at the Bologna Motor on December 2nd, 2010, a few meters away Maserati presented is new car, the GranTurismo MC Stradale. The Stradale was first presented at the Paris Auto Show two months earlier.
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The Renault DeZir: The Emotional Concept Car

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Photo courtesy Renault Communications

Words by Roberto Motta
Photos by Renault Communications

Last week we brought you a bit of news about Renault’s plans for the new range of electric cars to go on sale in mid-2011.

This week, we present the DeZir electric concept car, first seen at the Paris Auto show in October 2010. The Z is for zero emissions, and the name is pronounced desire, even in French. And it is desirable—along with the Citroen Survolt certainly one of the most interesting and attractive concept cars we’ve seen in a long time. In the past few years, it seems that the French have taken the lead in both styling exercises and pushing the envelope on diesel and electric forms of propulsion.
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Designing the DeZir

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Photos courtesy Renault Communications

By Staff

Photos courtesy Renualt Communications

Despite computer technology and CADs, the design and construction of a prototype or show car is still a matter of art and heart. Clay is still clay, craftsman still create the chassis by hand, and stylists still do their magic. These recent photos showing the development of the fantastic DeZir electric car seem to reinforce those thoughts. Enjoy.

Photo courtesy Renault Communications


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