Dale LaFollette of
The Allante: Ultimate Italian Cadillac
By Wallace A. Wyss
Captions by Wyss
All photos courtesy of
Norman Penfield, President Allante Atlanta Car Club
Like a lot of other trends in the auto industry, it started with all good intentions—the creation of an American car with the added glitz of Italian styling and coachwork.
I speak of the Cadillac Allante. The Allante has a name which Cadillac picked out of the air. It is not an Italian word like Avanti was for the Studebaker Avanti (which means “forward” in Italian.) I always thought it sort of hinted at the mythical undersea town of Atlantis. But the car, like the fabled city , sunk beneath the waves….
The two-seater was in production from 1987 through 1993.
Cadillac had seen the success of the Mercedes 450SL (introduced as the 350SL in 1971) and the Jaguar XJS and hungered for their own two seater sporty car. I say “sporty” not “sports.” There’s a difference.
[Read more…] about The Allante: Ultimate Italian Cadillac
Hungarian Grand Prix
Webber on Top
Schumi on Bottom
By Erik Nielsen
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media
There is an old lesson in racing that you don’t necessarily need to be the fastest car out there to win, you just need to be the first to cross the finish line. Mark Webber drew a line under that statement with his uneventful win at the Hungaroring. It really wasn’t his race to win, but it was his team mate Vettel’s to lose. And lose he did. The young German seemed to have the race in the bag with a strong pole performance and outstanding opening laps. [Read more…] about Hungarian Grand Prix
French at Le Mans by Vanhoolandt
Last week Hugues Vanhoolandt displayed the Italian effort at this year’s Le Mans Classic, which everyone is saying gets better and better every year. For the 5th time, Le Mans Classic celebrated the greatest long distance race in the world. With more than 420 cars on the track, ranging from 1923 to 1979, it was close action from Saturday at 4 pm to Sunday same hour.With 96,000 spectators, Le Mans Classic proved to be one of the world’s greatest historic racing car event.
Photos and captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt.
[Read more…] about French at Le Mans by Vanhoolandt
In the Alpes Maritimes with an Alpine-Renault
We last engaged Skip Cook as Philippe Defechereux described the Deutsch-Bonnet at Sebring, and Cook’s adventures running a DB coupe at the Le Mans Classic. Cook recently returned to France to drive an Alpine Renault in the California Classic Rallye event, this year held in the French Riviera. Below is his report.
PARTICIPANT’S DIARY
By Skip Cook
Photos by the author unless otherwise noted
The California Classic Rallye has been held for many years throughout California, but in the last two years has expanded its reach to Europe, first in Tuscany in 2009, and this year in the French Riviera. [Read more…] about In the Alpes Maritimes with an Alpine-Renault
Review:Alpine & Renault: The Sports Prototypes V1 and 2
Alpine & Renault – The Sports Prototypes Volumes 1 and 2
by Roy Smith, Veloce Publishing, 2010
Volume 1: 1963–1969
208 pages,
300 color & b/w illustrations
$69.95/£34.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-84584-191-1
Order here
Volume 2: 1973–1978
224 pages, 359 color & b/w illustrations
$69.95/£34.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-84584-226-0
Order here
Review by Sabu Advani www.Speedreaders.info
Following his previous book Alpine & Renault: The Development of the Revolutionary Turbo F1 Car 1968–1979, Smith takes a look at a very different animal by the same maker/s in this two-volume set: the Sports Prototypes from 1963–1978. Good-looking, reliable, beloved by the French, successful even, but compared to other cars of the time not a great deal has been written about these Alpines, certainly not in book form and most certainly not in English. [Read more…] about Review:Alpine & Renault: The Sports Prototypes V1 and 2
German Grand Prix
Ferrari Win/Lose
by Philippe Defechereux
Photos courtesy and copyright Planet F1
During Friday’s qualifying practice at Hockenheim, as well as Saturday’s qualifying, Ferrari dominated the pack for the first time since… the 2010 season’s first Grand Prix in Bahrain. [Read more…] about German Grand Prix
This Week, of Interest
Contribution Drive News
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Hellé Nice to R.I.P.
Foundation Will Position Grave Marker during September 4th Ceremony in Ste Mesme
Artwork by Larry Crane
The Hellé Nice Foundation has announced a ceremony to be held in Ste Mesme, France on September 4, 2010 honoring French female racecar driver Hellé Nice. “For 26 years, Nice has rested in an unmarked grave and our foundation’s first project has been to raise funds and place a marker on her grave”, said Sheryl Greene. A Service of Commemoration will be held at the Ste Mesme church and in the adjoining cemetery where the marker will be placed. Speakers will include Miranda Seymour, author of “The Bugatti Queen”, essayist, lecturer and author of the Hellé Nice biography; VeloceToday correspondent and motorsports historian Dr. Patricia Lee Yongue and Sheryl Greene, originator and founder of the Hellé Nice Foundation.
Additional ceremony guests include: Annie Soisbault, Triumph works driver famous for her performances in races and rallies and Jean-Pierre Beltoise, who restored hope to French motor sport and won the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix. Club Bugatti France will bring several examples of Bugattis similar to the ones Nice drove on the track. Those attending are invited to bring their own classic and vintage cars along with flowers to place on the grave. “We invite lovers and devotees of the car in general, and of motor sport in particular, to join us in restoring the memory of one of automobile history’s great women racers”, said Greene. The ceremony begins at the church in Ste-Mesme located at Chemin de l’Eglise, 78739 Sainte-Mesme, France, on September 04, 2010 at 11:00AM (Paris time)
For more information contact Sheryl Greene at Sherylgreene@gmail.com or 404 429-9600 in Atlanta, GA, USA.
The Art of Retro
Text and photos by John Sexton. Art and layout by Jodi Ellis.
[Read more…] about The Art of Retro
Italians at LeMans 2010
Fantastic imagery from our man Hugues Vanhoolandt at the LeMans Classic, July 9-11th 2010. Next week the French–
Photos and Captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
[Read more…] about Italians at LeMans 2010
Book Review: Alpine and Renault: The Development of the Revolutionary Turbo F1 Car 1968 to 1979
Review by Pete Vack
Images courtesy of Veloce Publishing
VelocePublishing 2008
By Roy Smith
Roy Smith has made good use of his automotive and professional experience, (Read “Roy Smith, A good go”) putting both to work in order to get his hands around a very complex, difficult and many layered history. On one level to write “Alpine and Renault, The Development of the Revolutionary Turbo F1 Car 1968 to 1979,” seems a simple task; one car, one era, one manufacturer, one formula. [Read more…] about Book Review: Alpine and Renault: The Development of the Revolutionary Turbo F1 Car 1968 to 1979
Roy Smith: A Good Go
Alpine Renault author Roy Smith has had a go at all the fine and fun things in life
By Pete Vack
Photos courtesy Roy Smith
Roy Smith has given the motoring world three very special, often brilliant, and thoroughly delightful books about Alpine and Renault in the space of the same number of years. That’s an amazing feat, his works are well researched, with hundreds of photos, first person interviews, diagrams, and fresh new information about a rare subject. There is no doubt they are landmark books on the subject of Alpine Renault. And if that’s not enough, his latest work on Gordini is due out in 2011. [Read more…] about Roy Smith: A Good Go