The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Remarkable Alfa scultpure at Goodwood.
Story and photos by Robert Neary
With a theme of VIVA VELOCE and a celebration of 100 years of Alfa Romeo, this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was a truly wonderful event for the Italian car enthusiast. [Read more…] about Alfas Star at Goodwood, July 2-4, 2010
There's carbon on this sparkplug, the Alfa lady seems to be saying. Dunkirk 1958. Photo: Alix Lafontant.
By Carl Goodwin
A slow beginning
The Alfa Giulietta did not come on the sports car scene as Porsche did, with dramatic wins and startling performance. Instead, it kind of slid into the U.S. market, and began to race two years after its introduction in Italy. [Read more…] about Racing the Alfa Giulietta in America Part I
Following close: Detroit's Harry Constant in Alfa #84 is hounded by Chuck Stoddard in the #25 Alfa, with the rest of the Put-in-Bay field in the distance. Photo: Joe Brown
By Carl Goodwin
Stoddard Racing
Chuck Stoddard won national SCCA championships in 1959, 1961 and 1965 in Alfas. “The Giulietta didn’t get interesting,” he says, “until the Veloce was introduced. Bob Grossman was one of the first to run one. Max Hoffman was behind it – he pitted Porsche against Alfa. He would go to Porsche and tell them ‘The Speedsters are nice but the Giulietta is nicer.’ [Read more…] about Racing the Alfa Giulietta in America Part II
Madam Holtzschuch poses with the T57S in its first iteration at the Juan de Pins Concours on Cap d'Antibes in 1937. Credit: Pierre-Yves Laugier Collection.
By Michael T. Lynch
Much of the breathless reportage in the business and popular press of the recent sale of a Type 57SC Bugatti Atlantic focused on its price and the supposed fact that there were only two — some said three — Atlantics built.
There were actually four cars. [Read more…] about T57S Bugatti Atlantic Reappears at Pebble Beach
Jet black is one of the colors that make an old Allante look new.
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
Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber
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
Still looking for the Pink Panther.
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
The Alpine overlooking the Riviera. Photo by RentaCarClassic.
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
Alonso and Massa on the podium: anything but a joyful pair
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
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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.
Text and photos by John Sexton. Art and layout by Jodi Ellis.
[Read more…] about The Art of Retro
