Photos by Alessandro Gerelli
Our man Alessandro Gerelli was at this years’s Retro in Paris, clicking away. He sent us the Italian cars of interest, the French and those cars which we mark as the Cost of Our Passion. Here are the Italians.
The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
By Gerelli
Photos by Alessandro Gerelli
Our man Alessandro Gerelli was at this years’s Retro in Paris, clicking away. He sent us the Italian cars of interest, the French and those cars which we mark as the Cost of Our Passion. Here are the Italians.
By Gerelli
By pete
Four door Lambos, beautiful Bandinis, fast Fiats
Mark Stehrenberger’s work is familiar to us all, we probably just don’t know it. Sorta like James Patterson, that mysterious writer who has sold more books than both Stephen King and John Grisham. Our man Wallace Wyss uncovers the man, presents his work and his many interesting comments about the state of the art.
What exactly is an Etceterini ? Are they fun to own and drive? What’s the history and what does one do with one? We start this week, but the final word will come a bit later from the author of “La Sport e i suoi artigiani” himself, world famous Italian car historian Andrea Curami. Only here in VeloceToday.
New to VeloceToday is Simon Wright, who totes a good camera, knows his cars and how to write as well. His first for us is a short on the Fiat 500 Trofeo cars at Birmingham UK. We wish the new Fiats were in the U.S. now, but Chrysler seems intent upon NOT. Much more of Simon is on tap for next month as we get deeply into Citroens, designers, and old old Renaults.
Remember this week to give generously to my favorite organization, VeloceToday.com and become a fan of VeloceToday on Facebook, where you’ll see updated information and comments from around the world on a daily basis. Like, a little bit of VeloceToday, every day!
By pete
Mark Stehrenberger is an artist, familiar to most Road & Track and Motor Trend readers for his many projected visions of what the world’s automakers are building next. Mark has also been involved with real life car design and in the past has been a consultant to various automakers such as VW, Peugeot, Renault, Ford, KIA, Subaru, Rolls Royce, Jeep, and Toyota. He resides alternately in Montreux, Switzerland, and Ventura, CA but comes over to Ventura, CA every so often to recharge his batteries (yes, three AAA batteries, not included).
By Wallace Wyss
WYSS: I often look at the major car magazines such as Road & Track, just to see what you are going to predict. Where do you get your information?
STEHRENBERGER: By listening what the car honchos do NOT tell at press conferences, by info obtained from within and without the car makers’ studios, by doing my own, sometimes elaborate and extensive, research, then connecting the dots!
[Read more…] about Master Class Stylist: Mark Stehrenberger
By pete
Why are we so fascinated by Ecterinis?
Because we don’t know much about them. Because they are so rare. Because they are so tiny. Because they are so cute. Because they raced the great races. Because they were built by artisans. Because they are like miniature Ferraris. Because they sound great. Because they represent an era we will never see again. Because they are Italian.
So, exactly what is an “Etceterini” anyway?
Broadly speaking, Etceterinis are tiny, jewel-like race cars from Italy with names that usually ended in a vowel. But today, with vastly increasing prices, limited availability, and international recognition, it might be time to definitively define the word, the class, the car. So we asked two who should know, Italian car historian John de Boer, and Stu Schaller, who reportedly coined the term back in the 1970s. [Read more…] about The Essential Etceterini
By pete
To watch a video of this car, click here:
Howards’ Stanguellini
By Cliff Reuter
“The Behm Stanguellini was imported by Briggs Cunningham for the 1954 Watkins Glen Race. I was there with my Bandini, but the Stang ran off and hid from every one. Briggs could not fit into it so John Gordon Bennet drove.” (Quote from Sandy MacArthur).
[Read more…] about 1953 Stanguellini 750cc DOHC
By pete
Where is Chrysler when you finally want them?
By Simon Wright
Details of the 2010 Trofeo Abarth 500 GB Championship were given at the Autosport International Racing Car show, held at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham between the 14th and 17th January. [Read more…] about British Trofeo Abarth 500 Championship
By pete
We have for you an unusual piece by Brandes Elitch about an unusual person behind an unusual car blog; Wallace Wyss begins a series of Guest Speakers, and we chat up one of the Amelia Etceterini entries.
This year, we’ll try to feature two cars in depth per month, one French, the other Italian. We’ve gotten off to a good start, for in January, we worked up the Talbot Darracq and the Nardi. The other two weeks of each month will be reserved for events, races, odds and ends and guest editorials.
We wish to thank all of you who have recently contributed to VeloceToday. If you are subscribed, and haven’t contributed, please do so. Any amount, however small, will help keep VeloceToday alive. Click here for details..it’s easy!
By Wally
Life is too short for Project Cars
By Wallace Wyss
Photos by Erik Nielsen
It takes a man to admit it, and being a man, I’ll admit it.
I failed to finish a project car.
Not one, but several.
[Read more…] about Guest Speaker: Wyss on Project Cars
By pete
By Brandes Elitch
Every passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion borders on the chaos of memories. (Walter Benjamin)
I have a limited amount of time for discretionary reading. This is because I have to go to work every day. My employer takes a dim view of me spending time on websites not directly related to our business. As you might expect, collecting old cars is not in this category. [Read more…] about Just a Car Geek
By pete
Story and photos courtesy Cliff Reuter
In 1946 Ilario Bandini began producing racing cars in Forli, Italy that featured tubular frames made from airplane wing struts, hand hammered aluminum bodies, and Fiat running gear.
[Read more…] about 1955 750 cc Twin Cam Bandini Siluro
By pete
This week, Nardi for our readers. Click on the story of choice;we hope you choose all four. Thanks to Dino Brunori, Cliff Reuter, Mary Decker Vack and Frank Shaffer.
Don’t forget to read Philippe Defechereux’s updated review of the silliest season ever, in part II of The Inter-Seasonal Sounds of Fury. What else should we expect from the greatest spectacle in racing? We hope the races will be as interesting as the pre-season games. BTW, Defechereux’s James Dean book is on sale at a special price for VT readers.
Below. We have four photos of Etceterinis to illustrate that this year’s Amelia Island Concours on March 12-14 will be the first time a large event has recognized a class for Etceterinis, thanks to the efforts of Cliff Reuter and Bill Warner. The class is already filled, but we will feature each entrant in VeloceToday in the next two months. Hopefully you’ll be there to see all of these rare jewels in person.
And, while we are at it–if you like what we are doing at VeloceToday, please, tell a friend and get them to subscribe. No, tell three friends. Subscriptions are easy, and no strings attached…we don’t use or sell lists or email addresses.