VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Goodwood the Great

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What makes Goodwood great. The cars, the pits, the clothes, the drivers, the backdrop, are all presented with relentless historical accuracy. Then they go out and race like hell.

Color Photos and captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Text by Pete Vack

Goodwood’s history has a very Italianate connection. The 9th Duke of Richmond better known as “Freddie” March, was an engineer and engaged in coach building in a business arrangement with Kevill-Davies.


Lancia Augusta March.

Their favorite subjects were Lancias, and the firm produced a number of sporting Lancia Augustas and Aprilias in the 1930s. In 1936, a hill climb was held for a small group of Lancia owners on the grounds of the March’s estate in West Sussex. Freddie reportedly won, of course. The fun was short lived as war was just around the corner. The March’s backyard became an airfield during WWII, and being only 60 miles south of London, served as a base for the Battle of Britain. [Read more…] about Goodwood the Great

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca mixes Hall and de Ferran, History and Great Racing

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deferran-chaparral.jpg
Jim Hall in the Chaparral 2E, Gil de Ferran in the Chapparal 2 and Simon Pagenaud in the Acura ARX-02b circulate at Laguna Seca. Credit: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

By Michael T. Lynch

Believe it or not, there are occasional heartwarming automotive stories that have nothing to do with French or Italian cars. This one concerns Paris-born (to Brazilian parents) Gil de Ferran, who came to the United States to join Hall/VDS Racing in 1995. [Read more…] about Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca mixes Hall and de Ferran, History and Great Racing

Ferrari by Sheehan

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Ferrari F50


Ferrari Enzo

Michael Sheehan looks at the Ferrari Supercars
Part 2 focuses on the V12 F50 and Enzo

All photos by Michael Sheehan unless otherwise noted.
Read Part 1

F50; back to a V-12

“Fifty years of racing, fifty years of winning, fifty years of hard work.” With these words Luca Montezemolo, head of Ferrari S.P.A., introduced the F50 at the Auto Museum in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 6, 1995 in conjunction with the 63rd annual international Automobile Show. [Read more…] about Ferrari by Sheehan

Murphy’s Missing Duesie

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Posed in front of a LeMans setting, the ex-Joe Boyer Duesenberg now rests at the Simeone Foundation in Philadelphia, PA.

Duesenberg’s win at the 1921 French Grand Prix at Le Mans was
significant for what it was as well as marking the gap that would follow. It was a landmark victory by an American car with an American team of drivers that would not be repeated until the Gurney/Foyt Ford GT 40 Mk IV in 1967, forty-six years later.
[Read more…] about Murphy’s Missing Duesie

Japanese Grand Prix

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retro
Giancarlo Fisichella

Red Bull Still in the Hunt

by Erik C. Nielsen
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

Sebastian Vettel kept the Red Bull team’s title hopes alive for another weekend after leading start to finish in this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. The German wore his Teflon driving suit and was untouchable throughout the race. [Read more…] about Japanese Grand Prix

Jon Shirley on Kids and the Nuvolari P3

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Interview with Jon Shirley, owner of the Nuvolari P3.


Jon and Mary Shirley at Pebble Beach 2008.
Photo by Hugues Vanhoolandt.

Jon Shirley developed an interest in cars when he was nine, driving an old truck on a farm. Later when in college, he attended races at Watkins Glen, Thompson and Lime Rock. Naturally he developed an interest in sports cars and racing–one that would last until the present time. [Read more…] about Jon Shirley on Kids and the Nuvolari P3

Grand Prix of Singapore

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retro
Giancarlo Fisichella and Kimi Raikkonen

Concrete Labyrinth

by Pete Vack
Photos courtesy and copyright FerrariMedia

Erik Nielsen is traveling.

There must be something about Singapore the cameras just aren’t catching. While the guys at SpeedTV (and a great crew they are), were waxing about the glories of the Singapore Grand Prix on this island nation, what appeared on our Plasma was a concrete labyrinth consisting of myriads of Armco, ungainly fencing hung over miles of concrete barriers, all artificially and cruelly lit by fifteen hundred lights, the result looking more like a modern prison camp than a glamorous race venue. [Read more…] about Grand Prix of Singapore

A Car Life by Larry Crane

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A Zagato in the closet

Bill Henry called me at Automech. We met a couple of weeks earlier during a Riverside SCCA weekend. He had stopped by the shop and admired my bright turquoise Mini, with the ivory stripe to match its wheels. Now he was proposing a trade. An even trade for pinks. [Read more…] about A Car Life by Larry Crane

A Zagato in America

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Today the subject of this article resides in a collection in New York.

The story of a particular Zagato in America

Story and Photos by Pete Vack unless otherwise noted

The name sounded odd–Fiat Derivazione Abarth 750 GT Zagato–and did not easily roll off American tongues. But once seen, the car was not easily forgotten, while the long, strange name was quickly replaced by the nickname “Double Bubble”. Not only did it refer to the unique top, but Dubble Bubble is also the name of the original chewing bubble gum, which was very popular at the time, that being 1958-59.
[Read more…] about A Zagato in America

Masters of Light

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Nuvolari and Guidotti at a control point in the 1930 Mille Miglia, which they won with this Zagato bodied Alfa 6C Gran Sport.

The late Elio Zagato learned his trade from the very best

By Pete Vack

A free pdf version of this article can be ordered from Pete@velocetoday.com.

April 17, 1930, Brescia

In an awesome demonstration of speed, reliability and advanced design, Alfa Romeo 6C 1750s, all with ultra-light bodies by Zagato, won the first four places in the 1000-mile Italian marathon known as the Mille Miglia. It came as little surprise to master coachbuilder Ugo Zagato, for he had seen it before; Alfa Romeo Zagatos had already won the epic event in 1928 and 1929.
[Read more…] about Masters of Light

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