The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Sorry, not really a Ferrari in the lead.
Follow the money
by Pete Vack (Erik Nielsen is traveling)
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media
Felipe Massa’s voice had an urgency heard even above the roar of the Ferrari V8. “What do you want me to do?”, asking the pits for instructions. Running in fourth with only a few laps to go, he was being hounded by Sebastian Vettel. Should he let him go by?
[Read more…] about The Spanish Grand Prix
Pro Drive
The Ferrari forecourt from reception.
The iron gate is in the distance. Could
that be the famous Crane Lancia B20,
right there in Maranello? A ride in a new
Testarossa awaits our Senior Editor.
The acrid smell of vaporized rubber wafted into the cockpit. Through its pale haze we watched the red Testarossa just ahead of us perform a slow pirouette. The driver had attempted a power-slide around an acute intersection and had been unable to catch it in time. In a moment of brilliance, he simply turned it into a great, smoking 180-degree spin and accelerated past us.
Miranda behind the wheel of the Delage.
In this exclusive article for VeloceToday, Miranda Seymour, author of “Thrumpton Hall: A Memoir of Life in My Father’s House” and “The Bugatti Queen,”visits Australia and finds a French legend.
The Adelaide literary festival takes place every two years. I flew out last year for the first time to talk about my book, “Thrumpton Hall.” Adelaide is a long journey from London; I planned to sleep in on my first morning, even though all the participating writers had been bidden to attend a breakfast in the gardens of Government House. Luckily, I woke early and changed my mind.
[Read more…] about Death by Delage
Sheryl Greene is the driving force behind the Helle Nice Foundation.
Perhaps not, if the Helle Nice Foundation succeeds
By Pete Vack
As Renee Friderich’s lifeless body lay crumpled in the remains of the big Delage Sporte, (read Death by Delage) her friend and perhaps mentor, Helle Nice, went on to capture the fastest time of the Paris-to-Saint-Raphael rally that fateful day, February 22nd, 1932, in a car she knew well and drove better, a Bugatti T35C. But unlike Helle Nice, Friderich’s tragic death was never forgotten by her friends and family who mourned her.
[Read more…] about A Death Forgotten
Delving further into the big Delage
Photos by Vince Johnson
As we have seen, Miranda Seymour was able to obtain a ride in a very nice Delage D8S while in Australia. She sent us a photo of herself in the car, but none of the great Delage itself.
We solved the problem by asking VeloceToday contributor and reporter Vince Johnson to run over to Antony Simpson’s place and take a few photos of the Delage. Despite the size of Australia, it seems that Vince lived only about 20 minutes away. Vince returned not only with the photos for this article, but a brief history of the Delage as related by Mr. Simpson. As noted by Seymour, Simpson’s Delage is similar to Renee Friderich’s, and has its own fine and perhaps happier history. The following is the owner’s description of his Delage and its history.
[Read more…] about Delage D8 Sportes
Piero Ferrari, left, and priest at the benediction of the first stone. Photo copyright Mario Marchesini.
By Pete Vack
About 300 meters from the Maserati factory on Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena, there is a complex of old brick buildings; a small house and shop, hidden beyond an ancient grey brick wall and entrance. [Read more…] about Groundwork Laid for New Ferrari Museum
Bahrain Grand Prix
by Erik Nielsen
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media
With the new world order being completely accepted in this season, Toyota was hoping that their shot would lead to the team’s first win in F1 since entering the sport and spending countless hundreds of millions of dollars resulting in a huge goose egg in the wins column.
[Read more…] about Lost Opportunities
Magnificent Lancia Aurelia B52 of 1952 with a coupe body by Vignale (design by Michelotti): one of the three built.
Cernobbio, Italy, April 24th-26th, 2009
Story and photos by Alessandro Gerelli
The traditional Concorso d’Eleganza held at Villa d’Este in Cernobbio on the lake of Como (Italy), has taken the opportunity this year to celebrate a few anniversaries; 80 years of the first Concorso, 100 years of Bugatti, and 80 years of BMW, one of the sponsors of the event.
[Read more…] about Villa d’Este 2009
1962 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder (SWB)
Photo credit: Shooterz.biz
By Wallace Wyss
RM Auctions will return to Maranello next month for the third annual Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione. It will be an event “that celebrates the automotive legacy of Enzo Ferrari and the passion of the Ferrari enthusiast.” The single day auction will present a diverse range of Ferraris. A number of the cars will be “coachbuilt” which refers to the cars custom built by coachbuilders such as Ghia, Bertone and Touring, as opposed to the mass produced models.
[Read more…] about RM Ferrari Maranello Auction set for May 17th
Riding with Paul Frere in Ferrari’s F50 at Pista di Fiorano. Notice the side load on the front tire and the lean in the body.
A CONTINUING EDUCATION
A lap of Pista di Fiorano, Ferrari’s on-site testing facility for all production and F1 cars, lived in my head. My first laps there were in a 328GTB. I returned to experience the first Testarossa and again for the 512TR. Then, on the fiftieth anniversary of the marque we were given the opportunity to try the F50. [Read more…] about A Car Life, by Larry Crane
Fiat 1100 powered Formula Juniors were popular at Watkins Glen in 1959 with three entered in the Seneca Cup–an unrestricted Formula Libre race contested by many large engine sports cars and specials as well as pre-war Grand Prix Maseratis.Walt Hansgen, driving the Cunningham Stanguellini Formula Jr., is greeted by race organizer and director Cameron Argetsinger after winning the race. Photo courtesy of Argetsinger family collection.
By Karl Ludvigsen
Getting by with a little help from its friends
The Fiat-based Cisitalias that made their racing debut in September of 1946 hit the post-war motoring world like an earthquake. They were developed from the 500 cc Fiat chassis and 1100 cc engine and refined with such niceties as a tubular frame. Designer-builders such as Alfredo Vignale and Pinin Farina helped give Cisitalia its reputation of being the car of tomorrow.
[Read more…] about The Racing Fiats: Tiremarks on America PIII
This Friday, April 24th, will mark Karl Ludvigsen’s 75th birthday. For the occasion, we’ve gathered up a few happy birthday greetings from friends and enthusiasts, who were positively affected by his many and significant works.