The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Transformation via a SWB
A Story by Wallace Wyss
In the beginning, Bobbi just wanted to keep Forrester, her one and only husband, happy.
Forrester was an engineer, and even before they were married, Bobbi realized engineers were numbers types, not big on showing emotion. [Read more…] about Bobbi and the Berlinetta
Take a seat, fill up, and have a good read about Italians at Retro.
All Photos by Alessandro Gerelli
Captions by Pete Vack
There were few Ferraris at Retro this year, some well known cars of the Ferrari Historic Challenge prepared by Roelofs Engineering, a 250 LM, a 500 F2 and a brace of production cars, but perhaps more interesting was the concentration on the Significant Others.
[Read more…] about Retro 2009: Significant Other Italians
The continuing adventures of a car guy…and a Testarossa.
David E. Davis Jr. and the “Automobile” magazine staff did a ten-car cross-country drive on the old Lincoln Highway from Philadelphia to San Francisco. In the fleet was a Testarossa. Sometimes a volunteer adventure can be worth a story.
[Read more…] about A Car Life, by Larry Crane
Panhard-Levassor CD Coupe. With only 702 cc, this CD (for Charles Deutsch) coupe won the Index of Performance at Le Mans in 1962 driven by the team of Gilhaudin and Bertaut.
Photos by Lorenzo Marchesini
There are collectors and there are Collectors, those whose passions lead to strange obsessions, like the Asphalt Museum in Sacramento founded by Scott Gordon. On to the median, we can visit Brian and Sue Radam’s British Lawnmower Museum. And if we really want to get nit picky, we can call on Graham Barker, from Brisbane Australia, whose belly button lint collection is the best in the world. But few collections are in the same class as the Brothers Schlumpf.
[Read more…] about The French at the Schlumpf
Lamborghini’s Murcielago is the most beautiful model in the line since the first generation of the legendary expletive “Countach!” As an open car with the side windows aligning perfectly with the windshield, the LP640 Roadster becomes an impossibly seductive show car for the road. Photo courtesy Lamborghini.
MURCI! MURCI!
Part of this car guy’s life has been the opportunity to live the fantasy. Let’s take a step into today and sample one of the finest Lamborghinis to date.
[Read more…] about A Car Life, by Larry Crane
Cavallino 2009, focusing on the Mondial 500 S/N 0556(0446)/MD.
Story and Photos by Werner Pfister
(Palm Beach January 23-26 2009)
In spite of Bernie Madoff, the economy and a mid-week cold spell, Palm Beach rallied to once again host the Cavallino Classic; number 18, in fact! While many predicted a weak turn out, I observed many happy Ferraristi at every event of the Classic throughout the week. John and Alicia Barnes did a great job in getting a very enthusiastic group of participants and spectators to turn out despite the odds.
[Read more…] about Cavallino 2009
We focus on Bob Benedict’s Ferrari Michelotto 308GT/M. “Most people who see the M for the first time don’t know what it is. Some think it is a baby BBLM, which makes sense, as it is built by the same company. The correct S/N is 001, as designated by Michelotto. There were only three built.”–Bob Benedict.
Story by David Seibert
Photos by Richard Prince except as noted
(PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL, January 26) Peter Giddings and Lawrence Stroll are both past champions in the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge. [Read more…] about Ferrari Shell Historics at Palm Beach, One
Peter Giddings took home the trophy for the Drum Brake Class.
All photos by Richard Prince
The first round of the Ferrari Shell Historics opened at what was once called Moroso, and now the Palm Beach International Raceway. In addition to the race report, (See Part 1) here are more scenes from the lens of Richard Prince.
[Read more…] about Ferrari Shell Historics at Palm Beach, Two
Crane negotiates Turn 9 (now Turn 11) with Arutunoff and the Cooper closing for the exit pass. The 166 would choke at the exit.
Last week Larry left us off at the very edge of Riverside Raceway. He continues below.
IGNITION: Fuel
The Ferrari Owners Club let me in even though our Ferrari didn’t survive the move for long. It transformed into a Mini 1275 S Mk II and an Alfa Giulietta Sprint Veloce. The Ferrari crowd became my California family. Some continue to be, 40 years later. A much-read library and developing track skills were my tickets in. [Read more…] about A Car Life, by Larry Crane
The Ghia Aigle, S/N 0137 E. Photo courtesy Warren de France.
Last week in Larry Crane wrote of an early 195 Ferrari Ghia-Aigle, “It was a pretty, little car built by Ghia-Aigle in Switzerland,” he recalled.
We ran a photo of the Ferrari Ghia-Aigle, one I had found in the parking lot at the Monterey Historics in 2002. Both Larry and I thought it to be the same car, but a day or so later came an email from the current owner, Warren de France, along with a complete history and nice photos, some of which we are reprinting below. [Read more…] about Just a Couple of Ghia-Aigles
If you only have 4 days for a sports car trip, this is the way to go.
by Wallace Alfred Wyss
Photography: François de Pouqueville and Wyss.
Remember the phrase “gran turismo”? It seems kinda odd, but so many times you meet people with gran turismo sports cars who have never gone grand touring in it.
[Read more…] about Grand Touring to Sedona
The rare Ghia-Aigle coupe Crane just missed buying for $1500.
Allow us to introduce someone who needs no introduction. His resume consists of positions with an all-star cast of motoring journals: Editor and designer, “Auto Aficionado;” Art Director, “Automobile Magazine;” Associate Art Director, “Road & Track;” Founder and Editor, “Vintage Racer” and Art Director, “Motor Trend.”
We are proud to add Larry Crane to the staff of VeloceToday. Below, his first column, in which he lights the fire of a long-burning enthusiasm.
IGNITION: Making sparks
Ideal Toy Company made my first cars. Our vacant lot wore out the plastic wheels pretty fast (first lesson about going sideways) and they segued into wood cars I made with a bandsaw and Elmers glue. A $5 bicycle restoration and a paper route put me on the road. [Read more…] about A Car Life, with Larry Crane