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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Itala in the Alps: The Envelope, Please

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Thursday, August 8, 2024
Subject: Veloce Today – Over the Alps Itala mystery (2020 article)
Dear Mr Vack
I came across the piece today that was published on your site back in July 2020, entitled “Itala over the Alps: A 115 Year-old Mystery”and was wondering if you ever solved the mystery? If you have, then I should love to learn more. If not, I think I may have (part, at least, of) the answer.
I look forward to hearing from you.
James Thorne
Company Secretary
Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd
https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/

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More from Pebble Beach 2024

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1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports shown by The Pearl Collection/Fritz Burkard, Zug, Switzerland

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

“This is the only car show where a simple millionaire can beat the billionaires.”-Jay Leno

Car Week, and particularly the show at Pebble Beach, is a spectacle that every car person must experience at least once in their life, if they are lucky. Last year I had the privilege of walking the show with someone who came all the way from Australia for this experience. We met each other for the first time while walking in, and we spent five hours together walking the show – a wonderful time. [Read more…] about More from Pebble Beach 2024

T57, Jollys, Gandini at Cartier Style, Goodwood

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Ferrari’s Jolly

Photos and intro by Jonathan Sharp, captions by Gary Axon

You never know what to expect when you enter the show field for the Cartier Style et Luxe Concours, held annually as part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This year on the library lawn near to the stable block visitors were greeted by, amongst many a fine automobile, the sight of a 1977 Volkswagen Polo, probably the best condition 1977 Polo you are ever likely to see but a Polo never the less. Why? Well if you have a class to celebrate the work of Marcello Gandini, and you want to show Gandini designs other than those for Lamborghini (which were of course also on display) then why not a Polo! with a Citroen BX and a Fiat X1/9 to boot. Another sight that I am sure you are unlikely to see on the lawn at Pebble Beach is a Renault Tractor displayed across the way from a Bugatti Type 57!, or a Meyers Manx Beach Buggy near the Felber Ferrari Beach car displayed close to a 40/50 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. Only Goodwood would do that.

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And How! Giles Chapman

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Giles Chapman and his latest book. Click to go to his website.

When we received Giles Chapman’s latest book we thoroughly enjoyed the short bios and interesting stories that comprised Three Million Miles in a Volvo and other Curious Car Stories These are just perfect for the VeloceToday format, we thought, jealousy. I wonder if Giles might let us use a few of his stories in VT? [Read more…] about And How! Giles Chapman

Walter Lines and the British Toy Industry

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“Three Million Miles in a Volvo and Other Curious Car Stories” arrived here recently and I immediately found Giles Chapman to be a wonderful writer, expertly crafting little known automotive intrigues into literary gems. I couldn’t wait to ask him if we could republish a few chapters in VeloceToday, in exchange for the hopes that our audience would enjoy his work as much as I did. (And therefore buy his books!) Our first selection is typical of his style; take a little known figure and with brevity, knowledge and great skill, tell the reader why the subject is important to us, even if we may not have heard of them. For example, who is Walter Lines and what has he to do with slot cars?-Ed.

By Giles Chapman, from his book, “Three Million Miles in a Volvo and Other Curious Car Stories“

Walter Lines’ first job was cleaning up cows’ tails before they could be cured and nailed to the painted wooden rumps of rocking horses. Born in north London in 1882, he wasn’t quite the unlucky urchin of Victorian, up-the-chimney folklore. But he was obliged to start work in the Tottenham family toy firm G&J Lines, started by his father Joseph and his uncle George, just like his brothers William and Arthur. Each was 14 when he tossed aside his schoolbooks and got stuck in. [Read more…] about Walter Lines and the British Toy Industry

Itala over the Alps: A Mystery Solved?

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Chivasso-Turin 9-9-05 September 9, 1905

The mystery is now 119 years old, as this story was first published in 2020. But we do have a solution, very thoughtfully provided by the Brooklands Museum. Which should give you a clue as to the ownership of the Itala, but we will wait until later to publish the findings. So, this week, let’s look again at what the fuss is all about.-Ed.

By Pete Vack with Dale LaFollette, Aldo Zana and Graham Gauld
Sidebar by Greg Vack

We really enjoy trying to solve automotive mysteries, but this is a real cold case… 115 years old, making it a daunting task.

The twelve photos below, all from 1905, came from the collection of Dale LaFollette, who tells the story of how they were discovered. “Dean Newton was one my partners in Vintage Motorbooks, the collectable book business that we formed in the late 1970s. (Logan Gray owns it today.) Newton found them in a desk drawer and surmised that they had been in a book…we would find all sorts of odds and ends in books we bought.” [Read more…] about Itala over the Alps: A Mystery Solved?

The Restoration of the Caswell BNC

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Isn’t that the ex-Caswell/George Lymber BNC? But it looks, well, restored!

Well, yes, it is, and yes, it was. The history of the little BNC with the flathead Ford was well-told in 2012 by the late Eric Davison. Since then, long time owner George Lymber II died in 2013, and the still unrestored BNC passed to vintage racer Peter McLaughlin*. He embarked upon a four year restoration, something that previous caretakers did not want to do, but if the BNC was to continue be driven, it was soon found that a complete restoration was inevitable. Recently, the restoration project manager, Bob Harrington, contacted us with the details of the rebuild. -Ed

By Bob Harrington

Some time ago, VeloceToday did an article on the BNC. A friend of mine bought the car and at first was just going to get it running, but decided it was too far gone to be able to drive it safely so it was decided to do a complete restoration, which I oversaw. [Read more…] about The Restoration of the Caswell BNC

Gauld on Klemantaski

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Louis Klemantaski with Peter Collins in the 335S Ferrari on the 1957 Mille Miglia, two Leicas round his neck. Gauld photo

Story by Graham Gauld

Those of you who regularly visit VeloceToday will have noticed that motor sport photography has been my interest throughout my life as a motoring journalist.

It has been an adjunct that has helped boost the income from articles and books I have written and though it has been a great passion I have always appreciated and admired certain photographers who have become outstanding in the field of motor racing.

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Gauld, Fiat Fish and an Abarth Goccia

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The Vignale “Goccia”. Gauld took this photo in 1957, only to find the same car at a motor show in 1999, plus the Fish and the Pinin. Read on!

From the VeloceToday Archives, March, 2017

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

As most of you probably know there was a motor show in Geneva last week, where all the attention appeared to be on supercars with weird and wonderful aerodynamics; it all looked terribly serious. Editor Pete asked me if I was going to attend the show, but had to admit that it has been about twenty years since I attended the big salons of Geneva and Paris..

I knew that Pete will have plenty of photos of the Geneva event from other correspondents so wasn’t too worried. However, Pete’s comments reminded me of an interesting show I attended in 1999. It was organized by the well-known Italian collector Franco Lombardi in his home town of Genoa and I knew I had to be there. I was not disappointed! So to get you into the Motor Show mood let me tell you about three of the cars there.

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Sebring 1960: The Final Hours

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Alan Connell in the Ferrari California [chassis 1603] he shared with owner George Reed. Connell flogged the car and ran as high as 3rd overall after ten hours, before the drivers had to settle for a 5th place at the finish.

By Willem Oosthoek
All photos taken by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection]


This gorgeous 250GT [chassis 1773] was entered by Luigi Chinetti’s NART for George Arents [here] and Bill Kimberly. They ended 7th overall, one of the six GT Ferraris finishing in the top ten. It showed the reliability of these cars.

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California’s Hillsborough Concours

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Star of the show.

Story and photos by Chris Nugent

June 23, 2024. It was beautiful at the Crystal Springs Golf Course. The sun was out, but the fog was hugging the coast so the temperature was ideal. It was the perfect California summer day. It had been many years since I’d been to the Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance.

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Goodwood FOS: French and Shadows

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1934/39 S.E.F.A.C. Parallel Eight, A one off Grand Prix car initiated by Emile Petit, and designed to take on the might of the Silver Arrows and to save French honour.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Not a very high count for cars of French manufacture so I thought you may enjoy seeing again the Shadow Can Am cars which were joined at the event by the single seaters.

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