VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Goodwood FOS: Best of the Rest

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Described as the car that was 90 years in the building. Auto Union Type 52. It is said that whilst working on their Grand Prix cars, Auto Union AG and the Ferdinand Porsche design office also planned a street legal sports sedan to be known as the Schnellsportwagen and was designed to be sold to customers to enter in events such as the Millie Miglia, or even Le Mans.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Whilst I know that VeloceToday is supposed to be about French and Italian cars there was just so much other interesting machinery at the Festival of Speed that interested me, so I hope you will allow me one more indulgence of your time. I know there are a lot of Silver Cars in this piece but I make no apologies as I and the Editor have a thing for the Pre War Silver Arrows.

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Sebring 1960: The Race

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Ricardo Rodriguez in the NART-entered Ferrari Dino 196S [chassis 0776] that he co-drove with brother Pedro. The car ran well for the first five hours, occupying 5th overall. Then it began dropping back, to retire with clutch failure after 126 laps.

By Willem Oosthoek
All photos by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.

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A Look at Lugano

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Photo courtesy Nigel Matthews.

Story and photos by Paul Sable

After attending as a judge over 200 concours during the past 30 years, including 20 years at Pebble, 28 at Amelia plus a host of others, I have come to know many American and European cars. So, since I was invited to attend the 3rd Lugano Concours (held 17 May 2024) in Switzerland as a judge (with the added benefit of being a spectator at Villa d’Este), I accepted the invitation. [Read more…] about A Look at Lugano

Goodwood Festival of Speed: The Italians

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We’ll let you figure this one out…

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

If you look at social media you would think that the main talking point at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was the height of the straw bales lining the track. Yes, over the years they have got higher and wider; back in 1993 crowd safety was just a single line of straw bales and a bit of rope, but should something go wrong, and somebody gets hurt, then maybe no more Festival of Speed. And that would be tragic loss.

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Drivers at the Goodwood FOS 2024

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Tom Kristensen channels his inner Bernd Rosemeyer

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Due to my inability to be at two places at once (I will work on that) I was not able to photograph every driver, but the following are a selection of those that I did manage to catch. And something we note, happily, every year, in most cases, the drivers are smiling, joking, relaxed and in a great mood. Such is the magic that is the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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Sebring, 1960 Part 3

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Sebring earlier in the week. Scrutineering has started, with the Count Giovanni Volpi Ferraris lined up. Both his Scuderia Serenissima entries were allowed to run in the GT class, the #16 California [assigned to Giorgio Scarlatti/Fabrizio Serena] due to its steel body, while #15 [for Carlo Abate/Giovanni Balzarini] because it was an older 250GT Tour de France model, already homologated in the U.S. The Lotus Elites were entered by Jay Chamberlain, the Lotus importer based in North Hollywood.

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

After the two support races on Friday, it was time for the 12 Hours itself. Unlike the wet 1959 event, Saturday’s weather promised to be warm and clear. But two things had changed for this year’s endurance race. The FIA had mandated new rules for the sportsracers, forcing them to meet the same requirements as the GT entries. This meant they had to feature a 25 cm high windshield, 30 cm high doors, a separate compartment for a suitcase measuring 20 x 40 x 65 cm, a ground clearance of 12 cm and a “useful” top. Many of the especially smaller and lower entries needed last-minute body modifications to comply with the new rules.

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24 hours at Spa Part 1

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The descent towards “Eau Rouge” and the ascent of Raidillon.

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

This year, the 77th edition of the 24 Hours of Spa coincided with the 100th anniversary of the event. Indeed, a year after the creation (celebration) of the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1923, the famous Francorchamps circuit, located in the Belgian Ardennes, saw the advent of a new 24-hour race.

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24 hours at Spa, Part 2

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The #19 Lamborghini Huracan, seen here at La Source hairpin early in the evening, is the one that unintentionally deprived Ferrari of victory, by breaking down at the entrance to the pitlane 45 minutes from the finish and forcing the Ferrari to wait for the tow truck to clear the way.

Part 2 of spectacular photo coverage of this year’s Spa 24 hours!

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Aircraft at Heveningham

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Not an entrant this year, and yes I know we have shown her to you before, 1943 Vickers Supermarine Spitfire MK9 MH434 waits patiently for her afternoon display slot.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Just a short walk up the hill from Heveningham Hall, the Country fair and the Automotive Concours and you find a different world. A freshly mown field, a few trees in full green, a pleasant view of Suffolk Countryside, and 12 vintage aeroplanes parked for inspection and delight. In addition to a car Concours the Heveningham event also includes the Hanna Trophy, an Aviation concours in memory of the much missed Hanna pairing, father and son Raynham and Mark Hanna.

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Sebring 1960: Under 1 liter GT Race

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Race number 7 was part of three Turner works entries. This 750 cc car was driven by Fred Woodhead and Harold Krech.

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

After the Formula Junior support race on Friday morning, March 25, 1960, everybody convened for lunch. On the program for the rest of the day was a 4-hour race for the International Trophy, limited to GT cars under-1-liter. In addition to the four Turners, the entry list showed eight Fiat-Abarths [750 cc], six DB-Panhards [almost 1 liter], six Austin-Healey Sprites [almost 1 liter], and a few oddities, such as a just under 1 liter Ford Anglia for Richard Toland and a 750 cc Saab for Jack Sheppard. Four of the Fiat-Abarths were entered by Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr, son of the former President. [Read more…] about Sebring 1960: Under 1 liter GT Race

Heveningham Hall Concours 2024

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

It was all very last minute. It is a bit of a hike up to Suffolk (158 miles) from my home in Brighton, my Alfa Giulietta had been making some funny and expensive noises, I have been rather busy recently and the lawn at home was looking more like a jungle, but I woke up on Friday morning with a change of heart. Straight onto the internet, found a hotel nearby for the Friday night and off we went. The M25 on a Friday afternoon is not such a good idea but after four and a half hours (including an hour just to get through the Dartford Tunnel) I arrived at my hotel in Ipswich, time for an early night as I planned to get to Heveningham Hall nice and early.

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Zagato Mia

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The author in 1960, pondering an Abarth 750 GT Zagato. Same car as below? We’ll never know. Photo by Donald Vack

Story and Photos by Pete Vack unless otherwise noted

From the VeloceToday Archives, 2009

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.

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