VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Jackie Cooper, Race Driver

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Jackie Cooper at the SCCA Nationals at Westover NY on June 13, 1954. Photo copyright Robert F. Pauley and used with permission.

By Pete Vack

In 1951, a 30 year old Hollywood actor named John Cooper, Jr, aka Jackie, was driving from Los Angeles to New York City in his Jaguar XK120. Thoughts of his long lost father often crossed his mind as he drove the lonely miles across America. When John Jr. was still a toddler, John Cooper Sr. walked out on the family and simply disappeared. The strange loss of his father had a major negative impact on the actor. But life moves on and he kept on driving.

Somewhere outside of Kansas City, MO, it began to rain and the wind tore the top off the Jag. Soaking wet, Cooper drove through town and happened to find an upholstery shop that also repaired convertible tops.

Thankfully, a man came out to help and offered to make a new top for the Jag, and went right to work on the task. After an hour or so, the craftsman took a break and looked at Cooper. “Say, you’re Jackie Cooper, aren’t you?” Cooper admitted to being the Hollywood star.

The man thought for a minute and then told Cooper to look outside, pointed to an apartment window with a light and curtain. “Your father lives right up there.” [Read more…] about Jackie Cooper, Race Driver

Jim Clark’s First Race

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“Drivers jockey for position at the start of the Sports Car Race up to 1500ccs at Crimond. On the right is well known J.B.G. Campbell in his MGA.”

By David Ross

ODD looking and totally out of place in an event for sports racing cars, the DKW Sonderklasse might have been but could anyone ever have imagined that the driver in the wacky little German two-stroke saloon car would go on to win countless Grand Prix races, two drivers’ world championships and become recognized across the world as one of the finest single seater drivers of all time.

When he arrived at Crimond, the old wartime airfield situated between Peterhead and Fraserburgh where the Aberdeen & District Motor Club ran races for both cars and motorcycles on the same day, Jim Clark didn’t have the slightest inkling that he was about to experience his first race.

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Trackside at the Revival

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Dear readers, if you will allow me just one more outing before we say goodbye to racing at Goodwood for the 2023. The follow are just some random shots taken by me from the chicane and assembly area track exit. No driver’s names, no race positions, just some photographs of old racing cars doing what they do best…..racing. Goodbye Goodwood, see you again in 2024.

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Experiencing the Lamborghini Miura S

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By Pete Vack

From the Archives, November 2016

The way to gain entrance into the realm of the Dallara/Gandini masterpiece that is the Miura is to gently push the door latch button from the Fiat 850 and pull a bit on the chrome fin at the bottom of the row of black fins to the rear of the door window.

“Be careful getting in. Here’s how you have to do it. Get your butt over the seat and gently lower it straight down. Don’t wiggle. Don’t squirm. The reason is because the seats are original cloth inserts and any heavy lateral movement stresses out the material,” said Paul Wilson.

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Back by Popular Demand

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My first and almost forgotten Maserati shot is of Jimmy Bryan in the Henry Maag entered 300S at Willow Springs on March 4, 1956. Bryan also was a pilot in the Indy 500. To keep everyone happy, it’ s/n 3058.

Story and photos by Allen R. Kuhn

As I start my one-digit waltz once more upon my keyboard, the letters begin to flow. Sometimes they make sense, sometimes not. We’ll do the best we can.
“Back by popular demand” might be a bit of a stretch. There were three guys from Sheboygan who said they wanted to see more Maserati pictures. I started thinking that this would be a most salient time to cull the archives once again, with purpose. The archives didn’t let me down.

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In the Paddock at Goodwood

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Vintage Goodwood!

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The Goodwood Revival is renowned for its attention to detail, and the ability to get up close and personal to the cars and drivers across the site. However, between the track fence and race track, obviously, and the tow road and assembly area are places which are considered to be less safe for the general public and are only accessible to the teams and accredited members of the press.

I hope the following photos give you a small taste of what goes on in those two areas and if, in some of the shots, it looks like chaos, let me tell you that it is all beautifully choreographed thanks to the skill and dedication of the hard-working marshalls. Oh and just a thought with regards to attention to detail, each year the Driver’s Club is built around a theme. Last year it was the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, this year it was a jungle theme even down to the weather which was tropical to say the least. [Read more…] about In the Paddock at Goodwood

The Cars of Émile Claveau Part 4

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A magnificent brochure heralded the arrival of the Claveau Descartes ‘for 1947’. Seen as a complete car in 1948, the Descartes was awesomely ambitious for a private entrepreneur.

By Karl Ludvigsen

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Read Part 2
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When war intervened Émile Claveau had almost completed the first prototype of a stunningly advanced envelope-bodied six-passenger saloon with a V-8 engine and aluminium alloy body/frame—the Audi A8 of its day. Claveau named it after the philosopher who had been his consistent inspiration: ‘Descartes’. At the 1947 Paris Salon this was present only in scale model form plus its impressive completed engine. This sufficed as a stage from which Claveau could and did discuss the shortcomings of the existing French makers with visiting President Vincent Auriol.

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Miles of Smiles at Goodwood

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Bentley Belles

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Old faces and some new faces and everybody is smiling. But whilst every driver wants to win and drives accordingly, there are no points at stake or championships to be won, so the pressure is off and any rivalries are forgot. But you do get a nice cigar and a bottle of champagne when you win!

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Peter Mullin’s Legacy

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A moment to remember: Best of Show award, Pebble Beach, 2011, goes to the Art Deco 1934 Voisin C-25 Aerodyne of Peter and Merle Mullin. Hugues Vanhoolandt photo.

Peter Mullin passed away on September 20th at the age of 82.

VeloceToday has reported many times on the Mullin Automotive Museum he created, beginning with the opening in April of 2010. It was a commemoration of the art deco design era when exquisite art and magnificent automobiles were elements of an artful, futurist culture.*

Over the years, we have been fortunate to have four of the most seasoned, respected and knowledgeable automotive writers visit the Mullin and report back to us in detail. Larry Crane explained the museum’s display of Bugatti furniture; the late Eric Davison searched for something really different; Hugues Vanhoolandt was given a special tour and did his magic with his camera; finally, another museum traveler, Brandes Elitch, opined on the opulent Citroen celebration.

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And How! Ernie, Hugues and Jonathan

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Photo by Hugues Vanhoolandt.

This week And How gives us a glimpse of Ol’ Yeller II at Goodwood on parade while E.T. Nagamatsu, ever the ambassador, meets the women who did such a wonderful job singing the classic tunes of the war years. Then Hugues Vanhoolandt captures some of the ambiance that surrounds the Goodwood Revival, and Jonathan Sharp focuses on a special OSCA shown at the Hampton Concours.

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The Cars of Émile Claveau Part 3

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Artist Brian Hatton followed a colour photo of the 1928 9 CV for its hue.

By Karl Ludvigsen

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The potential of the Claveau 7 CV Sport design was recognized by the magazine Omnia: ‘Sponsored by a big industry, this could well be a people’s car,’ it opined. Although lacking big-industry backing, Automobiles Claveau now at 22 Place de la Madeleine offered an attractive range of mid-engined cars in its handsome catalogue for the 1928 season. This was forecast by its showing at the 1927 Paris Salon, where a strikingly advanced closed version was displayed.

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Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court: French and others

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Entered by the Musee des 24 Heures du Mans, 1925 Lorraine-Dietrich B3/6 Sport Torpedo.

Photos by Jonathan Sharp

We continue with a selection of French and others that appeared this year at Hampton Court on September 1-3. Hampton Court is another British movable feast, and the proper name is the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace. As Graham Gauld pointed out back in 2014, note the British use of the word ‘of’ rather than the French ‘de.’ Of course the event is not always held at Hampton Court, located on the side of the river Thames just under 12 miles southwest of the center of London. According to the official website, “The Concours of Elegance began at Windsor Castle in 2012, before moving to St James’s Palace in 2013, Hampton Court Palace in 2014, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh (Her Majesty The Queen’s official residence in Scotland) in 2015 before returning to Windsor Castle in 2016 and Hampton Court Palace in 2017.”

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