VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

London Classic Car Show, February 24-26 2023

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Purposeful from any angle, Alpine A110.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The last weekend in February offered a lot of choice for those of us in need of an old car fix. Should I go to St Moritz for the ‘ICE’? (Created to enjoy driving, showing and watching exciting motor cars on the frozen lake!) But have you seen the hotel prices? Maybe Stuttgart for RetroClassics? No more direct flights from my local airport! Madrid for Autoclassica? I do not speak Spanish. Race retro in Stoneleigh in Warwickshire? Been there before. Then how about the London Classic Car Show? Ideal, just a train ride away. So it was off to Olympia in Kensington that I headed.

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Jack Deren, from Hot Rods to Can Am, P2

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Jack Deren with driver Oscar Koveleski in the McLaren.

By John R. Wright

JW: Tell us of Oscar and your involvement in the CanAm years.

Deren: I was Oscar’s chief mechanic for the team from 1969 to 1971, when he decided he could no longer afford the time and expense of the CanAm season. Because Oscar knew Teddy Mayer – they both lived in the same area – he bought a 1969 McLaren M6B, right off the floor at the London Race Car Show. It was Oscar’s first CanAm car after the Cooper.

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Greatest Car Movies Ever

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Sorry, The Racers didn’t make the grade!

At the tender age of 19, Harry Hurst was track photographer for the Sebring 12-Hour race in Florida. Hurst also photographed races at Daytona and Road Atlanta during, what many think, were the “glory days of racing.” Hurst has published two books on the Sebring 12-Hour endurance race. In 2007, he helped Dr. Fred Simeone launch the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, twice selected as the best automotive museum in the world, and still assists the museum with communications and special events. Most recently, Hurst created the Glory Days of Racing Facebook group, and asked his audience to select the top racing movies of all time. We are pleased to republish the results in VeloceToday with permission from Harry Hurst. The direct link to Harry’s Group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/527146584145263
Ed.

Philadelphia, February 28, 2023 — The members of the Facebook Group, Glory Days of Racing, have selected the top racing and car movies in a poll that included 100 overall nominees. The group, with 75,000 members from all over the world, chose their top five favorite movies from 25 nominees in each of four categories: Racing Theatrical, Racing Documentary, Car Centric, and Car Chase.

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Brandes, Stan, and the Big Snow

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Brandes and Stan in warmer times. Stan was adopted from a local animal rescue organization in Sacramento called “Hearts For Paws”

Brandes Elitch needs no introduction here. But you may not know that he lives in Yuba county California, in a rather remote town. Last week, when the big storm hit California, he was in the path of the historic snow. On Friday March 3 I emailed him to ask how he was doing. Of course we had heard about the snow, but didn’t realize how devastating it was until Brandes emailed me with this response. Ed.

By Brandes Elitch

Saturday, March 4, 10:50 P.M. You have probably heard about the famous film “Lost Weekend,” but since I have given up drinking, this is not about a Lost Weekend in that sense.

It is about the fact that I had no internet last Saturday, February 25, all day and finally by 7 PM I was so frustrated that I just went to bed. Immediately thereafter, the power went out. We were without power Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and it finally came back on Friday, around 3 PM. [Read more…] about Brandes, Stan, and the Big Snow

Who was D.M. Bartley Part 2

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Bartley talks with Pat O’Connor at Trenton, N.J. She was reportedly the first woman journalist to obtain a media pass at Indy. Photographer unknown.

This week we learn about D.M. Bartley from Denise McCluggage, Karl Ludvigsen, and the Editor.

Read Part 1

Denise McCluggage:

Diana Bartley wanted to be accepted for what she was, a hard-working, professional journalist when there simply few women doing that. People today cannot believe how rare women were even on large newspapers. Women might do interviews involving food or fashion or kittens-up-a-tree rescue stories but never hard news. [Read more…] about Who was D.M. Bartley Part 2

Jack Deren, from Hot Rods to Can Am P1

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Jack Deren with Penske in the center.

By John R. Wright
Photos from the Jack Deren collection

Jack Deren has packed more restorations, race prepared cars and time at race tracks all over the country than anyone I can think of off the top of my head. Over the years I have been going to the vintage weekend at the Glen I have talked with Jack off and on but he’s always been too busy to sit down for long. However, on a Glen vintage weekend in September of 2022, I sat down with Jack at breakfast. Our breakfast turned into lunch, and while he talked I took notes. What an interesting racing career he’s had with ups and downs but mostly interesting times. [Read more…] about Jack Deren, from Hot Rods to Can Am P1

1:12 Model: 1927 Fiat Type 806

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Story, color photos and model by Aldo Zana

From the VeloceToday Archives, August, 2019

It is quite unusual that a particular model car exhibits so many unique values: the only three-dimensional image of a racing car 1) built in a single unit, 2) raced only once, and 3) then destroyed for good.

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Who was D.M. Bartley?

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D.M. Bartley with Jean Behra, probably in 1959 at Sebring. We think 1959 as he is wearing a Ferrari lapel pin and placed second at the Sebring 12 hours driving a Ferrari 250 TR 59 with Cliff Allison. Others think that it might be 1957, the year Behra won with Fangio in a Maserati. But wearing a Ferrari lapel pin? Photo possibly by Charles. A. Lyble Jr.

Like many of our readers, I often read articles by a ‘D.M. Bartley’ in a variety of automobile magazines in the 1950s and 1960s. And then, as now, I was fascinated by automotive journalists, be they Ken Purdy or Henry Manney, but there was scant information about Bartley, who remained a mystery for a number of years. Years ago, I decided to ask a few writers to tell us what they knew about D.M. Bartley. Jim Sitz, Karl Ludvigsen, and the late Denise McCluggage all pitched in with their impressions. Doing more research, through Clark University, we found Abigail Kimball, Bartley’s friend and neighbor, who was glad to provide even more information about Diana Bartley as well as a few photos from the Bartley collection. We begin with Abigail’s story.

Abigail Kimball:

Diana Bartley was born on June 18, 1926 in Toledo, Ohio. She died on July 31, 2011 at age 85 in New York City. [Read more…] about Who was D.M. Bartley?

Street/Race Ferraris at Retro

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1962 400 Superamerica SWB Coupe Aerodinamico

Photo Story by Jonathan Sharp

When you have finished looking at these delectable Street/race Ferraris displayed at this year’s Retro, which would you choose?

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Race Ferraris at Retro

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Ferrari 512S

Photo story by Jonathan Sharp

What a lineup of Ferrari race cars! Does it make me feel nostalgic? Unfortunately I did not get to see any of them race live in period, but I have seen the pictures in books, I have watched some of them being raced on the TV, or in the case of the 512S in the Steve McQueen film, I have read about their history’s and about the lives of the drivers, and of course I have now seen them some of them race in the historics. So which one gave me the greatest buzz?

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Four brave, beautiful girls, two R4s cross the continents

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Four beautiful girls, two R4s, and an expedition the length of the Western Hemisphere leave a trail of broken hearts…

By Roberto Motta
From the VeloceToday Archives, April 2011

Photos Courtesy of Renault Communications

Renault R4 has allowed generations of drivers the opportunity to take up the challenge of motorsports and to see the world at the same time. This tough little car competed in the 1962 East African Safari Rally (finishing fifth in class), the Monte Carlo Rally, the Expedition Michèle Ray, and the tough 1980 Paris-Dakar, all with success, proving that despite its ungainly looks, it was both reliable and versatile.

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Italians at Retromobile

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A stunning way to display this 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Berlinetta (#412035) by Touring.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Retromobile, February 3, 2023: If I had a £1 for every time I said WOW! (or words to that effect!) I would have had enough money to pay for the trip. Yes, Retromobile was back to its usual self. The big hitting dealers were back, the Artcurial Auction was jammed with lots on offer, there were tons of spare parts to buy and art to hang on your walls, and lots of visitors, though Friday was not so bad. [Read more…] about Italians at Retromobile

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