The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Not Monterey. Joe Hurwich and Sterling Pratz in the Aston Martin on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, a lake in the province of Perugia, in the Umbria region of Italy on the border with Tuscany. GallucciPhoto
Story by Joe Hurwich
Photos by GallucciPhoto
In the November 8 edition of
Allen Kuhn captures a rare moment in the career of Jim Hall; driving a F1 Lotus 18 at the U.S. Grand Prix on November 20, 1960.
On December 20, Clyde Berryman listed the top ten U.S. Grand Prix drivers, based on his statical QPRS. But there was more. In this article, he lists the Best of the rest, in order. Argue on…
11. Jim HALL – QPRS: 233.2 Competitiveness Index of Years Raced: 60.0 All-Time Rating: 293.2
(1960-61, 1963)
GP Starts: 11
GP Points: 3
Jim Hall is a motorsport legend as the constructor of the Chaparral marque of racing cars which competed in the World Manufacturers Cup, the CAN-AM Challenge and Indianapolis series. Less known is that he had a brief career as a Grand Prix driver. He entered a few races between 1960-62 driving a Lotus but had more success in 1963 driving a BRP Lotus 24 with which he scored 3 points and finished 12th in the championship.
The whole range of the Merit 1:24-scale plastic kit assembled and painted in period: mid-Fifties. Front line: British F1 and the Jaguar D-Type. Mid row: Italian F1 and Grand Prix racers and the Lotus 11. Rear row: French racers, Mercedes W196, Cooper 500 MkIX and Aston Martin DB3S.
Text, photos and models by Aldo Zana
From the VeloceToday Archives, March, 2019
It was hard times in the second half of the Fifties for European kids in love with Formula One and longing to become part of its world by collecting and playing with model racers.
Ards, 1932. Freddie DIxon’s big off.
Story by Graham Gauld
Photos from the collection of Robert McCann
The RAC Tourist Trophy Race is one of the few races that has been in existence for over 100 years and in fact it is the longest running series, having started in 1905.
It was first held on the Isle of Man and the first winner was not only a Scot, John Napier, but he was even driving a Scottish car, an Arrol Johnston built in Glasgow.
One of the great periods in TT history came in the 1930s. As everyone appears to enjoy older photos, I thought that I would come up with a picture story covering some of those events held on the Ards circuit outside Belfast in Northern Ireland, where racing on the public roads was allowed, unlike on the U.K. mainland were open road racing was banned.
Cover photo from the most recent edition of Vintage Sports Car, the VSCCA magazine. Type 39 Bugatti, chassis 4810 in 1952. For more Bugatti photos, get the latest calendar.
Thanks to the Vintage Sports Car Club of America, (yes, we are members), we have a few of those most useful calendars to give away. Not exactly give away but we’ve opened the doors a bit to whom may receive a free copy including shipping:
To anyone who subscribes to VeloceToday for the $5 recurring charge via PayPal
To anyone who subscribes to VeloceToday via $60 per year via check or PayPal
To anyone who is already subscribed but would like to make a $60 donation to VeloceToday
Click here to see three ways to subscribe.
Yes, please, we do need the subscriptions in order to keep publishing VeloceToday. So far we have not had to raise the subscription rates, but the only way not to do that is to try to persuade the many folks out there who read VT every week but don’t support our efforts financially.
Now, here is why we like the VSCCA calendar, and we bet you will too… [Read more…] about Get Your Calendar NOW and Here’s Why
Porsche 917/30-003, one of two Porsches that Mark Donohue used to dominate the Can-Am in 1973. 003 also set the closed course world speed record at Talladega.
Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Larry Chen / Velocity Invitational
Captions by John Sexton
From November 12-14, 2021, a new event debuted at Laguna Seca racetrack (now called WeatherTech Raceway). It was a success. About ten thousand people attended in person, and even more startling, I am told that over 600,000 viewers watched it on YouTube and other streaming platforms! More than 175 vintage racing cars participated daily on the track, with two days to practice and two days to race, and another 75 cars were on display in the paddock. The previous event by this organizer was the 2019 Sonoma Speed Festival, covered here at VeloceToday at the time. That event has essentially been moved from Sonoma to Monterey going forward.
From the VeloceToday Archives, November 2017
By Dale LaFollette
It all started innocently enough: a trip to the Le Mans 24 hour race in 2002 with a close friend, a mid-day tour of the offices of the Automobile Club de L’Ouest, and a scarf in a glass case that I thoughtfully purchased with my wife in mind. It was a beautiful blue and while it had a racing theme it could be worn in polite society without anyone noticing its automotive nature. At that moment it was perfect.
Photo of Jesse Alexander by Mary Vack. Below, Jim Sitz remembers Jesse Alexander; Pete Vack reprises his interview Alexander at the Akron Museum; scroll down for a late comment and photo from Graham Gauld.
Remembering Jess
By Jim Sitz
I was very sad to hear of the death of the great photographer Jesse Alexander at age 92 on December 15th. Not merely one to chronicle the motor racing scene, ‘Jess’ was a very kind, compassionate man with a nice quiet manner, and a great friend.
I first met Jess in Europe in the grand year of 1957, and he went out of his way to introduce me to racing folks I ought to know. At year’s end both of us were at the London Motor Show and then to test day for all new British cars at Goodwood. He had a keen sense of humor and never failed to make me smile. [Read more…] about Jesse Alexander, 1929-2021
Review by Pete Vack
Alfa Romeo Giulia
528 pages, 418 black and white photographs and 69 colour photographs. Size: 25,7 x 22,9 cm Weight: 2,5 kg
Language: English – German
Author: Patrick Dasse
ISBN 978-3-87166-166-2
€119.00
Order here
The neighbors politely asked if we could keep it behind closed garage doors when not in use. Our relatives asked us to park a street away when we visited. At work, co-workers offered to create a special car pool so that it would not have to be parked it in the company parking lot. When it snowed, kids threw snowballs at it, when it didn’t, dogs barked at it. Valets refused to park it or even get in, lest their reputation be damaged.
Surely we jest, right? To a degree. [Read more…] about Satta’s sedan, Dasse’s book: Not within the realm of ordinary experience
1961 Belgian GP (Spa) – Phil Hill (Ferrari-Dino 156) Artist: Sergio Tidel
THE GREATEST AMERICAN F1 GRAND PRIX DRIVER?
It may not be who you think….
By Clyde Berryman
In motor racing, the great ‘schism’ between the ‘Old World’ (Europe) and the ‘New World’ (America) was pretty much settled by the end of the 1950’s. Racing in Europe began on open public roads as epitomized by the turn of the 19th-20th century city-to-city races before danger led to closed-circuit road racing where designated public roads were temporarily closed off for a race.
The Last Masterpiece
4860 ‘LA JOTA DI HAHNE’
by Dino Brunori
published by Fondazione Negri ONLUS, Italy.
Printed in June 2021
ISBN: 978-88-89108-45-1
– Exclusive Limited Edition of 300 hand-numbered copies
– English language
– Page size: 305mm x 260mm
– 144 pages
– Color and black-and-white pictures
– Contemporary pictures by renowned photographers
– Hardcover with slipcase
– Printed in Italy on the finest paper, handcrafted and handbound
– Exact reproduction of the original ‘Jota’ emblem of 4860 ‘LA JOTA DI HAHNE’ on the cover
– Price: 250 € excluding shipping and local duties and taxes
Order here: www.miurasvj4860.com
Review by Pete Vack
All photos from the book
The 12.25 by 10.5 inch 140 page book easily slides out of its silky slipcase – it is black, as was the trim of the car that is the subject of the book, and thoughtfully designed with an indentation to allow one to grasp the book firmly in order to facilitate its removal. A luxurious cover appears, and again a silk like material is used; it feels good, smooth, yet textured and expensive. It is silver, the same color as the body of the car that is the subject of the book. In the center of the cover is a prominently raised font- by at least an eighth of an inch no less – with one word, “Jota”, in black script, the same as that adorns the rear of the car that is the subject of the book. [Read more…] about 4860, ‘La Jota di Hahne,’ Reviewed
1969: Gigi Taramazzo in an Abarth 2000 at the Trento – Bondone hillclimb. Photo courtesy G. Tomazzoni
From the VeloceToday Archives, February 2015
This week we present an exclusive story about the famous yet little known Scuderia Brescia Corse. Dino Brunori, author of “Nardi, A fast life”, has done a lot of research on the team from Brescia; you’ll find links to the rest of the articles below.
This is a story of men, cars, races and a story of Brescia. Called ‘the lioness of Italy’ for its strong and fierce resistance to the Austro-Hungarian army before surrendering during the first war of independence in 1848, Brescia became the capital of car racing from the very beginning of the automobile.