The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
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
“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
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?
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.
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.
Review by Pete Vack
All images from the book
Jean Bugatti 1929-1939 The prodigious decade by François Vanaret
Language: French / English
30 x 24 cm, 300 pages
500 hardbound copies, couverture cartonnée
illustrations : 40 full-page reproductions of paintings and 350 photos
$135 postpaid in US from Don Toms Bookseller
Artist François Vanaret has combined his stunning art with a well-researched history that encompasses the Jean Bugatti-inspired cars built from the La Royale in 1929 to the last T57 built in 1939. [Read more…] about Jean Bugatti 1929-1939 The prodigious decade
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.