VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Jim Sitz Remembers Phil Hill

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Hill Tribute Number 4 for September 7

Sixty years ago this week, Phil Hill won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and the World Championship. Photo by Jim Sitz

This is the last of Jim Sitz’s recollections of Phil Hill as we celebrate his World Championship year with the victory at Monza on September 10th. We have also combined all four of Jim’s photo recollections we have previously published this summer, so scroll down to read them all. Our thanks to Jim and his incredible memory, photography, and never ending contributions to the history of motorsports. [Read more…] about Jim Sitz Remembers Phil Hill

Concorso Italiano, 2021

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Photo courtesy Jean Pierre Legras.

Story by Brandes Elitch

To state the obvious, if you own or plan on getting an Italian car (and why not?), the Concorso Italiano should be a mandatory destination before you buy. It is located on a 36-hole golf course with a spectacular view of Monterey Bay, about a two-hour drive south of San Francisco. There is certainly nothing like it anywhere outside of Italy. I was at the first Concorso, which was 35 years ago, and I wouldn’t miss it. If you want to learn about a particular Italian car, there will be one there, and the owner will be quite pleased to show it to you and fill you in on the details. Just imagine if somehow you could attend the annual meeting of all the Italian car clubs in the country, in one day, talking to marque experts who are anxious to tell you why their favorite car is just the thing for you!

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Concorso Italiano Photo Gallery

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A Dino Fiat sports a rather unusual hardtop.

Photos by Brandes Elitch
Smart ass remarks by Staff

Here’s Elitch’s selections of Italian cars from this year’s Concorso. Bear in mind that there was really no way to positively identify the cars at Concorso, which makes it a lot of fun and serves as a test of your knowledge when walking through the hundreds of great cars. But if you are lucky, the owner will be around, usually sitting in a beach chair, and would be willing to bend your ear for an hour or so about his favorite car. Not having time for much for that, we thought that readers can help us through the minefield below.

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70th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

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Is that oil? No, it couldn’t be!! Judges inspect the 1926 Miller 122 Locomobile Junior 8 Special owned by Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago, Illinois

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

August 15, 2021 Pebble Beach is the most famous car show in the world, and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Yes, there are other shows such as Villa d’Este at Lake Como, and Chantilly Richard Mille. The thing about Pebble Beach is the sheer amount of energy and excitement in the air, which is palpable. You can actually feel it as you walk down the hill and see the cars spread out before you. As Chief Judge Chris Bock said, “One thing that has changed since the 70’s and 80’s is that it has become the World’s Concours.” [Read more…] about 70th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Pebble Beach 2021 Photo Gallery

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This Alfa took second place in the Pre War preservation class.

Photos by Brandes Elitch

A selection of photos from Pebble Beach this year. Thanks to Kandace Hawkinson, Pebble Beach Marketing & Media Relations, for helping identify many of the owners.

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The 18th Annual Quail Motorsports Gathering

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Ah, yup, a new Delage for the Evolution of the Supercar class.

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

See Photo Gallery

As most of our readers know, Steve Earle started the first annual Monterey Historic Car Races in 1974.

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Silverstone Classic, 2021: Pre 1970 Racecars

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1963 Jaguar E Type, driven by Guy Ziser and Oliver Webb.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

See Post 1970 Racecars at Silverstone

How should I sum up the delayed (by a year) 30th Silverstone Classic race meeting held over the weekend of the 30th July to the 1st August?

Huge is the first thought that would normally come to mind. 21 races, 900 race entries. Dozens and dozens of car clubs with tons of cars on display including no less than 375 Triumph Stags along to celebrate its delayed 50th birthday. Car parades, a fair ground, Rock Bands on the live stage, food, beer and multiple opportunities to spend money amongst the various traders, or if you had a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket, then at the Silverstone Classic car auction. But for me the word WET first springs to my mind, sometimes the sun popped out but often the heavens simply opened but that did not stop the racing as you will. The stand out race for me was the Royal Automobile Club Historic Trophy for MRL Pre 63 GT cars with a fantastic win by Lukas Halusa in my favorite Ferrari, the 250GT Breadvan.

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Photo Gallery: The Quail Motorsports Gathering

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Alfa Romeo 2500 SS Supergioiello by Ghia, 1950. This is my personal call for Best of Show, owned by Jonathan and Wendy Segal. It is reportedly one of four ‘Supergioiello’ Alfa 2500s built by Ghia circa 1950. It is most certainly one of the most attractive designs to come out of Ghia during the Boano years.

Photos by Brandes Elitch

You have read Elitch’s superb reporting of the 2021 Quail at Monterey,

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Silverstone Classic, 2021: Post 1970 Racecars

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1979 Alfa Romeo Alfa Sud Sprint Veloce grp2, driven by Geoff Gordon.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

See Pre 1970 Racecars at Silverstone

Racing a car, particularly an F1 car, in the rain at what seemed to be near full chat, takes a certain sort of mind set, one that was very much in evidence during the wet qualifying day on the Friday, all rooster tails and balls of spray in the single seaters, Flapping wiper blades and steamed up windows in the tin tops, and often sideways in the sports cars. Luckily Saturday morning arrived without rain but hardly any sun either. As I was going to have to leave for home during the lunch break I took myself off to Brooklands corner to watch the first three races, having first taken a very quick trip around the various car club displays. With the skies darkening it was alas time for me to depart and then 10 minutes down the road the heavens opened yet again. Here’s hoping for dry weather for the Goodwood Revival.

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Louise Collins, Remembered

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Louise and Peter (Graham Gauld archive, photographer unknown)

By Graham Gauld, comments by Jim Sitz and Collin’s photos courtesy of Chris Price

I was truly saddened to hear of the death of Louise Collins, age 87, on August 18. She was a true character that greatly impressed this 22-year-old when I first met her with her new husband, racing driver Peter Collins, in September 1957.

By a strange coincidence I had actually seen a photograph of “ …actress Louise King” that had been published in Sports Illustrated magazine earlier that year where, in their report of the Sebring race, they had snapped a photo of this fair-haired actress sitting beside one of the cars. I was impressed!

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