The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Omnia Cover Art, 15 July 1923; illustration based on a photo, artist unknown.
The 1923 Tours Grand Prix has inspired many artists. Below are just a few of the paintings, cover art and advertisements that were generated by the epic event. Much of the art is still available via prints and we have linked appropriate sites to the paintings wherever possible. Please click on the images for ordering information and similar automotive art.
A look at the Grand Prix cars of the 20th Century might begin with this 1903 Mercedes. Camille Jenatzy, known as the Red Devil for his fearlessness, was due to drive a 90 hp Simplex in the 1903 Gordon Bennett race in Ireland but as that car was destroyed in an accident before the race, he borrowed this car instead, a 1903 60 hp Mercedes Simplex. He took victory having covered 327 miles at an average speed of 49.2 mph.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Not only have we been keeping Jonathan Sharp busy, he has been keeping us busy in turn. We had just completed his survey of drivers, then French and Italian cars at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, when he began sending photo after photo of Grand Prix cars. (As can be seen below, each one of his photos is properly focused, properly framed, and with just the right light and angle. No machine gun digital junk shooting here.)
We began sorting them by year, and soon found that Goodwood had assembled, and Jonathan had photographed, a good selection of Grand Prix cars ranging from a 1903 Mercedes to a 2019 Mercedes Benz W10. And with plenty in between, it was a vision only possible at Goodwood.
The classes as ordained by the Goodwood staff had a lot to do with the astounding turnout. Sharp explains, “ ‘Maestros of Motor Sport, the great all-rounders’, which saw the cars of Andretti, Penske and Jacky Ickx drew a lot of Grand Prix cars. Then, separate classes celebrated 70 years of BRM Grand Prix history, the Tyrrell Racing Organization, Ayrton Senna, and 110 years of the Indy 500. This is in addition to the usual favorites of Grand Prix cars old and new.”
The Mercedes leads but it will be Ferrari’s day.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
July 29-August 1: The 73rd running of the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, the biggest endurance race for GT cars, was won by Ferrari in a dramatic fashion. It was Ferrari’s first win there since 2004. The race was part of both the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the 2021 Intercontinental GT Challenge. 58 cars representing nine manufacturers tackled the famous Belgian track for a race that has always been full of surprises.
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk
From the VeloceToday Archives, July 2012
The circuit was a closed-off triangle of public roads, just north of the city of Tours. The starting line was situated just outside a small borough called La Noue-Guérinet, between the villages Neuillé-Pont-Pierre and La Membrolle on the Route Nationale 158. The numbers on the map above correspond to the photographs below. The 1923 Grand Prix of Tours was much tougher and much longer than today’s Grand Prix events. In order to finish, the participants had to cover a distance of 800 km (497 miles). As the ‘Circuit de la Touraine’ had a total length of 22.83 km, (14.1 miles) this meant 35 grueling laps. On the straights some of the cars reached speeds of nearly 200 km/h (125 mph). Around the circuit. 22 marshaling posts had been installed each of them equipped with a telephone in direct and permanent contact with the officials at race control in front of the grandstand.
Come with us as we take a lap around the 1923 French Grand Prix.
Photo 1: At the starting line. At one side were the tribunes and a grandstand for 4000 spectators. Note the direction of travel.
Program cover, 1923 Tours Grand Prix.
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk
From the VeloceToday Archives, August 2012
The race generated an immense amount of advance publicity. Numerous articles in the national and local newspapers and the sporting magazines created a great deal of curiosity and even greater expectations.
The Press
One of the reasons was that the editors of these publications were well aware of the growing interest of the French public in motorcars and motor racing. They properly reasoned that giving support to this great event would increase their circulations and advertising revenues.
Beautiful artwork by the French illustrator Mahias for the cover of Omnia magazine No. 27 portrayed a typical French racecar.
Are you going to Cockfosters?
Story by Graham Gauld
I was locked into an interesting discussion recently on motor sport and racing at the end of WWII in Europe and how soon motor sport had restarted in England. It is easy to forget that motor sport in Europe literally stopped dead in 1939 for the next six years save for a few events in Italy in 1940 whilst World War II was going on. Finally, on May 8, 1945 war in Europe came to an end but continued in the Far East.
This is the Festival of Speed
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Definition of stress: trying to assemble and organize this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Cars that could not be sent, cars that were sent but the mechanics to run them could not travel. Many drivers arrived, some drivers could not for obvious reasons. Now put the cars, mechanics, owners and drivers in order. The fact that the Goodwood team were able to put on the event, and that the event was up to its usual high standard, deserves the fullest praise.
The 1923 Grand Prix de la Touraine (The French Grand Prix at Tours) was not a battle of the “Tanks”, nor were the entries of the unique Voisin and the flat-iron Bugatti of truly great significance to motor racing. Author of the noted biography of André Lefebvre, Gijsbert-Paul Berk tells us why as he recounts the event from the very beginning, from a walk around the course to the final and surprising outcome with the help of a great number of historical photographs. (Above illustration by the author.)
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk (biography at end of this article)
From the VeloceToday archives, August 2012
The 1923 Grand Prix de Tours has been labeled ‘the Bugatti-Voisin duel’. But was it? Perhaps not; over the years the press and the ensuing legends have overshadowed the essence of the race itself and even the final outcome. Certainly, the teams of Bugatti and Voisin were adversaries. But the same is true for the teams of Fiat, Rolland-Pilain, Sunbeam and the Delage. It is our goal to review this famous race in a different light.
Phil Hill, World Champion. 60 years ago this week Phil finished third at the German Grand Prix for Ferrari. Photo of Phil Hill at the LA Times Grand Prix by Jim Sitz.
This week, 60 years ago on August 6th, Phil was at the Nurburgring where he placed third, behind von Trips and Moss, who garnered one of his greatest victories that day. Still, during practice, Hill became the first man to lap under 9 minutes, coming in at 8 minutes 55.2 seconds for pole position. Sitz recalls that Phil came into pits, and all the press was making a big fuss. Then he just blurted out, ”Yea, did one lap without screwing up.” The race finished with von Trips with 33 points for the World Championship, Hill 29 and Moss 21. The Championship would be decided at Monza, September 10th.
Roger Penske was a main attraction.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
At any of the Goodwood motoring events, the game of ‘Spot the Driver’ would be a lot easier if you had eyes in the back of your head as they pop up everywhere, even this year. Travel restrictions and quarantine regulations made me think that famous drivers would be thin on the ground but that was not the case.
By Pete Vack
Photos by Stephen Patchin
On a cold, windswept afternoon in 1996, I stood next to the late Howard Moon as both of us looked at what had once been a thriving Alfa Romeo dealership in Falls Church, Virginia. I noted that the familiar round Alfa Romeo signs no longer proudly hung near the front of the building, which was now busy with a much more lucrative SAAB franchise. “A sign of the times, perhaps?” said Moon.
In the lead photo, Freddy Agabashian takes the Marion Chinetti Ferrari out for a test drive during the 1954 time trials. It failed to qualify. Credit: IMS Museum
From the Archives, May 2012
By Roberto Motta
1953
Ferrari was undeterred by the results of the 1952 Indy, for plans were made to compete in the 1953 Indy 500, and an initial entry for Ascari was given the number of 97. In addition, two of the 375s sold to American customers planned a comeback; Howard Keck’s car was entered as number 45, with no driver listed, and Johnny Mauro entered with his 375 and given the number 47.