The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
It’s a little-known fact that Jim Clark tested an Alfa Romeo. Purchased by an Alfa Romeo UK employee for racing, Jim Clark tested this Giulietta Sprint Veloce at Charterhall to compare it to the Lotus Elite.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Hugues continues with his coverage of the Goodwood Revival.
Alfa Sportiva and 158
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
‘Turn on, tune in, drop out.’ The entry gate into this year’s Goodwood Revival took us back to the late 60s and to the intersection of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco and the birth of the hippie movement and the 60s counter-culture.
We waded past the hippie tents and the psychedelic school bus to reach the paddocks, where all the really interesting stuff lay. I have never seen so many VW Type 2 split screen vans in one location, as each morning before the racing commenced, the Type 2s paraded around the circuit to celebrate the model’s 75th anniversary. According to the programme at least 130 were expected and, due to the muddy infield where they had planned to display them, they were parked literally everywhere and whilst I am not a big fan they did make a very impressive sight. [Read more…] about Goodwood Revival, Paddock and Aircraft
Lancia Scorpion, waiting.
Story by Tom Gonnella
Photos taken by the Editor circa 2004 unless otherwise noted
In the 1970s, Sam Caronia had some interesting cars in the shop on 38th Street in Norfolk, Va. In addition to the three Allemanos, the Intermeccanica and the 300SC, he also had a couple of OTR or OTS 1000s, a Simca and a Porsche Abarth Carrera. In addition to the usual Fiat’s, MG’s, Healey’s, VW’s and old Porsches, behind the shop there was a Ferrari 250, a Buick another Simca, several Series 2 Alfa Spiders and a GT Junior.
The one, the only, Intermeccanica F Jr.
By Pete Vack
From the VeloceToday Archives, 2010
Guys are incredibly insensitive sometimes, cruelly defining even friends not by who he or she is, but by what cars they own, as if the vehicle was more important than the owner. Contact begins with not “Hey Sam, how have you been,” but with “Hey Sam, you still have the Intermeccanica?” We are as guilty of this sin as anyone, and we all do it from time to time, I would guess.
Review by Pete Vack
Books on Cisitalia are rare. We have found three important books on the subject:
A Dream Called Cisitalia 202 (Un Sogno Chiamato Cisitalia) The True Story of the Most Beautiful Car in the World by Mario Simoni, published in 2004, relates the Cisitalia story in 225 pages, and almost 500 photos. The text is in Italian, but worth every cent of the $100 or so that is being asked for a copy on eBay. [Read more…] about Cisitalia, The Brand That Altered Porsche’s Destiny, Reviewed
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
This year we found Goodwood celebrating a remarkable 50-year period of motorsport success for Alfa Romeo with a selection of machinery that begins with pre-war successes and ends with World Championship win in 1975. To celebrate this, a fantastic parade of iconic Alfa Romeo racing cars was organized. The parade brought together everything from the earliest racing models, such as the RL Targa Florio’s of the 1920s, to the 33/TT/3 sports prototypes of the early 1970s.
Sam in his Intermeccanica Formula Jr. Photographer unknown, courtesy Same Caronia collection.
By Tom Gonnella
After my mother impressed Sam, anything she wanted he gave her, including a job for me. I worked for Sam for three summers and he was a great friend for the rest of his life.
I had discovered road racing at 14 through a friend whose father ran a Triumph Spitfire in the SCCA and we were his ‘crew.’ I also told Sam I had now started autocrossing my Alfa and asked Sam if I could get his rare Intermeccanica Formula Junior running to drive as I thought it would be more competitive.
Tony Kanaaan, Dario Franchitti, Marino Franchitti and Scott Dixon.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Goodwood Revival, September 12-14 2025
As Jonathan Sharp’s photos began to arrive here, we noticed something different; the smiles that were so dominant at previous Goodwood Festivals and the Revival were not as abundant. There were many, to be sure, like the group shot above, exuding good cheer, but many not.
We asked Sharp why this might be, or was it just coincidence? Probably the weather, he said. “On Saturday and Sunday and I was in the pits for the driver’s shots during the pouring rain during the RAC TT Celebration on Sunday afternoon, after all, wouldn’t you feel just a bit stressed if you had to driver a 400 bhp Cobra flat out in a monsoon? Because at the Revival, boy do they race!” [Read more…] about Drivers at the Goodwood Revival, 2025
Centro Aurelia Launched as Global Resource for Lancia Aurelia Enthusiasts
LONDON, UK – September 18th, 2025
On the 75th anniversary of the iconic Lancia Aurelia’s debut in 1950 a new global resource is
announced to support the preservation of this landmark 1950s Italian automobile: Centro
Aurelia. [Read more…] about Global Resource for the Lancia Aurelia
Ed McDonough is back! Driving the 275 P on an Essex duel carriageway. Photo Peter Collins
Review by Ed McDonough
The photos in this article are not included in the book reviewed
Ferrari 275 P Chassis 0816: the only Ferrari to have won Le Mans twice
Author Keith Bluemel
Order here:
Publisher Porter Press International
240 pages
260images
Price £125 (UK)
Any Ferrari book by Keith Bluemel is always welcome. He is by far the best of current Ferrari historians, his research is amazing and he always manages to capture the ‘feel’ of any Ferrari he writes about.
