VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Better than Ford v Ferrari

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By Wallace Wyss
Photos used with permissions

As a Shelby historian, Wallace Wyss has earned his spurs in the Shelby Fan Club so to speak, with three books on Shelby since 1977. Recently he met congenial PR man Scott Black of Texas, who has as a client the Shelby family, and also met one of the producers, Adam Carolla in Monterey at a Honda party. Thanks to both of them, Wyss was invited to the exclusive premiere showing on Hollywood Boulevard on January 8 of the new Shelby American documentary.

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The FCA-Groupe PSA Giant Merger

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By Philippe Defechereux

Italian and French Automobile Makers to Become Strong Allies in North America

As our title confirms, the most momentous automobile news of the year was officially announced last December 18, during the height of the 2019 holiday season.

That is not long ago, but you might have been distracted by other merriments more attuned to year-end cravings, or coincident explosive geopolitical events. So if you missed it, or merely paid casual attention, here is the whole important story, along with its potentially significant implications, neatly packaged for you.

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Rick Carey on New Lives after the Auctions

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Rick Carey with the Bothwell Peugeot

Story and photos by Rick Carey

Cars at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2019

Do high profile cars disappear after they leave the auction block with a new owner?
Given some profound wails of regret heard from observers, that seems to be a popular view. But are images of secretive collectors hoarding their auction trophies accurate? [Read more…] about Rick Carey on New Lives after the Auctions

Scaglietti in Turin

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Catching the Scaglietti exhibition in Turin.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Well, it was all rather last minute, but my wife and I flew to Turin to do a bit of late Christmas food shopping. It’s a bit far to go to just buy a panettone, but this being Turin, old Italian cars will no doubt be part of the trip.

As we reported in our

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Scaglietti: An Appreciation by Michael Lynch

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Sergio Scaglietti (l) is seen here with Piero Ferrari. Piero issued the following statement; ‘He was one of my father’s best friends. He was next to me with Marco Piccinini also the day my father died and stayed with me the whole night until the funeral. I loved him and he was a very important part of my life. The world is emptier without Sergio.’

In this brief tribute from the VeloceToday Archives, November 23, 2011, Michael Lynch tells us why Sergio Scaglietti is so important in Ferrari’s history. And as usual, so very well-told.

By Michael T. Lynch

The world has lost one of the great artisans of immediate post-World War II coachbuilding. Sergio Scaglietti died last Saturday night at his home. A son of Modena born in 1920, he joined his brother at Carrozzeria Emiliana when he was just 13, a year short of what Italian labor laws of the time allowed. This was due to the death of his father and the need for family income.

By 1937, he and his brother joined Renato Torcelli and formed Carrozzeria Torcelli & Scaglietti. The shop was directly across the street from Scuderia Ferrari and they were soon repairing the Alfas of the Scuderia.

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Adelaide Rally, South Australia, 4 – 7 Dec 2019

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Mike & Kerry Lowe 1990 FSM Niki 650, Modern Comp. Anstey’s Hill

Story and photos by Vince Johnson

December’s annual motorsport festival in South Australia’s capital kicked off on the 4th with the Adelaide Rally scrutineering and drivers’ briefings. Parc Ferme was at the Wayville Showgrounds and competition cars left on Wednesday for seven closed-road special stages south of the city. Entries in the Competition category were split into classic and modern classes. Within the Classic Competition class, crews also competed for the Heritage Trophy, with a handicap system based on each car’s actual engine capacity and the vehicle’s standard, unmodified weight. [Read more…] about Adelaide Rally, South Australia, 4 – 7 Dec 2019

The Bend Classic, South Australia, 7-8 Dec 2019

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Paul Faulkner Willams F1 FW07

Story and photos by Vince Johnson

From 2014 to 2018 the sprints in the then ‘Adelaide Motorsport Festival’ had been centered on Victoria Park using part of the city’s old Formula 1 track. Government funding cut backs this year prevented its use so The Bend Motorsport Park stepped up to fill the void with a totally new event, ‘The Bend Classic’. The world’s second-longest permanent racetrack, it has a variety of circuits suited to just about every motorsport category. Three of the seven layouts were used: the West (3.4km), East (3.9km) and International (5km) tracks. [Read more…] about The Bend Classic, South Australia, 7-8 Dec 2019

36th Annual Auto e Moto d’Epoca

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She thinks we should change the name of VeloceToday to AmoreToday…

Story and photos by Alain Raymond

Three Canadian friends and Italian car enthusiasts returned to Padova for the 36th annual Auto e Moto d’Epoca, one of Europe’s most comprehensive collectible car show and flee market. [Read more…] about 36th Annual Auto e Moto d’Epoca

Cars Accelerating the Modern World Exhibition

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The new exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum covers a wide range of topics with great thought and imagination.

Photos by Jonathan Sharp

Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone to the newly named Victoria and Albert Museum in May 1899, and proclaimed “I trust it will remain for ages a monument of discerning liberty and a source of refinement and progress.” Whilst it is said that she did not say “we are not amused” I think the latest exhibition ‘Cars Accelerating the Modern World’ would have amused her.

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It Must be B.A.T. 1

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Story and photos by Rick Carey

This article originally appeared in VeloceToday in 2003 and again in 2018. Due to the many requests we had to see this article after the series on the B.A.T.s as published last week, we thought it might be nice to give everyone a chance to read it again without a premium subscription.

I’ve always admired the work of Franco Scaglione. Anyone who could create the B.A.T.s on the tall-engined Alfa 1900 chassis, who displayed such sympathy for airflow and was willing to challenge convention with shape and curve rather than embellishment and accoutrement, was an exceptional talent. And full credit also to Nuccio Bertone who gave Scaglione free rein to reinvent extravagantly. [Read more…] about It Must be B.A.T. 1

B.A.T. 5: A Stunning Achievement

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Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Text by Pete Vack

The display of the three B.A.T. Alfas was held at the Phillips Auction House in Berkeley Square, London and only displayed for four days, November 20-23. Jonathan Sharp attended on a Wednesday afternoon and here is the first of three reports.

The first of the B.A.T.s was perhaps the most celebrated, gaining notice in magazines across the western hemisphere. But was it the first? Rick Carey, writing in VeloceToday, thinks the Packard-Abarth Bertone might have been B.A.T. 1. Nevertheless, B.A.T. 5 was shown first in April of 1953 at Turin. [Read more…] about B.A.T. 5: A Stunning Achievement

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