The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Guy Moerenhout’s Abarth Works Museum is a must for any Italian car enthusiast. Get there before January 7 while the Italian French Affair is still on display.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
In addition to the remarkable collection of Abarths at
Where the legend began. It is with a Chenard & Walcker Sport 3 Litre of this type that André Lagache and René Léonard won the first edition of the French classic in 1923. Its four cylinder 3 Litre engine developed 95 bhp and allowed to reach 145 km per hour.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
For the first time since 2020, the Parisian show is back at full strength, again spread over three halls. With more than 1,700 vehicles on display, Retromobile continues the tradition that began in 1976. No less than 125,000 people visited the show making it the second highest attendance since its inception. As this year the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrates its centenary, many exhibitors brought classic racing cars that took part in the famous race.
By Pete Vack
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
From the VeloceToday Archives, April 18, 2013
Thanks to our man Hugues Vanhoolandt, we are able to present these Gordini photos, listed by chassis number, for this article. They were taken at a variety of events from 2008 to 2013. And, thanks to VeloceToday contributor and author Roy Smith for his book Amédée Gordini, a True Racing Legend.
Before VeloceToday contributor Roy Smith wrote his comprehensive book on Gordini, the only source of in-depth information about the cars was Christian Huet’s amazing book, on the subject. Published in 1984 in French, Huet traced the history of Gordini, plus all known cars.
J.P. Wimille in 4GC T11 at Monaco in 1948. Credit LAT Photographic.
Amédée Gordini – a true racing legend
288 pages, 470 photos black and white and color, 8.25 x 10 inches
$89.95 plus shipping Order from Veloce Publishing, UK
Review by Pete Vack
Here at Last
The term ‘long-awaited’ is surely an understatement when applied to Roy Smith’s latest book. Not that it’s Roy’s fault, mind you, for without his effort there would probably be no book about Gordini at all, save Christian Huet’s remarkable and still handy Gordini Un Sorcier Une Equipe, published a generation ago in 1984. Fortunately the long wait was worth it; if you are the least bit interested in Grand Prix racing, Italian cars, French cars or just beautiful cars, Smith’s fantastic book should be part of your library. [Read more…] about At Long Last, GORDINI, by Roy Smith
Gordini on the way to winning the Index at Le Mans in 1939. Graham Gauld Archives.
By Graham Gauld
Does anyone remember the Fodor guides to hotels, restaurants and the like? Back in 1957, Fodor sent me a review copy of their then-new guide to Italy. It arrived just as I was planning my first trip to Modena, so I looked up the area. I came upon a small hotel, the Albergo della Rocca, in the tiny village of Bazzano to the north of Modena. It was a great choice because it was run by the Rochi family as a typical Italian family hotel. Occasionally Enzo Ferrari came there to dine, but many years later I discovered that Bazzano had another role to play in the history of motor racing. It was the birthplace of Amedeo Gordini.
Amedeo’s father was a horse dealer but died in 1902 when Amedeo was only three years of age. However, it was not long before cars entered his life as Modena was a hot bed of motor sport and was one of the towns used on the Giro d’Emilia car event. (I say car because in 1909 the first Giro d’Emilia cycle race took place and also visited Modena.) Gordini was enthralled and that was it; he was going to become a mechanic, and at the very young age of 10 he took up an apprenticeship in an engineering shop in Bologna.
A man named Weber was an early influence on Gordini. Photo by Mary Decker Vack