barn finds

Alfa Finds a New Life, Part 3

April 18, 2013 By pete

By Pete Vack

The Editor wraps up the story of the Alfa Find with the help of Brighton Motors, Dr. Peter Fodor, Matt at Re-Originals, and current owner Frank Allocca.

As we have seen, the Alfa found in a horse barn in 1977 passed quickly from the editor to the home of Alfas Unlimited in Norfolk CT., where Keith Goring and Sue Dixon decided to make a vintage race car out of the engineless Alfa. The Sprint Veloce would stay with them until in 2007 when they finally gave up the old workhorse race car and sold it.

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Alfa Find Part 1

April 4, 2013 By pete

By Pete Vack

It’s funny how we manage to remember dates. By the looks of the tags on the Chevy station wagon, it appears to have been 1977. Or maybe 1976, it’s hard to tell. But I also know that Michael Frostick’s “Lancia” book had just been published by Dalton Watson and that was in 1976. I had just received my copy when Keith and Sue arrived and was eager to show it to them, so it must have been 1977.

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The Saga of the Caswell BNC Part 1

November 14, 2012 By pete

French Charm seeing the light of day after forty years. Photo by George Lymber.

French Charm

By Eric Davison

Getting involved in writing about old cars is something like a disease that is incurable. The symptoms keep on recurring. Case in point: Last year I was involved in helping my friend Phillipe Defechereux with the latest edition of his book about Watkins Glen in the period from 1948 to 1952. (Watkins Glen, The Street Years. 1948 – 1952. Dalton Watson)

The intention was to try to locate some of the cars that appeared at the Glen during those years and to tell where they are today. Unfortunately I had only a few months in which to work. To do a comprehensive job would take years and would make a pretty good book all by itself.

The famous cars were easy. Just about any car that Briggs Cunningham was involved with is in the Collier Museum in Florida. Talbot Lago Figoni coupes, while rare and wonderful, are easily traced. Poison Lil is a legend all by itself. Cars like 2.9 liter blown Alfas don’t disappear; they wind up in important collections. However it was the rare, unusual and not so famous cars that aroused my curiosity.

What's that car? Number 5 is George Caswell at Waktins Glen, 1948. The modified nose would make the car hard to identify. Behind him is the MG of Dean Bedford, Jr. Both cars would finish the Junoir Grand Prix. Photo by Harold Lance.

Fairfield County Concours

September 21, 2011 By pete

At the Fairfield County Concours, I spotted a fantastic ‘Barn Find’ 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux Coupe. The pre-auction estimate was $150,000-200,000. I knew that these were very desirable models even in such sad shape and I was not surprised to find out the next day that it sold for significantly over this estimate at $337,000!

Story and Photos by Werner Pfister

Fabulous weather, fantastic cars and a good cause underscored the Fairfield County Concours in Westport, Connecticut this past weekend. Since its humble beginning eight years ago in Westport’s Veterans Green on Main Street, this event has grown into a world class event at the expansive Fairfield County Hunt Club.
[Read more…] about Fairfield County Concours

Incredible Balilla Spider Barn Find: SOLD!

March 30, 2011 By pete

What you need to know:
Is it for sale? SOLD

The vast majority of enthusiasts cannot afford a pre War Italian sports car. This Fiat Balilla, a truly rare barn find, may be the last opportunity to own a genuine pre War Italian classic at an affordable price.

By Steve Gurr and Pete Vack

All photos by Steve Gurr

Last month Steve Gurr and his wife were minding their own business happily driving to their home in Gainesville, Ga. when they spotted what looked like an old Austin Bantam on a trailer a short distance ahead. Catching up, a closer look revealed a pre-war Fiat roadster with a “Balilla” script across the grille.

Steve is a longtime car enthusiast who has owned MGs, Porsches, Miatas. He owned only one Italian car, an Alfa GTV, but was astute enough to know that he should find out more about whatever kind of Fiat was on that trailer. At the next traffic light he hopped out and approached the driver. “What are you going to do with the car?” he asked. The two young men in the truck enthusiastically hollered back, “Want to buy it? We have more!”
By Steve’s watch, it was about 4 P.M. on Sunday when the traffic light turned green.

Ahead of Steve and his wife in the traffic of an Atlanta suburb was a Fiat Balilla, identified by the script on the grille. It turned out to be a 508 M, found in Ethiopia and probably used in the Italian-Ethiopian war in the mid 1930s. This would lead to the discovery of the Balilla Coppa d’ Oro.

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Delage Barn Controversy: Views of the Owner

March 2, 2011 By pete

Kitty Brunell behind the wheel of the Delage when new. Photo courtesy Derek Durst

A bit of a disclaimer here; I first met Derek Durst back in the 1980s, when he had in his possession one of the Le Mans HRGs. We wrote a story about the delightful Hurg and the article appeared in “Sports Cars International”. When Brandy Elitch’s story on the Delage and Ferrari in the barn was published last week, Derek wrote us a nice note to explain why he had a) changed the body and b) why he had run the ad on eBay in that fashion, which caused a good bit of confusion and speculation. While we fully support the views of both Brandes Elitch, the Delage clubs and Registries, we thought it only fair that Derek be given the chance to clarify a few issues. [Ed.]

By Derek Durst

I am a lifelong car-guy, a genuine car enthusiast albeit with a background in art, I am not a writer, but I feel obligated to respond to the above article in my own defense, as best I can. [Read more…] about Delage Barn Controversy: Views of the Owner