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Concorso Italiano 2022

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Maserati T151

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch
Scroll down for Alfa to Ferrari photo gallery

The third week in August is known on the California Monterey Peninsula as “Car Week.” The population of the small town (1.06 square miles) of Carmel-by-the Sea has about 4000 residents, but during car week they will see an additional 85,000 visitors, according to the Monterey County Visitors Bureau. This is primarily a four-day event, but there is even a “Pre-Historics” the week before at the Laguna Seca racetrack. Car week now spans ten days and stretches from Seaside to Carmel Valley to Big Sur. Aside from the three major shows, there are another dozen or so smaller events, spread out all over the Monterey Peninsula. The pandemic put the brakes on some Car Week events for the last two years, but now, “It’s all right here!” [Read more…] about Concorso Italiano 2022

Why Are Italian Cars Beautiful?

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Marque et modele: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Touring “Flying Star.” Chassis number 10814341

Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

About thirty years ago, someone gave me a copy of a book titled Touring Superleggera, by Carlo Felice Anderloni. It was published in 1983. I started to go through it and was overwhelmed by the staggering beauty of Mr. Anderloni’s creations. Even though I had been observing automobile design for many years previously, I had never seen anything like this before. At some point, I had to physically put the book down and take a deep breath. I had to revise my conceptions of automotive design. [Read more…] about Why Are Italian Cars Beautiful?

The Quail Motorcycle Gathering Part 2

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1965 Moto Morini, red number 65, 175 cc racer, owned by Joey Shimoda

Story and Photos by Brandes Elitch

There are many high-end car shows, which are typically called a Concours d‘Elegance. Two of the most extraordinary are right in this area, the Pebble Beach show and The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, right on the same field as this show. I have been to many shows of this type in the last fifty years, but I am quite sure that the Quail motorcycle show is in a class by itself, and is likely to remain that way for a while.

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The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2022

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1967 Italjet Vampire (competition off road category) owned by Marc Crocetti who volunteered to help with this article. His bikes all have number 71.

Story and Photos by Brandes Elitch

The 12th Annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering was held at the Quail Lodge resort in Carmel Valley, California on May 14, 2022. Because of the pandemic, it could not be held for the two previous years. It was good to be back. This is a world-class motorcycle event, likely THE world-class motorcycle event. [Read more…] about The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2022

Lancia Owners Requesting Loramo Book

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This afternoon, I’m likely the only person you know, delivering charity bake sale boxes out of the back of my car in 11F degree Wisconsin winter to benefit the local farm animal rescue sanctuary! Who is he and what is the car?

Almost hidden in the text of our article about Brandes Elitch and Cars Yea was an unusual offer: Send Brandes a photo of a Lancia you owned or still own and he’ll send you a copy of his book “Lancia Loraymo.”

It’s a good thing we didn’t do more to bring attention to the offer, as Brandes immediately began to receive emails and photos, and though he has a few copies left, they are going fast.

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Brandes Elitch, Cars Yeah, and Lancia Loraymo

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Story by Pete Vack

Last week Brandes Elitch, our longtime contributor/columnist, had his say on Mark Greene’s Cars Yeah. And what a good performance it was! Despite knowing him digitally for fifteen years, (meaning we have never met in person) hearing him on Mark’s excellent series added much depth and humanity to the subject of one Brandes Elitch. [Read more…] about Brandes Elitch, Cars Yeah, and Lancia Loraymo

Forty Years of Monterey Car Week

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The Alfa 6C 1750 was produced in six series from 1929-33. In 1929 it won every major racing event, including the GP’s of Belgium, Spain, Tunis, Monza, as well as the Mille Miglia, the Brooklands Double Twelve, and the Ulster TT.

From our Archvies, September, 2020. Although this article is only a couple of years old, Brandes Elitch and the Editor thought that it reflects so much of what Monterey was about and what Elitch has seen and experienced over a forty year period of attending the fabled August car events in Monterey. Be sure to read the articles on Brandes and Cars Yeah, in this issue.

Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

I first time I attended what has become known as “The Monterey Historics” was back in 1979, when I moved to California from New York City. I have not missed a year since – 40 years is a long time for anything.

In the early years, my focus was primarily the Laguna Seca racetrack. These were the beginnings of historic racing, the genius of Steve Earle creating the blueprint for what was to come worldwide. I was amazed that I could walk anywhere in the pits, and go right up to the owner and talk about his car, exotic racecars I had never seen in person before, just read about in Road & Track. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. [Read more…] about Forty Years of Monterey Car Week

Velocity Invitational Inaugural at Laguna Seca

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Porsche 917/30-003, one of two Porsches that Mark Donohue used to dominate the Can-Am in 1973. 003 also set the closed course world speed record at Talladega.

Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Larry Chen / Velocity Invitational
Captions by John Sexton

From November 12-14, 2021, a new event debuted at Laguna Seca racetrack (now called WeatherTech Raceway). It was a success. About ten thousand people attended in person, and even more startling, I am told that over 600,000 viewers watched it on YouTube and other streaming platforms! More than 175 vintage racing cars participated daily on the track, with two days to practice and two days to race, and another 75 cars were on display in the paddock. The previous event by this organizer was the 2019 Sonoma Speed Festival, covered here at VeloceToday at the time. That event has essentially been moved from Sonoma to Monterey going forward.

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Brandes Elitch at Hershey, 2021

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Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

The last time VT published my column on Hershey, “The Eastern Division AACA National Fall Meet,” was in 2009. It’s time for an update. I was able to attend the event this year, held on October….and this is my report.

Background

In its 65- year existence, last year was the only year when the show did not occur. It’s indisputable that this is the largest automobile related event in the world. It started back in 1955. [Read more…] about Brandes Elitch at Hershey, 2021

Concorso Italiano, 2021

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Photo courtesy Jean Pierre Legras.

Story by Brandes Elitch

To state the obvious, if you own or plan on getting an Italian car (and why not?), the Concorso Italiano should be a mandatory destination before you buy. It is located on a 36-hole golf course with a spectacular view of Monterey Bay, about a two-hour drive south of San Francisco. There is certainly nothing like it anywhere outside of Italy. I was at the first Concorso, which was 35 years ago, and I wouldn’t miss it. If you want to learn about a particular Italian car, there will be one there, and the owner will be quite pleased to show it to you and fill you in on the details. Just imagine if somehow you could attend the annual meeting of all the Italian car clubs in the country, in one day, talking to marque experts who are anxious to tell you why their favorite car is just the thing for you! [Read more…] about Concorso Italiano, 2021

The 18th Annual Quail Motorsports Gathering

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Ah, yup, a new Delage for the Evolution of the Supercar class.

Story and photos by Brandes Elitch

See Photo Gallery

As most of our readers know, Steve Earle started the first annual Monterey Historic Car Races in 1974.

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Elitch on Model Car Collecting

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Story by Brandes Elitch

“There are some people that if they don’t know, you can’t tell them” – Louis Armstrong

Why would a person in their fifties, sixties, or seventies still collect model cars, spending perhaps hundreds of dollars on an individual model? Well, if I have to explain it to you, this quote from Louis Armstrong is right on the money.

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Collecting is so widespread that there is even a “psychology of collecting,” which says that “this allows people to relive their childhood, and connect themselves to a period or time that they feel strongly about.” Collecting “helps people to relieve insecurity and anxiety about losing a part of themselves and to keep the past to continue to exist in the present.” Someone once said that collectors have “a genetic defect.” These comments are beyond psychobabble – they are nonsense, of course.

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