The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Letting loose in the Delage.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
After missing 2020 for the usual reason, the London Classic Car show was back for 2021 and took place June 25 – 27. Not at the London Excel exhibition center as before, but in West London at Syon Park, and out in the open! [Read more…] about London Classic Car Show, 2021
From our Archives, October, 2018
By Vince Johnson and Pete Vack
Photos by Vince Johnson
A Bit on the Brescia
Vince Johnson will detail the ‘Butterfly’ Bugatti below, but first a few interesting facts about Ettore’s most successful model in terms of sales. The Brescia Bugatti was an evolution of Bugatti’s first production car from 1910, the Type 10 and Type 13. During that period, Bugatti model nomenclature was based on the length of the wheelbase, in general, the T 13 being the shortest, and the T23 the longest. But in 1921, after the total domination of an event in Italy, Ettore Bugatti decided to name his most recent model after the race.
By Vince Johnson and Pete Vack
Photos by Vince Johnson
A Bit on the Brescia
Vince Johnson will detail the ‘Butterfly’ Bugatti below, but first a few interesting facts about Ettore’s most successful model in terms of sales. The Brescia Bugatti was an evolution of Bugatti’s first production car from 1910, the Type 10 and Type 13. During that period, Bugatti model nomenclature was based on the length of the wheelbase, in general, the T 13 being the shortest, and the T23 the longest. But in 1921, after the total domination of an event in Italy, Ettore Bugatti decided to name his most recent model after the race. [Read more…] about 1925 Bugatti Brescia
Piccard-Pictet-Aero of Geoff Smith.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Well it’s Sunday night and another weekend gone without the grass being cut, or the cars washed, as I just got back from the Bugatti Owners Club Vie en Bleu event at Prescott after a day at Goodwood to enjoy a Benjafields Racing Club meet. All for the glory of VeloceToday, of course!
From my front door it’s about 3 hours to Prescott. The first 2 plus hours are spent on the most boring of motorways but the last hour is spent driving through beautiful Cotswold countryside. It’s all honey-colored stone cottages and rolling green farm land. If it was not for the speed cameras and the modern car you could still believe it was 1930. The 1930s feeling continues when you arrive at Prescott. It’s not just the cars in the racing paddock, it’s the sound of a steam train whistle blowing in the distance. There will be a hush in the paddock when all the cars haven fallen silent when in the distance you will hear the distinct sound of a steam whistle and above the trees will appear the white smoke of an old Great Western Railway steam locomotive as it pulls out from the station at the bottom of the hill, filling several carriages loaded with happy steam train buffs, all ready to chuff their way through the rolling countryside. There was a time in England where every school boy grew up wanting to be steam engine drivers.
As is usual with Vie en Bleu event the paddocks and hillsides around the course contained many an interesting French cars and what is nice is that a lot of them I had not seen before. Unfortunately it poured with rain mid-morning but that did not stop play as you will see from the enclosed photographs. And this year, we managed our way into the Bugatti Trust Museum. All in all another great day.
Map of the Prescott hillclimb.
Brescia Bugattis in formation.
Lancia Appia Furgoncino Series 2. Supplied new on January 1, 1959 to Signor B. Caberlotto of Cornuda (TV). He used the vehicle up until 2006 for the delivery of wines and spirits to his local customers. He nicknamed the van ‘The Earl’. Caberlotto sold the van to the Appia consortium in 2010.
Photos and Captions by Jonathan Sharp
This year’s annual Footman James-sponsored NEC Classic Motor Show show at the sprawling National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham England was the largest yet. spread over 11 halls. The visitor number was also the largest ever with just shy of 58,000 attending over the three days. The show has certainly grown in size and stature since the early days at dear old Alexandra Palace in London (or as us ex locals call it Ally Pally). It is very much a show built by the attending owners clubs – everything from Alfa Romeos to Zastavas. Each year, many of the clubs try to outdo each other in their imaginative display settings. They also bring different cars each year which keeps everything fresh.
[Read more…] about NEC Show, Birmingham England, November 16-18, 2012