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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

dalton watson books

Paul Wilson, Karl Ludvigsen, Dalton Watson

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Paul Wilson at the Larz Anderson Museum

For all of you who have followed the adventures of Paul Wilson as he designs and constructs his own coachwork on the Alfa 6C 2500 chassis, we’ve got some great news for you! On November 30, 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m., Wilson will formally present his coupe at the prestigious Larz Anderson Automobile Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts.

The Larz Automobile Museum in Brookline. Photo by Biruitorul – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4488803

As we all know and can readily see via the VeloceToday articles, Wilson is a master craftsman, who learned his art as he went along, thinking about each process while limiting his tools and materials to those available to coachbuilders of the 1930s. How he worked through the problems of doors, interiors, trunks, hood and fenders is a fascinating process and reveals his unique genius. Why he used steel instead of aluminum is also interesting as it altered the final form, as he was able to literally design the car as he created it. [Read more…] about Paul Wilson, Karl Ludvigsen, Dalton Watson

FIGONI ON DELAHAYE Reviewed

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Furman and Figoni will leave one breathless. Michael Furman photo.

Review by Pete Vack
All images from the book

Joseph Figoni’s fabulous flights of fancy have captivated us for a long, long time. While Figoni bodied many Alfas, Talbots and Delages, his most flamboyant creations were built on the Delahaye chassis, over 100 of them. And all are endlessly enchanting.

With help from the Figoni family and photographer Michael Furman, Richard Adatto seeks out his favorite Figoni Delahayes and tells the story of each selected chassis/build number in his latest book. “This collection is limited to what I believe are notable examples of Figoni’s best work for the marque,” writes Adatto. [Read more…] about FIGONI ON DELAHAYE Reviewed

Was Fangio Really the Greatest?

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Does this book answer the question of who was greater, Hill or Andretti?

Order here:

Review by Pete Vack
From the VeloceToday Archives

Clyde Berryman needs no introduction here, but then again maybe so. For it appears that Clyde is not only a model and diorama maker but a statistician as well. (Click to see the Berryman Dioramas) His first statistical rating project was a record of National College Football (he is also a football fan) which was so good it was included in the annual NCAA College Football Record Book. He loves statistics, loves to analyze results with all existing information, and loves Grand Prix racing. So, he invented his own system to rate Formula 1 drivers from 1950 to 2019, and attempts to answer that age old question, was it the driver, or was it the car? [Read more…] about Was Fangio Really the Greatest?

Maserati A6GCS Book Review

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Portago with his black Maserati, chassis 2076 at Le Mans in 1954. The book is filled with great shots like this.

Review by Pete Vack
Photos from the book with permission

The Maserati A6GCS is the fifth book in the Dalton Watson series on Maserati authored or co-authored by Walter Bäumer.

Two of the Dalton Watson books were a first and second edition of the Maserati 300S. The other three books deal with an important and yet often imprecise A6 series of cars, originally taken over from the Maserati brothers after they left to form OSCA in 1947. The Maserati A6G 2000 Zagato, covering 22 Zagato-bodied chassis, was published in 2013; a similar volume, the Maserati A6G 2000 addressing the 54 Frua, Pinin Farina, Vignale and Allemano-bodied cars was completed in 2021, and this year the Maserati A6GCS covering 53 of the Series II sports racing cars was published. [Read more…] about Maserati A6GCS Book Review

One Family, Five Fantuzzis

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Uncle Gerry got the ball rolling by photographing 2079 in Paris, 1954.

Story by Pete Vack

We’ll call them Fantuzzis, for more than anyone else Medardo Fantuzzi inspired the coachwork of the A6GCS. Perhaps Ermanno Cozza, who was actually an employee at Maserati at the time, gives us the most accurate summation of who was responsible for the design. In his autobiography, Maserati at Heart, (Nada 2018) Cozza describes the phases of construction which involved drivers, mechanics, and designers. He wrote, “The most striking example was without doubt was the launch of the A6GCS/53, which debuted in that year’s Mille Miglia, winning its class with Emilio Giletti. The engine was a version of the A6GCM unit revised by Gioachino Columbo, while the bodywork built by Fantuzzi, was also fruit of an idea by Colombo.” (p43). (Not all of the A6GCS cars were constructed by Fantuzzi’s shop: Thirty three of the bodies were constructed at nearby Fiandri and Malagoli.)

The new Maserati was beautiful, purposeful, as curvy as Gina Lollabrigida and influenced several of our family members. We came up with five Fantuzzi A6GCS Maseratis connected to the Editor’s family. Rest assured that no one actually owned any examples of the real thing. But here’s our story anyway. [Read more…] about One Family, Five Fantuzzis

Who is the Greatest, by the Numbers

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Does this book answer the question of who was greater, Hill or Andretti?

Order here:

Review by Pete Vack

Clyde Berryman needs no introduction here, but then again maybe so. For it appears that Clyde is not only a model and diorama maker but a statistician as well. (Click to see the Berryman Dioramas) His first statistical rating project was a record of National College Football (he is also a football fan) which was so good it was included in the annual NCAA College Football Record Book. He loves statistics, loves to analyze results with all existing information, and loves Grand Prix racing. So, he invented his own system to rate Formula 1 drivers from 1950 to 2019, and attempts to answer that age old question, was it the driver, or was it the car? [Read more…] about Who is the Greatest, by the Numbers

Book Review: Gulf 917

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Book Review by Pete Vack

In 1969, the Porsche 917 was a scary bit of racecar. High speed stability was not part of the 917’s accessories, and with 630 horsepower and a weight of only 1800 pounds, it was faster than the Formula One cars of the era. When they crashed, they broke in half, right in the middle. According to John Wyer’s chief engineer John Horsman, “The new 917 was extremely unstable and the drivers were unwilling to drive the 917 a second time.” [Read more…] about Book Review: Gulf 917

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