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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Graham Gauld

Gauld at Hampton Court

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The Frazer Nash High Speed at Hampton Court that finished 3rd at Le Mans in 1949.

Story by Graham Gauld

Perhaps the title d’Elegance does not hit an exciting cord: static cars, polished, primped and lined up but there are some of them that are fascinating not only because of the quality of the cars but of the variety. Obviously classics like Pebble Beach and Villa D’Este come to mind but it is time to add a third one, the Concours of Elegance, held at London’s Hampton Court Palace a week ago. (Note the British use of the word “of” rather than the French “de”.) [Read more…] about Gauld at Hampton Court

Gauld Remembers Bjorn Waldegard (1943-2014)

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Bjorn at the start of a special stage on the Swedish rally 1969.

Story and Photos by Graham Gauld

It always comes as a shock when you hear of the death of a friend, but the death of Swedish champion rally driver Bjorn Waldegard really hit home. I have known Bjorn for the past forty-five years and met up with him at various rallies in Europe and particularly in his native Sweden.

Bjorn was the typical tall blond Swede who didn’t say very much, but put him in a car and he really could make it sing. For most of his rallying life he was involved with the Porsche and Volkswagen importers to Sweden and it was in Volkswagens and Porsches that he is best known. [Read more…] about Gauld Remembers Bjorn Waldegard (1943-2014)

Finotto, Facetti and the Ferrari Carma

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Photographed around 1996, the Carma FF is in almost concours condition.



Story and photos by Graham Gauld

Has anyone seen the Carma FF lately?

Recently Martino Finotto died of cancer at the age of 80. He was a Milanese gentleman driver, his family fortune stemming from their pharmaceutical company. Finotto was the man behind various racing ventures with his business partner and racing driver Carlo Facetti. Together they ran Achille Motors in Milan where Facetti was in charge. [Read more…] about Finotto, Facetti and the Ferrari Carma

Gauld: French Barn Finds and German V8s

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The Balsa V8 as found in the shed. But where did the V8 come from?

This is a great example of why Graham is Gauld. About 25 years ago, while organizing a road test in Paris, he chats with a Hotel Manager at de Gaulle Airport who suddenly talks Gauld into going out the countryside to see an old barn full of old cars. And of course, a story ensues.[Ed.]

By Graham Gauld

As regular readers will know I keep discovering cars and racing people in the most unlikely places. For example, back in the late 1980s I organized a press road test for Fiat UK and based it at one of the airport hotels at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. In the lull before the journalists arrived the manager of the hotel, knowing my interest in old cars, suggested we go and see a farming friend of his who had some old cars. [Read more…] about Gauld: French Barn Finds and German V8s

Gauld on the 250F, Ecurie Ecosse Tour

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Frank Stippler slides the ex-Temple Buell 250F Maserati (2533) through the kink before the swimming pool at Monaco.



Story and photos by Graham Gauld

250F Complications

Some weeks have passed since the Monaco Historic event but as it always triggers off various memories. Please forgive me for commenting on another couple of cars that took part this year. One was the Maserati 250F Picolo owned by Jos Koster and raced by German driver Frank Stippler. [Read more…] about Gauld on the 250F, Ecurie Ecosse Tour

Gauld at the Monaco Historics

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Derek Hill sits in the Ferrari Dino his dad Phil used to win the Italian Grand Prix fifty-four years ago.



Story and Photos by Graham Gauld

You have got to hand it to them; the Monaco Automobile Club put on a real spectacle with their bi-annual Monaco Historic event held last weekend. Monaco has been a gem in on the International racing scene since 1927 when William-Grover Williams, an Englishman in Monaco, won the first Monaco Grand Prix in his Bugatti. This week it was time to forget about the modern computers on wheels that are todays F1 cars and wallow in the nostalgia of racing in the past. The Monaco event always attracts interesting cars and people; let’s meet some of them. [Read more…] about Gauld at the Monaco Historics

Gauld at the VSCC Opener

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John Coombs photographed in 1959 poring over his new Cooper Monaco with the 2.5 liter Maserati engine. It appeared at the VSCC Opener this year but a bit spiffier.

Story and Photos by Graham Gauld

It has been a few years since I have been at the VSCC (Vintage Sports Car Club) spring meeting at Silverstone.

The event opens the historic racing season in Britain partly because they made it into a one-day event. Now they have gone back to making it a two-day event, and what is more, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Club. So I felt I had to go. [Read more…] about Gauld at the VSCC Opener

Graham Gauld at Avignon

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Been there and done that. Upon seeing the Schlumpf V12 250F at Avignon, our weathered correspondent pulls out a photo he took of the 250F V12 when new for comparison's sake. And note that line up of coils -shocking to say the least!


Story and photos by Graham Gauld

Just over a month ago, I was at Retromobile in Paris and a friend of mine suggested I try similar thing, the Avignon Motor Festival in that well-known city famous for its bridge. So last Friday we drove to Avignon to take a look. [Read more…] about Graham Gauld at Avignon

Eugenio Castellotti by Graham Gauld

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Eugenio Castellotti at the wheel of the Lancia-Ferrari at the 1956 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

There are times when we can all be rather pretentious. I fell into that trap thirty years ago when I had the idea of writing a subjective book on the psychology of the racing driver. I have always had an interest in the variety of people who come into motor sport and what makes them tick. I had read a lot about psychology in general, then dropped the idea when I realized what a fool I might have made of myself. However, if Central Casting in Hollywood were ever asked for a “racing driver type” back in the 1950s, they would have to have chosen Eugenio Castellotti. [Read more…] about Eugenio Castellotti by Graham Gauld

Gauld at Retro Take Two

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Porporato finishes 4th in the 1908 Targa Florio with the Berliet.

By Graham Gauld

About fifteen years ago I was appointed a member of the FIA Historic Commission in Paris. As such, I met up with some interesting people and one fellow member, probably the oldest at the time, was Paul Berliet whose family had created the Berliet company. [Read more…] about Gauld at Retro Take Two

Graham Gauld at Retromobile

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The Baird-Griffin Maserati at the Craigantlet hill climb driven by Sydney Durbridge, about 1953-4. It re-appeared at this year's Retro.

Story and most photos by Graham Gauld

Small stand, big transporter

Retromobile time again! For me it was fun to ferret around and under the stands looking for things that others might have missed, and some things you simply couldn’t miss, such as the 1956 Bartoletti Ferrari transporter.

As soon as I saw it, it brought back fond memories of the 1956 British Grand Prix, when I photographed it arriving at Silverstone with the factory Lancia-Ferraris on the back for Fangio, Castellotti, Collins, Gendebien and Fon Portago; five cars, none of this two cars per team business. [Read more…] about Graham Gauld at Retromobile

Ice, Snow, Renault R8s, Alpines, Lancia Fulvias and Gauld

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Eugen Bohringer in the Porsche 904. One of Gauld's favorites, taken at the top of the Col de Turini, during the Monte Carlo Rally when there was snow, as it should be!

In which Gauld recalls his favorite Winter Rallies
Story and photos by Graham Gauld or courtesy thereof

The legendary Monte Carlo Rally finished last Saturday, but lost a lot of its fascination because there was precious little snow. Winter rallies should have snow, which differentiates them from other rally championship events.

All this got me thinking of my favorite snow rally, the International Swedish event that takes place in February and, being located over 2000 kms north of Monte Carlo, can usually provide plenty of the white stuff. I covered the Swedish Rally four times, the first time in 1966 by persuading Henry Manney III that we had had enough covering the Monte three years running. Why don’t we do something different I asked, and from the moment we landed in Gothenburg and set out on our 120 mile north into Varmland and the town of Orebro it truly was different!
[Read more…] about Ice, Snow, Renault R8s, Alpines, Lancia Fulvias and Gauld

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