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Graham Gauld

Maserati’s Last Stand

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The Larry Shinoda sculpted Weismann-Maserati heading of for qualifying before the engine destroyed itself. (Unser Archives, Indy 500 Museum)

Story by Graham Gauld

In my last column I talked about the first Maseratis to visit Indianapolis; but how about the last one?

Yes, it puzzled me too so I started to go through the records. I will not bore you with the various Grand Prix Maseratis from the pre-WWII era that came, saw, but did not quite conquer the Indianapolis 500 but I can tell you many of those cars stayed in action long into the 1950s with different owners and sponsors. [Read more…] about Maserati’s Last Stand

Maserati’s First Indianapolis Entry

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Baconin Borzacchini with the V4 Maserati: note the exhaust system for one of the two 8 cylinder engines. (Courtesy Donald Davidson Indianapolis Speedway)

Story by Graham Gauld

Everyone knows about the Ferraris or Ferrari-engined cars that have raced at Indianapolis but the history of Maserati at Indianapolis goes back far longer.

It all started in 1930, just four years after Maserati had produced their first racing car when not one, but two Maseratis raced at that year’s Indianapolis 500. One of them was a normal 26B Grand Prix car, but the second car was a new model known as the V4, of which only two were built and only one, chassis 4001, as a racing car.

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Gauld on the Ecurie Ecosse Tour, 2023

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Some of the Tour cars outside Ardross Castle where the TV Series “The Traitors” was filmed.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

Scotland has been famous for producing some great racing drivers but one must not forget the most successful Scottish racing team, Ecurie Ecosse.

This small private team surprised everyone back in 1956 when they were allowed to enter one Jaguar D-type for the famous Le Mans 24 Hour Race and won it outright ahead of the much more fancied factory teams of Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Porsche and even the Jaguar team. Then they went back the following year and finished first and second at Le Mans to add to their glory.

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Alfas and Alpines in a French Junkyard

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The Alfa Montreal bought by Gerard Gombert for junk and now steadily sinking into the undergrowth fetched $13,000 at the Osenat Auction on November 9-11.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

From the VeloceToday Archives, November, 2016

Nothing much happens around this part of the South of France. The hot spots of Nice, Cannes and Monaco lie on the sunny Coast of the French Riviera but here, inland about twenty miles away, village life is about the same as it has always been. But on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week all that changed with one of the oddest auction sales I have ever attended. Here is the story.

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Antoine Prunet, Susan Dixon

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Antoine Prunet, seen facing the camera in this picture with former Renault Formula 1 Team Manager Jean Sage, was the author of many books on the history of Ferrari.

Text and photo by Graham Gauld

I was very sad to hear that the much-respected Ferrari historian Antoine Prunet died last week of cancer. He had been ill for some time and only a few weeks ago his wife passed away, so the end of his life was very tragic.

I knew Antoine for about fifty years as we often met at one event or another and emailed frequently. Those of us who knew him will testify that he was always approachable, and appreciative of any assistance and information one could bring to his massive archives. [Read more…] about Antoine Prunet, Susan Dixon

The Magician of Rue Ettore Bugatti

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The plaque outside the workshop.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

The village of Carpentras lies in northern Provence ten miles from Avignon and close to the river Gard that flows below that city’s famous bridge. It is like many French Provencal villages, with a history going back centuries. As a market town it was even visited by the Greeks and the Phoenicians and is famous for its sheep and honey. But there is one citizen there who is well known to Bugatti enthusiasts: Laurent Rondoni.

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And How!

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Peter Collins on his winning way in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 1958. Photo: Grand Prix Library/Graham Gauld

Peter Collins Celebration begins June 10 in Worcester, UK

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the death of British racing driver Peter Collins in an accident during the 1958 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.

Collins was at the peak of his racing career and was a member of the Scuderia Ferrari team alongside his great friend Mike Hawthorn who was to go on to become Britain’s first Formula 1 Grand Prix World Champion. He was killed just two weeks after his famous victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone that year. [Read more…] about And How!

Kadoorie’s Perfecto Balilla

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The little winglet on the rear of the coachwork and the superb finish to the car.

By Graham Gauld

To me the Fiat Balilla 508 has always been one of the most stylish small sports cars of the 1930s and it was certainly a very successful model for Fiat.

The model I want to talk about, however, is a particular “Coppa D’Oro” model owned by the Hong Kong-based businessman Sir Michael Kadoorie, owner of the Peninsula Hotel Group and, incidentally, the Quail Lodge Golf Club at Laguna Seca, California.

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Paolo Martin’s Sigma Revisited

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The revolutionary Sigma Grand Prix car by Pininfarina and powered by Ferrari. Note the Ferrari mag wheels

Graham Gauld wrote this article a year ago, but in the meantime Roberto Motto came up with image of the Sigma from Pininfarina, while new information about Sigma came from Paolo Martin’s new book, Visions in Design, also reviewed this week. We put it all in a blender an came up with the story below. Ed.

Photos courtesy Pininfarina, Paolo Martin and Graham Gauld

“Some might feel inclined to remark, perhaps in a chiding tone, that this work has seduced us away from what has been our traditional path. We would certainly rebut such a charge.” Those words were uttered by Sergio Pininfarina when his company surprised everyone at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show by showing a startling one-off Grand Prix car, the Sigma.

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Graham Gauld Mini Autobiography Part 3

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Claviers was to be Gauld’s next home.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

In 1994, Having made my decision to return to Europe, and the further decision to move to the South of France, I chose the tiny village of Claviers to be close enough to Italy and within easy driving distance to Milan, Turin and, of course, Modena.

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Graham Gauld in Claviers

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The 1932 Salmson GS (Grande Sport) that arrived in the village. (Jane Wallis-Hosken)

By Graham Gauld
From the Archives October 2020

I live in a small village in the south of France in the hills behind the beaches of Cannes and Frejus where very little happens. However, I am constantly reminded of the major role France played in the birth and development of automobile racing.

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Graham Gauld Mini Autobiography Part 2

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Graham explaining the driving test to Jackie Chan at Kowloon.


Story and photos by Graham Gauld
Read Part 1

In the first episode of this yarn I left you with my reply to the company in Hong Kong regarding their wish to have someone edit a car magazine they planned for mainland China and going off to Silverstone for a historic race meet. On my return on a Sunday evening in 1993, there was a reply informing me that tickets from Edinburgh to Hong Kong via London would arrive the following day and could I fly on Wednesday. [Read more…] about Graham Gauld Mini Autobiography Part 2

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