VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Graham Gauld

Luigi Villoresi: A Gentleman and a Racer

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Lunch at the Ristorante Lauro in Modena in 1997 just a few months before Luigi Villoresi died at the age of 88. He is seated with Don Sergio Mantovani the former priest to Maserati who ran the hospice at his church, Santa Catherina in Modena. Graham Gauld photo.

By Graham Gauld

I had first met Villoresi years before and once he became rather frail and had moved into the hospice, I wanted to sit down with him and talk about his life. He surprisingly arrived at a Ferrari event in Italy where I think Schumacher presented him with a trophy, and had been brought by Lauro Malavolti, who owned Lauro’s restaurant in Modena and was another pal of mine. I said to Lauro I would like to talk to him and so he asked me if I could wait a few months and then come down to Modena, and he would arrange a lunch with Villoresi.

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Berliet, Bologna and Tyres

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This wonderful cartoon drawing of the Bologna circuit was produced by the organizers.

Story by Graham Gauld

For more years than I care to remember, almost daily I have been faced with what I am going to write about, particularly when the publication is concerned with motoring and motorsport history.
This is why some of my stories might appear to be out of the ordinary. The following is one of them.

Twenty years ago, I was appointed a member of the FIA Historic Commission in Paris, which sounds terribly grand. It was an enjoyable five years, and one met very interesting people.

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Flajole was a Jag

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So that’s a Jaguar?

Story by Graham Gauld

I have often mentioned in the past the power of coincidence, and the other day I happened to be going through my Jaguar notes for a possible book, and was amazed to find that I seem to have bumped into all sorts of Jaguars fitted with special bodies in a variety of places.

What makes this slightly different from normal is that Jaguar were not well known as cars attractive to specialist coachbuilders, yet it is surprising just how many well-known companies have built special bodies on Jaguars in period. Amongst them are Pinin Farina, Ghia, Michelotti and Zagato.

Two Jaguars I wanted to talk about were one clothed in the style of Ghia in Turin and the other in the style of Bill Flajole of Detroit.

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The Fantastic Racecar of Francois Guidobaldi

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The Guidobaldi in 2015. Photo by Graham Gauld.

Story by Graham Gauld

Some years ago, in the Mougins Automobile Museum which, until its closure, was close to where I live in the South of France, I saw the chassis and engine of a racing car that I could not believe.

The owner of the museum and the car was Adrien Maeght*, a member of the Maeght family, who were prosperous frame makers catering to the art world in Paris. Adrien is also a keen car collector and he opened his museum right beside the main autoroute leading to Cannes and Nice.

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Archie Scott Brown, Remembered

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By Pete Vack
Photos by Graham Gauld

The story of Archie Scott Brown is incredible, unbelievable, astonishing, inspiring, heart rendering and finally, tragic; and in today’s world, such accomplishments would be totally impossible.

He was born on Friday the 13th of May, 1927 in Glasgow, Scotland, with no proper right forearm, “merely and elementary thumb and palm, which started below the elbow.” His tiny legs lacked a shinbone, and the legs were “radically twisted and bowed, and the club-feet were tiny, with no discernible toes.” The right foot was twisted outwards about 90 degrees, the left foot almost 180 degrees. Of the limbs, only the left arm and hand were normal. His mother had the German measles (rubella) during her pregnancy.*

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Albert Uderzo, Artist and Ferrari Enthusiast

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Albert Uderzo with his Ferrari 512M at Mas du Clos in the 1990s.

Story by Graham Gauld

Sixty years ago last December, the French became fascinated by a comic strip feature whose hero was Asterix the Gaul.

The comic strip was the work of René Goscinny, who came up with the story line, and Albert Uderzo, who was the artist who sketched out the great characters. This cartoon series was about a group of ancient French from the area of Gaul who were constantly fighting against the Romans. who had occupied France. But it was not just for kids.

Goscinny added contemporary political incidents of the 1960s into the narrative, so that adults were also attracted to the political satire. Two years later the first of their hard cover books hit the market and have been an annual best seller. The stories and books kept coming along, earning both a great deal of money.

So what has this got to do with cars?

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Maseratis in the World Sports Car & Manufacturers Championships

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Review by Graham Gauld

There is something tantalizing about coffee table books; they arrive big and shiny but with some, alas, it is high on print and photo quality but limited in editorial content. Michel Bollée and Jean Francois Blachette’s new book is, however, something completely different. Michel Bollée is well known not only in his native France but around Europe as one of France’s great motor sport historians, and for this book he joined forces with Jean-Francois Blachette, the Vice-President of Club Maserati France who is probably better known by enthusiasts for the superb 1/43 scale car models his company, JFB Models, produces. [Read more…] about Maseratis in the World Sports Car & Manufacturers Championships

Allan McNish and the Ferrari 333 SP

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A Tom Schultz photo of Allan McNish at Daytona in 1999. Courtesy “Ferrari 333 SP” by Terry O’Neil. (Click to order book)

Story by Graham Gauld

I recently spent some time with Allan McNish, three time Le Mans winner (once for Porsche and twice with Audi) who also raced a Ferrari 333SP on two occasions, almost winning the 1999 Daytona 24 Hour race.

The What?

The Ferrari 333SP of the 1990s is a car that even Ferrari enthusiasts rarely talk about or even remember. Perhaps one reason is because of its exclusivity, namely a race car designed specifically and exclusively for the US market and the IMSA GT Championship of 1994. It was designed at Ferrari but the first cars were built by Dallara before Michelotto constructed a second series in 1997.

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Griffith Borgeson, Automotive Historian

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From the Archives, November 2015

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

[Lead photo: In 1995 the author persuaded Griff Borgeson to come to the Ferrari Club of France private test day at the Mas du Clos circuit.]

I think if you do not have someone to look up to and respect, there is no incentive to improve. When it came to motoring journalism there were a handful of people I respected, and one of the first to become a hero was American writer and historian Griffith Borgeson.

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Elegance and Automobile in Monte Carlo

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Story and photos by Graham Gauld

Those who have read any of my stories before will know that I have an interest in coachbuilding, and in particular the more flamboyant styles of the 1930s. As a result, when the Automobile Club of Monaco decided to bring back their traditional Concours d’Elegance (which first started in the 1920s), I just knew we would be faced with a coachbuilding extravaganza. [Read more…] about Elegance and Automobile in Monte Carlo

Niki Lauda Interview

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Story by Graham Gauld

Niki Lauda passed away just as we were going to press last week. Ironically, we were about to publish Graham Gauld’s 1993 interview with Lauda; his death made it even more relevant and we present it today as Graham wrote it a few years ago.

Niki’s Early Days

At a time when he is becoming one of the wise elder statesmen of Formula 1 in his role with Mercedes, it is perhaps appropriate to go back a while and think about how Lauda came from nothing to become one of the greatest racing drivers in the world.

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Minardi Day, Ecurie Ecosse Tour

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Story by Graham Gauld
Photos by Graham Gauld unless otherwise noted

April 28-May 11, 2019

May is always my busiest month, as it is usually when the Grand Prix Drivers Club hold their annual general meeting, the Monaco Grand Prix takes place, and the Ecurie Ecosse Tour, in which I am deeply involved, taking place one on top of the other and this year was a real toughie.

It included flying to Venice, then taking the train from there to Bologna, on to Imola for the GPDA affair. This event was linked in with the Historic Minardi Day at this Imola circuit (April 28) organized by Grand Prix Drivers Club honorary member Giancarlo Minardi. This year was special as it coincided with the 25th anniversary of the death of Ayrton Senna. [Read more…] about Minardi Day, Ecurie Ecosse Tour

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