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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Graham Gauld

An Unusual Look at the Porsche Museum

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Some lesser known items from the Porsche Museum

By Graham Gauld

We live in an age where we have created almost an obsession about electric powered cars, but the concept is not new. Over one hundred and twenty one years ago at the 1900 Paris Expo the German coachbuilding company Lohner exhibited the Lohner-Porsche Mixed Hybrid. It was a car developed by their 24-year-old engineer Ferdinand Porsche who had joined the company with no particular qualifications as an engineer but who, from an early age, had been fascinated by electricity and electric power.

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Monaco Historics amid the Pandemic

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American David Graus arrived with this Frazer-Nash Targa Florio an ex-factory car.

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

The fact the Automobile Club of Monaco actually ran their Grand Prix Historique last weekend was a brave and expensive effort. The Covid 19 precautions meant that they only allowed a limited number of Monaco residents to fill up some of the places in the otherwise empty stands.

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Gary Laughlin by Graham Gauld

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Gary Laughlin and the famous Maserati test driver Guerino Bertocchi look over the Maserati 3500GT at Modena Autodrome. (Photo Graham Gauld/GPL)

By Graham Gauld

An old friend came to mind just recently when I stumbled upon a photo of someone I met in the old Scuderia Ferrari premises in the Vialle Tento e Trieste in Modena, where Scuderia Ferrari began in the Alfa Romeo days of the 1930s.

Despite the fact the actual manufacturing of Ferrari’s had long since moved to Maranello, Enzo Ferrari still maintained the old premises in the center of town, but not for much longer.

That day was over sixty years ago, in September of 1957, and the man I met was tall, smartly dressed in the “preppy” style of the 1950s, dark blue blazer and flannels. He was open and friendly and introduced himself as Gary Laughlin from Fort Worth, Texas “…..and I’m in oil.”

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The 77 Year Old Drone

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The Drone after the fatal accident. (Wilkins Archive)

Story by Graham Gauld

Drones are popular these days, my eldest daughter just recently qualified as a drone pilot and the newspapers tell us that every time we step on a commercial airplane there is a possibility we may crash because we have hit one of those things, so I prefer to talk about another drone, The Healey Drone.

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Gordon Wilkins Tests the New Ferrari

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Robert Braunschweig, nearest the camera, and cigarette-smoking Gordon Wilkins about to set off on their road test of 0090E 212 Export. ( Wilkins)

By Graham Gauld

A few years ago, one of England’s most authoritative motoring journalists died after a long and eventful career. He was one of the last surviving journalists that had been taken to Germany in 1938 and shown the original prototype Volkswagen.

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Romolo Tavoni Remembered

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Romolo Tavoni has passed away at the age of 94. During his years with Ferrari, there were times when Tavoni appeared to be something of a father confessor to the drivers. Here he calms down Phil Hill who obviously has been having a problem. (Photo Graham Gauld)

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

On December 21, we heard the news that Enzo Ferrari’s former private secretary and team manager, Romolo Tavoni died at the age of 94 at his home in Casinalbo near Modena.

For me it was a deeply personal loss as I have known Romolo for over 63 years since my first visit to Maranello to visit Ferrari. He came striding out from under the archway in his formal grey suit and tie, and made me and my old Scottish friend Sandy Forrest very welcome.

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Francois Chevalier and His Art

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Story and photos by Graham Gauld

Above: Somewhat ironic that the iconic statue of Williams in the Bugatti by Francois Chevalier is removed from St. Devote during the race! From the VeloceToday archives, October 2013.

If you should ever be in Monte Carlo, keep a look-out for an almost life-sized bronze statue to “Williams”, or William Grover-Williams to give him his correct name, the winner of the first Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.

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Facetti Ferrari Carma

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

From the Archives, August 2014

Story and photos by Graham Gauld

Has anyone seen the Carma FF lately?

On August 5th, 2014, 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 Facetti Ferrari Carma

A Salmson in Claviers

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

By Graham Gauld

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. [Read more…] about A Salmson in Claviers

McCluggage and Hawthorn Part 3

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June 6th, 1958. Mike Hawthorn being interviewed near the Vanwall van at Reims. Photo by Robert Pauley

Story by Denise McCluggage
Photos and captions by Graham Gauld and Robert Pauley

Read Part 1
Read Part 2

On top of the Le Mans crash of 1955 that killed four score or more and for which many Germans, mostly in the press, blamed Mike Hawthorn as a key instrument, he was having his darkest season in Grand Prix racing. He collected not a point toward the championship. Nothing. He was driving for Tony Vandervell and the Vanwalls were still suffering from birth pangs. Vanwall, like Mike, still had three full years to go to its world championship.

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McCluggage and Hawthorn Part 2

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The first Ferrari Mike Hawthorn raced was this modified 375 4.5 litre car, the Thinwall Special entered by Tony Vandervell seen standing beside the car. The meeting was at the Turnberry circuit in 1953.

Story by Denise McCluggage
Photos and captions by Graham Gauld

Read Part 1

There have been many “firsts” in the life of John Michael Hawthorn starting that tenth day in April, 1929, when he first saw light of day. His father, Leslie, was a garage owner and a man active in motorcycling and motor-racing circles, putting Mike close to this world from the time he was a tyke.

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Luigi Villoresi, Gentleman and a Racer, P2

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Luigi Villoresi photographed at the 1954 TT at Dundrod in Ireland. Graham Gauld photo.

By Graham Gauld

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It was whilst in England for the 1949 British Grand Prix on May 14 that Luigi Villoresi received a surprise. “I had a message from Enzo Ferrari to say he had sent a single seater 166C Ferrari to Brussels for me to race in the Brussels Grand Prix, and a new 166MM sports car( 0016M) to Luxembourg to race in a sports car race the following weekend.”

Luigi continued. “I won both races and when I got back to Milan I had a telephone call from a journalist friend called Corrado Fillipini telling me that Enzo Ferrari wanted me to drive for him; so why didn’t I go and see him and sign for Ferrari?”

This provided a dilemma for Villoresi, as he had disliked Enzo Ferrari since the day of the accident that killed his brother Emilio at Monza, back in 1939.

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