The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
View of the three Ferrari hypercars in the pits.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
For the third consecutive year on April 19 the Imola circuit located in Emilia-Romagna, hosted a round of the World Endurance Championship. However, this time, following the events in the Middle East, it hosted the first round of the championship, as the inaugural race scheduled for Qatar had to be postponed until later in the year.
Like their Hypercar counterparts, the Ferrari 296 LMGT3s were not a success in their home country. The #54 finished a distant 11th, while the #21 took 6th place in its class.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
While the Hypercar prototype category boasts 8 manufacturers and 17 cars entered, the GT category, known as LMGT3, features 9 manufacturers, each fielding two cars. Although Porsche, champion of this category in 2024 and 2025, remains the favorite, it was another German manufacturer, BMW, that took the victory at Imola.
At the first corner after the start, the grid order was respected with the #50, #83 and #51 Ferraris remaining in the same order as at the end of qualifying, highlighting the speed of the 499P on a timed lap.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
As every year, the 6 Hours of Spa is the final rehearsal before the biggest race of the year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will be held on June 14 and 15. Ferrari began this new World Endurance Championship season with three consecutive victories for the 499P and as many pole positions.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Established since 1986 in one of the palaces of the Cinquantenaire complex in Brussels, where the first motor shows were held at the beginning of the 20th century, the Autoworld museum is the most important automobile museum in Belgium. Each year, the end and beginning of the year period hosts a major temporary exhibition.
The descent towards “Eau Rouge” and the ascent of Raidillon.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
This year, the 77th edition of the 24 Hours of Spa coincided with the 100th anniversary of the event. Indeed, a year after the creation (celebration) of the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1923, the famous Francorchamps circuit, located in the Belgian Ardennes, saw the advent of a new 24-hour race.
The #19 Lamborghini Huracan, seen here at La Source hairpin early in the evening, is the one that unintentionally deprived Ferrari of victory, by breaking down at the entrance to the pitlane 45 minutes from the finish and forcing the Ferrari to wait for the tow truck to clear the way.
Part 2 of spectacular photo coverage of this year’s Spa 24 hours!
On Saturday, the drivers’ parade in the center of Indianapolis is unmissable, a show like only Americans can produce!
A Talk with Hugues Vanhoolandt
May 26th, 2024
Got up super early to catch the glamorous but boring (we expected that though) Monaco Grand Prix, envisioning ourselves to be in one of those exclusive apartments overlooking the track. With that wrapped up successfully for Ferrari, we turned the free tv channel to catch the Indy 500. We knew Hugues Vanhoolandt would be there, or at least we thought he made it, the flights being affected by a variety of problems. When he returned, he told us about his U.S. adventures.
What a way to go! And below is Vanhoolandt’s superb report on this epic Le Mans, class by class.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
On June 10-11 2023, the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrated their 100th anniversary this year (but it was the 91st edition). It was necessary that this unique edition be so celebrated and that indeed was the case.
Thanks to new regulation, the top category of prototypes, called Hypercar, witnessed the return of the major manufacturers who had deserted the Sarthe classic as the cars complying with the previous regulations were too expensive to design and develop.
This has allowed the return of brands that have marked the history of the race such as Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Porsche and the arrival next year of Alpine, BMW and Lamborghini. Toyota had remained faithful to the 24 hours during this transition period between the two regulations, which allowed it to impose itself over the last five years. It was one of the favorites this year and therefore had a lot to lose if it failed. This is what happened, the Japanese brand being the victim of the loss of a car early in the race following an accident, and also of a late change of equivalence between the different cars, the controversial ‘Balance of Performance’.
Sunday morning, 6 am, the cars are waiting to be placed on the Pebble Beach lawn. Here is another creation of Michelotti, also on Fiat 1100 chassis, and shown at the 1953 Turin Auto Show. The coachbuilder is Vignale. It was back at the Pebble Beach Concours 61 years after its first appearance here.
From our Archives, September, 2016
Photos and story by Hugues Vanhoolandt
In its 66th year, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was celebrating among other things the Ford GT40, Chapron, Delahaye, Bizzarrini and the centennial of BMW. [Read more…] about Pebble Beach 2016 by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
We remind our readers to click on images to double the size.
Held in Knokke-Heist and the fashionable Zoute area on the Belgian Coast the Zoute Grand Prix, already on its ninth edition, has quickly become a must-attend event for the classic car enthusiast. The event was held from October 4 to October 7, 2018. [Read more…] about Zoute Grand Prix 2018
A car not designed for Concours d’Elegance … the 1935 Lurani Nibbio was destined to break records. Despite its 500cc Moto Guzzi engine, the car was capable of more than 100 mph. It received the Best of Show by public referendum at Villa d’Este, better known as Coppa d’Oro.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held on the shoreline of Lake Como is considered by many as the most exclusive and elegant classic car event in the world. Surely it is due to the unique backdrop constituted by the grounds of Villa d’Este and Villa Erba as well as to the tradition that stretches back to the year 1929 when awards were made to the most beautiful new cars of the time.
Today, the awards are sometimes given to the same cars, now considered as the most beautiful ‘old’ cars. But the selection made by the organizer committee also includes some racing or record cars never thought to parade in a Concorso d’Eleganza. Nevertheless they did impress the jury and the public as we will see below.
Below is our selection of the most interesting cars at the event on May 27, 2017. [Read more…] about Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2017
