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hugues vanhoolandt

Zoute Grand Prix, 2016: Splendor in the Grass

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Delivered new in Milan, this 1953 Fiat 8V berlinetta Rapi Corsa, # 000032, was owned and raced by Scuderia Ambrosiana. The car was fitted with lightweight body and sliding windows. It ran at the 1953 Mille Miglia with race number 506 and finished 18th overall. In 1954, it took part again at the Mille Miglia but failed to finish.

Delivered new in Milan, this 1953 Fiat 8V berlinetta Rapi Corsa, # 000032, was owned and raced by Scuderia Ambrosiana. The car was fitted with lightweight body and sliding windows. It ran at the 1953 Mille Miglia with race number 506 and finished 18th overall. In 1954, it took part again at the Mille Miglia. Now owned by Jan de Reu, the Otto Vu won Best of Show.

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

October 6-9 2016– The fashionable bathing resort of Knokke Le Zoute, on the Belgian coast, hosted the seventh edition of the Zoute Grand Prix. Spread over four days, the Zoute Grand Prix consists of five events:
– the Zoute Top Marques with 14 stages held in the streets of Knokke, presenting the newest models of 14 premium marques
– the Zoute Rally which is a regularity rally for almost 200 pre-1965 cars
– the Zoute Sale by Bonhams
– the Zoute GT Tour which is a short rally for the latest Supercars
– the Zoute Concours d’Elégance which is held on two locations: on Saturday on the Approach Golf and on Sunday on Fairway 1 of the

Royal Zoute Golf Club where the judging and the award ceremony take place. All participating cars are then shown to the general public on the Albert Place, in the city center.

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Hugues Vanhoolandt at The Rolex Reunion

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Two “Batmobiles” atop the corkscrew.

Two “Batmobiles” atop the corkscrew.

Photos and story by Hugues Vanhoolandt

100 years of BMW was the unmistakable theme of Monterey Car Week in 2016. And of course, it was also the case for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion held at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on August 18-21. But BMW was not the only highlight as the Can-Am series were also celebrated as well as historic F1 cars and Trans-Am cars.

All in all, more than 550 cars were to be seen on track in one of the 15 races. For those who were too busy with the various other events during the main weekend, they could enjoy an already strong field of cars during the Pre-Reunion meeting held one week before the Reunion itself. We attended both days, and so the following images are from both events. [Read more…] about Hugues Vanhoolandt at The Rolex Reunion

Techno Classica Show, Essen Germany

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As Ferrari and other manufacturers, Lamborghini also has its own restoration department. Here is the just restored first Miura P400 SV presented at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show together with a P400 S chassis before restoration.

Like Ferrari and other manufacturers, Lamborghini also has its own restoration department. Here is the just restored first Miura P400 SV presented at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show together with a P400 S chassis before restoration.

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

[We would like to mention that Hugues Vanhoolandt submitted his first story to VeloceToday from the Techno Essen show in 2008. His contributions in the past 8 years to the pages of VeloceToday are all outstanding. Thank you, Hugues! Ed.]

Organized for the first time in 1989, the Techno Classica Show in Essen, Germany is the biggest fair for vintage and classic cars in the world. With 127,000 square meters of exhibition space, 2,700 vehicles on sale and 201,000 visitors, this year is no exception.

While dozens of Porsche 911s, Mercedes 190 SLs and 300 SLs are exhibited, you can be sure to find Italian rarities at every corner.

Here is a small selection of the Italian and French cars at this year’s show. [Read more…] about Techno Classica Show, Essen Germany

29th Reims Vintage Car Show

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Do you recognize a Citroën Traction Avant here ? This example is equipped with a radiator grill built by Emile Tonneline, a small coachbuilder from Courbevoie. After WWII, it was fashionable to give an American look to your car and Tonneline sold many of these radiator grills.

This car is equipped with a radiator grill built by Emile Tonneline, a small coachbuilder from Courbevoie. After WWII, it was fashionable to give an American look to your car and Tonneline sold many of these radiator grills. But what kind of car has been given this treatment?

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

If the French city of Reims is known worldwide for hosting many of the largest champagne-producing houses, the City of Kings is also famous among the motorsport enthusiasts for being the setting for fourteen French Grand Prix.

The 12 hours of Reims was also an important event of the endurance calendar and being held usually one month after the Le Mans 24 hours, it was often considered as an antidote to the Le Mans classic.

Although the old pits buildings have been recently restored, this is a bygone era as the fast Reims circuit ceased its activities in 1969.

The old pits building and the grandstands along the finish straight which is a national road between the villages of Thillois and Gueux.

The old pits building and the grandstands along the finish straight which is a national road between the villages of Thillois and Gueux.

Nevertheless, Reims is still attracting automotive enthusiasts from France and the neighboring countries. Every March the “Salon Champenois du Véhicule de Collection” is held. It is a big gathering of brand clubs and sellers of everything relevant of the vintage car passion. With hundreds of stands and stalls, you can be sure to find the parts you need to start your restoration project, to complete your miniature car collection or to find the old book you have been searching for.
[Read more…] about 29th Reims Vintage Car Show

Italian Car Passion Show Part 2

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Frank Ramecker’s outstanding Alfa 1900 Super Bicolore adds to the show its owner helped organize. Super car, super event.

Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt Click on images to enlarge

Italian Car Passion, Autoworld Museum, Brussels

This week we catch up on rest rest of the cars at the Brussels Autoworld Museum Italian Car Passion show. This show will open until January 31st, so if you are in Europe, it is an impressive display, a special exhibition to “la bella macchina italiana”, featuring some 60 cars ranging from the 50s to this day, representing the most emblematic machines produced by mass manufacturers, renowned coachbuilders or talented craftsmen.

The other day we received an email from one of the organizers, Frank Rameckers, who wrote, “It is always great that visitors appreciated the hard work. For some cars it took me two years to convince the collectors of the cars to lend their car(s) for two months to the museum.”

We told him that the variety and selection was superb, and that he should take the show to New York and LA.

Wouldn’t that be nice? Don’t hold your breath.

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Italian Car Passion, Autoworld Museum, Brussels Part 1

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The Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA with its “assistenza” car.

Taking a page from the Simeone Foundation, this year’s Autoworld Museum in Brussels created life-like dioramas to for a stunning Italian backdrop to 60 great Italian cars. Here we see an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA with its “assistenza” car.

Story and Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt Click on images to enlarge

Italian Car Passion, Autoworld Museum, Brussels

The Autoworld Museum in Brussels devoted its last 2015 special exhibition to “la bella macchina italiana”, featuring some 60 cars ranging from the 50s to this day, representing the most emblematic machines produced by mass manufacturers, renowned coachbuilders or talented craftsmen.

In order to provide the visitor with the proper ambiance, a small “piazza” was been recreated as well as the typical narrow streets of an Italian city, with its traditional architecture.

In this exhibit, this Lamborghini Miura, a 1972 P400 SV version, is the link between the prolific 50’s and 60’s and the supercars of today.

In this exhibit, this Lamborghini Miura, a 1972 P400 SV version, is the link between the prolific 50’s and 60’s and the supercars of today.

[Read more…] about Italian Car Passion, Autoworld Museum, Brussels Part 1

Zoute Grand Prix, 2015

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1965 Ferrari 275 GTB.

1965 Ferrari 275 GTB.

Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Click on pics to ENLARGE

The Zoute, situated along the North Sea, not far from Bruges and a few kilometers away from the Dutch border, is one of the most popular resorts of the Belgian Coast and one of the more affluent of Northern Europe.
Since 2010, the Zoute welcomes all the classic cars enthusiasts and supercars lovers of the country to a three day event. [Read more…] about Zoute Grand Prix, 2015

Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours

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A special class was dedicated to the racing Bugattis and included this Type 50 that was entered at Le Mans in 1931, seen here during the rally on Saturday. This is the first Bugatti on which Jean Bugatti’s technical influence was very important.

A special class was dedicated to the racing Bugattis and included this Type 50 that was entered at Le Mans in 1931, seen here during the rally on Saturday. This is the first Bugatti on which Jean Bugatti’s technical influence was very important.

Story and Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
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The first edition of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours held in 2014 was a great success and it promised not to be an easy task for Peter Auto, who organizes also the Tour Auto and Le Mans Classic, to do better. [Read more…] about Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion and Reunion

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The sole Ferrari entered was the 1976 312 T2 of Chris MacAllister, a bit alone in this mainly Ford-Cosworth powered field.

The sole Ferrari entered was the 1976 312 T2 of Chris MacAllister, a bit alone in this mainly Ford-Cosworth-powered field.

Story and Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

If most of the events taking place during the Monterey Car Week consist of Concours d’Elegance or Car Shows on renowned fairways or in the streets of localities of the Monterey Peninsula, one of the oldest and major landmarks of the week remains the historic races at Laguna Seca Raceway.

With more than 550 cars throughout 15 races, there is something for everyone. The event which lasts four days, practice sessions included, is even preceded by what is called the Pre-Reunion the weekend before the main event. The Pre-Reunion counts less entrants and then combine different classes in the same races. [Read more…] about Rolex Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion and Reunion

Concorso Italiano 2015

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Lamborghini Aventador

Lamborghini Aventador lineup at Concorso.

Story by Brandes Elitch
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt unless otherwise noted
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Arriving at the Bayonet and Blackhorse golf course in Seaside-Monterey on a beautiful Saturday morning in August, I wondered:
– How did they get a thousand cars so perfectly in positon that early in the morning?
-How did a country the size of Arizona come to make so many desirable cars?
-Just why are Italian cars so desirable? [Read more…] about Concorso Italiano 2015

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