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Musk, Madison Avenue and the Moon

December 11, 2023 By pete

Chowder Society Breaks Bread with Tesla: Tradition and Revolution Had a Great First Date

© Philippe H. Defechereux 2018

All photos by P. H. Defechereux except where otherwise noted

From the Archives, February 2018

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, February 13, 2018, there took place a ‘”first date” in Manhattan, NY. between two seemingly improbable parties: the venerable but still vigorous and lively Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society (M.A.S.C.D.C.S.), turning 61 in March; and Tesla Motors Inc., still wet-behind-the-ears at only 15. Intriguingly, nothing was inappropriate about that pre-Valentine first meet luncheon. [Read more…] about Musk, Madison Avenue and the Moon

Tesla Greets Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society

February 27, 2018 By pete

Chowder Society Breaks Bread with Tesla: Tradition and Revolution Had a Great First Date

© Philippe H. Defechereux 2018

All photos by P. H. Defechereux except where otherwise noted

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Tuesday February 13, 2018, there took place a ‘”first date” in Manhattan, NY. between two seemingly improbable parties: the venerable but still vigorous and lively Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society (M.A.S.C.D.C.S.), turning 61 in March; and Tesla Motors Inc., still wet-behind-the-ears at only 15. Intriguingly, nothing was inappropriate about that pre-Valentine first meet luncheon.

The rendezvous spot chosen was the glass-walled street-level Tesla showroom on West 13th street and 10th Avenue. Everyone and everybody on earth today knows who Tesla is and what they do, besides sending cars in orbit with most powerful rockets. But while the M.A.S.C.D.C.S. continues to be a thriving club with growing membership of car-racing-enthusiasts, not everyone outside the greater New York City metropolitan area has heard of the “Chowder Society,” as long-timers fondly call it for short. So bear with us. [Read more…] about Tesla Greets Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society

Historical Research and Forensic Sleuthing Inform the Restoration of a 1943 Alfa Romeo Part II

August 11, 2015 By pete

Bucking the trend: The finished buck created with CAD technology, laser scanning, digital imaging and 3D printing – all cutting-edge tools that Cooper Technica has incorporated into an innovative and unique approach to high-end automobile restoration. The finished buck is shown next to the body, which is mounted on a rotisserie fixture in Cooper Technica’s Chicago studio.

Begin at the Beginning:
Historical Research and Forensic Sleuthing Inform the Restoration of a 1943 Alfa Romeo Part II READ Part 1

Introduction

During the Second World War, Alfa Romeo built twenty-eight 6C2500 Super Sport Cabriolets. These were built exclusively for Mussolini’s close friends and associates – mostly high-ranking German officers. Seven of these cars had custom cabriolet bodies designed by renowned Italian coachbuilder Pinin Farina. Cooper Technica, Inc. is now restoring one of these seven, originally built for Luftwaffe Field Marshal Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, a cousin of the WWI Red Baron and an ace pilot himself. In 1948, in the hands of a new owner, this car raced Italy’s famous Mille Miglia, finishing 3rd in class and 22nd overall. Altogether, the Alfa Romeo’s unique history and provenance make it particularly desirable to collectors today.

Part I of this article described how Cooper Technica first acquired the car, and then meticulously researched its complete history, provenance, and construction documentation. We found that, throughout its life, the Super Sport changed hands seven times, sustained a few minor crashes, and had its front end altered when the body was repaired in Milan in 1953. This historical record, as costly and time-consuming as it was to gather, proved essential to restoring the valuable Alfa to the highest achievable standards of authenticity.

Part II of this article will first explain the rationale behind key restoration decisions. Then, we will describe how Cooper Technica used the cutting-edge technology of laser scanning, digital imaging and 3D printing to determine the Alfa’s original shape; and then used traditional “trailing-edge” construction techniques to restore that shape. With archival photos from 1943 and 1945 as our guides, our innovative methods and unique approach have achieved a restored body shape within two millimeters of the original – a level of precision never before possible.

When Preservation Is Not an Option, What Then?

As both historians and restorers, our first goal is to preserve the car as-is, rather than to restore it. When the Alfa Romeo arrived at Cooper Technica, the paint had been stripped, exposing the original aluminum body skin. It was evident that various repair jobs and past alterations had left the body in poor condition. Given that that car was no longer original, and the fact that some restoration work had already been attempted, preservation was not a viable option.

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Borrani and Ferrari, a Winning Combination

February 1, 2012 By pete

By Pete Vack

For over fifty years the cars Enzo Ferrari drove, prepared and later constructed were equipped with the beautiful, functional and strong wire wheels made by Carlo Borrani’s company in Milan. From Grand Prix cars to Le Mans endurance racers to cars for kings, Borrani wheels were a highly visible part of the overall design. Wheels are one of the rare components of a car that must be constructed with beauty, function, safety and performance; Borrani did it best.

Ferrari was a faithful Borrani customer; according to Borrani the alliance began in 1924 when Enzo Ferrari won the Acerbo Cup in Pescara with an Alfa Romeo RL TF equipped with Rudge-Whitworth Milano wheels. Although Ferrrari began racing in 1918, Borrani, founded in only 1922, was probably not the wheel of choice for Alfa Romeo until 1924.

We can be fairly certain that Ferrari won two events of some significance, both with Giulio Ramponi as a co driver. The first was at the Circuito del Savio on June 17th 1923, at Ravenna. It was here that as Ferrari recalls, he met Count Enrico Baracca, the father of the WWI ace. The meeting led to the use of the Baracca shield on his Scuderia cars.

The other victory as mentioned by Borrani, came a year later at the Coppa Acerbo, again with an RL TF. Hull and Slater have the car listed as an RLSS, but Ramponi himself listed it as an RL TF as does Valerio Moretti’s “Enzo Ferrari Pilota”. (What’s it like to drive an RL Alfa? Find out here.)

Most of the races in the early and mid twenties were on rough, dirt roads, while the cars employed stiff cart like suspension. Yet wire wheel failures were relatively rare. The overall reliability and ease of repair of the wire wheel may be a prime reason why the Bugatti cast aluminum wheel failed to catch on when introduced in 1924.

Borrani Historical Stampings

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