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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

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Sharp’s Retro Part 5: Interesting Others

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A Hollywood star on the Kidston stand, but not for sale. Making its public debut at the show following a two-year restoration by RS Williams, this 1968 Aston Martin DBS Vantage, chassis 5234/R, featured in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service staring George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, and Telly Savalas. Two cars were loaned to Eon productions for use in the film and chassis 5234/R was the principal example. Once the filming had finished 5234/R was sold to the British School of Motoring in London and used for high speed driving tuition.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Retro 2026: The Golden Age of Rallying display covered the years 1960 through 1990. Alfa Romeo celebrated 60 years of the Duetto, Mazda celebrated the 35th anniversary of the win at Le Mans in the amazingly loud 787. It was GTis again, this time on the VW stand, celebrating 50 years of the original hot hatch. For Skoda it was 125 years of Motor Sport.

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Sharp’s Retro Part 6: Art and Neat Stuff

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The BMW art display featured the Jeff Koons 2010 BWM M3 GT2 and six more.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

One of the main themes at the show this year was a celebration of 50 years of the BMW Art car project which brought together the seven Art Cars that had raced at Le Mans. In the centre of the display was the 1975 3.0 CSL of Alexander Calder, to the left of which was the M1 of Andy Warhol, the 1977 320i of Roy Lichtenstein, and the Frank Stella 1976 750 BHP 3.0 CSL ((my favorite). To the right of the Calder car, the 1999 V12 LMR of Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons’ 2010 M3 GT2, and the 2024 M Hybrid V8 of Julie Mehretu.

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Sharp’s Retro Part 1: Ferrari

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From Kidston, This beautiful 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Le Mans Berlinetta. Chassis 0048 M was first registered in July 1950 to Angelo Biemmi of Iseo, Brescia who, in March 1951, sold it to Luciano Masseroni of Milan, the son of Carlo Rinaldo Masseroni, a large scale footwear manufacturer and owner/president of ‘Football Club Internazionale Milano’ better known as Inter Milan. Six weeks after purchase Luciano and his co driver Riccardo Vignolo took part in the Millie Miglia where they finished 3rd in the 2.0-Litre sports car class, 21st overall.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

For a French show in the French capital, Retromobile, on its 50th Anniversary, contained a great number of Italian cars, as you will shortly see. The themed displays put on by the event organizers were particularly impressive this year.

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Sharp’s Retro Part 3: Fiat and Others

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Surprisingly unsold at the onsite auction, 1953 Fiat 1100 Coupe Speciale by Allemano, styled by Giovanni Michelotti. One of only two examples built, and probably the sole survivor.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Jonathan Sharp shows us the Fiats and oddballs at Retro.

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Shuttleworth in the Air

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A formation display made up of a DH88 Comet Racer, a Spitfire Vc, and the Aircraft Restoration Company’s Spitfire XI.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The Shuttleworth flying display was scheduled to start at 2 pm but the tail end of storm Amy was still causing problems, with a very stiff breeze blowing across the Old Warden Aerodrome. Intermingled with the occasional stronger gust, it looked likely that many of the aircraft scheduled to display would not be able to get airborne, but soon the flying display commenced with a mock air race with the collections Polikarkov Po 2, Blackburn B2 and Parnall Elf.

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London to Brighton Run, 2025

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1899 single cylinder 3.5HP Wolseley Two seater voiturette, entered by the British Motor Museum, driven by Alex Brundle and Charlotte Vowden.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The thing that strikes me most as I sort through my pictures of the 2025 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run are the smiles; nearly everybody is smiling when they reach the finishing line. Many had a trouble-free run stopping only to grab a coffee at the designated stops. Others had been under the car for more time than they had been in it (probably more accurate to say on it) but it was smiles all the way, it is that sort of event and the spectators along the route join in with the smiling, and the clapping. It all seems like great fun.

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Salon Prive at Blenheim Palace 2025

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Welcome to judging at Salon Prive.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Blooming typical! After what feels like weeks and weeks of no rain the forecast for the 27th August said rain, but when I pulled back the curtains at 5.30am the sun was shining in Brighton, as it still was 4 hours later when I arrived at Blenheim Palace for this year’s Salon Prive.

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In the Paddock and on the Track: Goodwood

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Photos by Jonathan Sharp

The Festival of Speed (this year July 10-13) creates many photo opportunities, and so we are very glad that Jonathan Sharp is able to allow us to enjoy it, without the heat, travel, and crowds. This year the presentation of 75 years of Formula 1 is an event probably not duplicated anywhere else in the world. But at Goodwood, we take such feats for granted.

Pardon the Red Sea

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Royal Automobile Club Concours

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Winner of the Spirit of the Show award, Keith Harrison’s 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Alleggerita. Built on the second day of the lightweight ‘Alleggerita’ production and supplied to Swedish racer Joachim Bonnier. This works prepared example, in Jo Bonnier’s hand, finished 3rd in class and 15th overall in that year’s Mille Miglia, and later in the year, again in the hands of Bonnier, finished first in class at the Nurburgring 1000km. One of only 58 known Alleggerita survivors.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

There is a new kid on the block when it comes to Concours of Elegance in the UK. Wednesday July the 9th was the date for the inaugural Royal Automobile Club Concours of Elegance. Held at the club’s country estate Woodcote Park located on the Epsom Downs in Surrey, just up the road from the Epsom Downs Race course. So bright and early on a boiling hot day I took the short trip up from the coast, followed the signs to the car park located on the golf course and took the short walk down to the show ground.

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Heveningham Hanna Aviation Trophy

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1939 Hawker Hurricane Mk 1, P2902 served with 245 Fighter Squadron initially on the east coast of Scotland patrolling local shipping routes but was soon ordered south to provide air cover for the little ships and naval craft involved in operation Dynamo… the evacuation of Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. On the 31st May 1940 19-year-old Pilot Officer Kenneth McGlashan was attacked by two bf109s sustaining major damage to the airframe, believing that a Hurricane could out dive a bf109 the by now seriously injured McGlashan put in the aircraft into a steep dive outrunning his attacker, pulling up just 10 feet above the beach. McGlashan then managed to land the stricken plane on the beach and walked away to join the troops awaiting evacuation. P2902 eventually was swallowed by the sand were it would remain until being exhumed in 1988. It would then be a further 29 years before P2902 took to the air again following a painstaking restoration by Hawker Restorations.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Those who visited the Heveningham Hall Country show on June 28-29 and purchased the additional ticket to view the Concours cars on the terraced lawn were also entitled to view the entrants for the Hanna Aviation Trophy, a concours for aeroplanes, which is run alongside the main event. It was but a short walk up the hill to a little copse of trees, around which were displayed a mouth-watering display of vintage aircraft. The Hanna Aviation Trophy is named in honour of the late Ray and Mark Hanna, Two of the greatest Warbird display pilots to grace the skies and the silver screen. [Read more…] about Heveningham Hanna Aviation Trophy

Drivers at the Festival of Speed

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Mario Andretti

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Jonathan Sharp, and on occasion, Hugues Vanhoolandt, have been snapping happy faces at Goodwood for many, many years. One of our favorite years for faces was 2014, and we presented both the FOS and Revival drivers in our gallery.

More than 10 years later, the drivers are still smiling. Says Sharp, “I enjoy spending time in the assembly area as you can really feel the atmosphere, the drivers definitely enjoy it, and the mechanics are under far less pressure than they would be at a race meeting so do not seem to mind us getting in their way.

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