The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
As I noted back in 2014, England early September is turning into car weeks, like Monterey, but extending almost 13 days. And in this case, instead of golf courses, it is a case of pick your favorite stately home. [Read more…] about Salon Prive, 2017
Quiet a contrast to the front running Listers and Jaguar D Types is Brian Palmer’s 1963 Lotus XI.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Looking at the sparsely-seated grandstands in some of the shots below, you would think the Silverstone Classic was nearly empty, believe me it was not. Over the three day weekend (July 28-30) over 100,000, people trod on these hallowed grounds. There is so much so see and do the races, all 22 of them, can become just another attraction to be enjoyed.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
It’s lunch time on the Sunday and I am sitting on a straw bail near the lake on the Heveningham Hall Estate deep in the heart of Suffolk. In front of me is a small display ring where several retriever dogs are being put through the paces, each dog happily diving into the water reeds to retrieve the object thrown for them. An inshore F1 racing power boat is giving high speed rides on the lake, its four stroke engine making an impressive noise which can probably be heard several miles away. To my right is a display of vintage tractors and to my left in the big parade ring several Shire Horses with carts are being displayed to the crowd. Above my head a MK9 Spitfire is engaging in a mock dog fight with an ME109 (Actually its an Hispano Buchan but its close enough) and lined up on the immaculate terraced lawn of Heveningham Hall directly behind me are 50 of the worlds rarest cars. Behind the terraces and close to the orangery is a small collection of classic 1930s aeroplanes that have entered into the new Aviation concours. They are lined up by the trees at one end of a small grass airstrip and at the other end of the strip are parked several dozen visiting aircraft. [Read more…] about Heveningham Hall Concours of Elegance
The Naper Railton belongs to the Brooklands Museum.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Jonathan Sharp again hit the road on June 17th for the VSCC/Brooklands Museum Double Twelve Motorsport Festival. And this time it was truly a special event as it was the 110th anniversary of the opening of the famous track in 1907. In addition, Lord March cut the ribbon to open the restored Main Straight, previously blocked by WWII structure. The re-enactment of the opening parade of 17th June 1907 was led by David Ayre’s 40HP Itala – the same model as was used by Ethel Locke King to lead the original parade.
P-3 in the paddock.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
VSCC/Brooklands Double Twelve programme took place the weekend of June 17-18 2017. Everyone is familiar with the Le Mans 24 hour race, first run in 1923. Less well-known is the British equivalent, the Brooklands Double Twelve race. Vintage Alfa Romeo fans may recall the event, however, as the first running of the Double Twelve was in 1929, the winner being Giulio Ramponi driving a 1500cc Alfa Romeo at an average speed of 76 mph.
So why was it called the Double Twelve, rather than the Brooklands 24 hour race? In an effort to appease the local residents of nearby Weybridge, nighttime racing was banned at Brooklands, so the race was run in two 12 hour heats on consecutive days. [Read more…] about Brooklands Double Twelve: In the Paddock
This 2006 Maserati MC12 Strada version was an entrant in the Evolution of the Supercar part 2 class.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
For fans of old cars, the number of events one could attend increases year every year. A new event for 2017 was the City Concours which was held on the Cricket pitch of the Honorable Artillery Company right in heart of the financial district of the City of London, on June 8-9.
[Read more…] about London City Concours 2017
Formula Vintage – Round 1 – Silverstone
National Circuit, Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 April 2017
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
The well-established ‘Spring Start’ season opener was a spectacular two-day feature at Silverstone, with the celebrated Pre-war and Historic content taking center stage across the weekend’s program. [Read more…] about Silverstone Formula Vintage, April 22-23
Alain de Cadenet is reunited with his Lola De Cadenet Ford T380 which formed part of the 3.0 Liter Prototype high speed demo display. Alain actually drove a 3.0 Liter McLaren M8C as part of the demonstration.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
The shovels of the hard working Track Marshals are more used to spreading cement on deposited motor oil rather than shoveling up the deposited horse manure left by the mounts of the local Charlton Hunt as they run the hounds to open the 2017 Members’ Meeting at Goodwood on the Saturday morning of the event. [Read more…] about Goodwood Members’ Meeting 2017
This 1953 Alloy bodied 212 by Vignale was supplied new to Franco Cornacchia who had ordered the car in racing spec with sliding perspex side windows and no bumpers. Cornacchia was a Ferrari agent and also the proprietor of Scuderia Guastalla. In Franco’s hands the car won the 1953 Coppa Intereuropa at Monza. In 1954 the car was converted to 225 spec and continued to be raced until 1956.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
London Docklands was once the place where hundreds of ships carrying thousands of tons of cargo and goods from all around the globe would be unloaded at the piers.
Now it is home to the Millennium Dome, or the O2 arena as it is now called; Canary Wharf houses the merchant bankers and the ExCel Exhibition Center is a major contemporary exhibition hall with an address of the Royal Victoria Dock and where the London Classic Car Show was held on February 23-26.
The London show was actually two shows in one. The London Classic Car show features the grand avenue car parade. Across the corridor was the inaugural Historic Motorsport International show. One ticket gained access to both. [Read more…] about London Classic Car Show 2017
Actor, wit, car nut and raconteur Peter Ustinov once owned this 1928 Supercharged Mercedes 36/220 S Type. One of only 146 examples built of this very successful Ferdinand Porsche-designed vehicle which has recently been restored by the Museum. This model was one of the first to appear after the amalgamation of Daimler and Benz in 1926.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
This is the third part of Jonathan Sharp’s visit to the National Museum at Beaulieu and there will be one more segment devoted to Land Speed Record Cars. There is just so much at the Museum to see; we have just scratched the surface and there is much more waiting for the museum visitor. [Read more…] about The National Museum at Beaulieu, Cars M-Z
This 1903 single cylinder De Dion Bouton is still a regular entrant in the annual London to Brighton Veteran car run. The car was purchased by the Montagu family from a tenant on their estate in 1913 and was one of the five original cars that launched the Montagu Motor Museum in 1952 when the cars were displayed in the entrance hall of the family home.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Last week we mentioned that we would discuss the founder of the National Motor Museum, Lord Montagu. Here then, Jonathan Sharp does so as a prefix to Part 2 of the National Museum articles which will cover cars from A-L. Part 3 will show cars from L-Z and motorcycles. Part 4 will deal with the Land Speed Record Cars at the Museum. Ed.
Let’s get the elephant in the corner out of the room. In 1953 Edward, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, together with two other gentlemen, was convicted of the then crime of a homosexual act with two other consenting adults, who turned Queen’s evidence. Lord Montagu served 8 months in prison. Such was the public’s disquiet as what was perceived to be the unfair victimization of a public figure and the criminality of sexual acts between consenting adults, that a public inquiry was finally set up which ultimately led to the law on homosexuality being reformed. Ok that’s out of the way. [Read more…] about The National Museum at Beaulieu: Cars A-L
Come on in, we are going to show you the neatest Museum in all of the British Isles.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
It’s funny; I have driven, and flown hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles to visit various car museums, shows and race meetings around the world, and yet I had not visited the National Motor Museum (also known as the Beaulieu) less than two hours west of my home on England South Coast, for nearly 20 years.
The National Motor Museum is located in Beaulieu Hampshire deep in heart of the New Forest. The museum was founded by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu in 1952; I will tell you a little bit more about Lord Montagu in part two. I have dim memories of visiting Beaulieu with my parents during the late 1960s before holidaying on the nearby Isle of Wight. Those memories are rather less about the cars then on display and more of the monorail built around the grounds and the replica veteran London bus that one could take a ride on, both of which are still part of the Museum today. [Read more…] about The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu Part 1