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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Jonathan Sharp

Goodwood Revival 2014: Jonathan Sharp

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Josef Otto Rettenmaier overcooks his exit from the chicane in his 1935 Maserati V8RI.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Click on the images to enlarge

“Off to Goodwood again this weekend, are you? Don’t you get bored seeing the same cars each year?” This is a question often asked of me. The stock answer is no BUT the correct answer should be, “They are not the same cars year after year.” Yes, you do see some old favorites but for every old favorite there is usually something else that you have never seen, or if you had seen it then it was probably a long while ago. [Read more…] about Goodwood Revival 2014: Jonathan Sharp

Goodwood Festival: The Cars

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Cigarette, anyone?



Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

With the attendance figures over the three days of the Goodwood Festival of Speed touching 200 thousand people you do need to get there early to avoid the traffic and, from my point of view, to get the shots before the crowds descend on mass but it is worth the effort. I managed to make the Cartier lawn by 07.05am on Friday to grab some shots even before the team of car prepares had arrived. Just me and a field of stunning Maseratis. It’s worth delaying the second cup of coffee of the morning.
[Read more…] about Goodwood Festival: The Cars

Faces at the Festival

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When you’re smilin’, the whole world smiles with you…

No need for an introduction. Just scroll down to view this amazing album of great drivers just plain enjoying themselves at Goodwood. Well, except for Kimi and Loeb, who never seem to smile. This is Jonathan Sharp at his best. [Ed.]

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

Dario Franchitti, who drove the ex-Hakkinen Mercedes C Class DTM car.

[Read more…] about Faces at the Festival

Prescott 2014: Almost Thoroughly French

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1928 Amilcar CGS

The 1928 Amilcar CGS Riley of Terry McGrath climbs towards the esses.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Click on photos to enlarge!

It is a shame that my Sat Nav does not use public houses as navigation points because being instructed to “turn left at the Bugatti Inn” sounds so much nicer than just “in 500 meters turn left.” My journey to Prescott was to cover the Bugatti Owne’rs Club’s La Vie en Bleu Festival which celebrates all things French. Last year the event welcomed the International Bugatti Rally. This year it was the turn of the International Amilcar Rally to enjoy the Bugatti Club’s hospitality. A very impressive line-up of cars enjoyed the shade of the trees in the paddock. The weather over the weekend was typical of an English spring, tipping it down on Saturday, warm dry and sunny on Sunday. The paddocks on Sunday did however resemble the aftermath of the Glastonbury Music Festival – mud everywhere. The event always attracts a good turn- out not just the entrants in the hill climb but also from the members of the various French car clubs who had been invited to attend. The runs on the hill were as usual very spirited with very few incidents to mar what was a very enjoyable event.

This is an Amilcar Tandem, of which perhaps two were built in 1923 to race in the Cyclecar Grand Prix.

Marius Mestivier at the helm of a 1100cc Amilcar Tandem. Courtesy 'Amilcar' by Fournier.

The driver had the gearshift between his legs and the mechanic the driver.

It is good to see that old fashioned camaraderie is still very much the watchword of a Prescott event as is evident here. Car 36 is the 1928 Bugatti T35B of Steve Curtis, car 37 Derek Howard Orchard's 1931 T51

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Brooklands Italian Car Day

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The Pininfarina lines of a Fiat Dino Spyder contrast nicely with the starkness of the Brooklands memorial erected to commemorate the home of motor racing 1907 - 1939.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Judging by the three lines of cars, all of which were made in Italy, waiting to pass through the Campbell gate of the Brooklands Motor Circuit in Surrey, the Italian car community is alive and thriving. [Read more…] about Brooklands Italian Car Day

Sharp at the VSCC Silverstone

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Lancia D50 recreation of Helmut Gassmann.

Whilst Graham Gauld was meeting and greeting at the VSCC Spring Start race meeting at Silverstone, Jonathan Sharp was there scooting around with his camera to bring you the following report:

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

My passion has always been for Italian cars but sometimes I like to go off script; so the idea of an ERA-only race to celebrate its 80th anniversary of the (which will be covered separately) plus various support races, plus a scattering of their period adversaries including a few Maserati’s and Bugattis, was simply too much to miss. [Read more…] about Sharp at the VSCC Silverstone

Tour Auto 2014 Begins in Paris

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250GT-Boano

1957 Ferrari 250 Boano of Ludwig Willisch and Norbert Schwitz Koep from Germany alongside the 1963 250 Lusso of Eric Hamoniau an Arnaud Dernoncour from France.

Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Click on pic to enlarge

My alarm clock seems to be permanently set to 3.30 am, this being the start time of most of my recent trips abroad. This time it was set so as I could catch the Eurostar (so much more civilized than flying) to Paris to take a look at the cars entered in this year’s Tour Auto. [Read more…] about Tour Auto 2014 Begins in Paris

An Enthusiast’s Retro

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1955 Simca Comete Monte Carlo with bodywork by Stabilimenti Farina taking pride of place on the 'L adventure automobile Poissy Stand.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

“Have you set the alarm dear?” my wife asks as it rings. Yes, what time is it? 3.30am; 3.30am! “You must be stark raving mad. Why would you want to get up in the middle of the night on a cold and very wet Saturday in England in February to go all the way in Paris to see cars that you have probably seen already!?”

The plane leaves Heathrow an hour late and the pilot sounds like Alan Prost. The landing into Charles De Gaulle is the bumpiest I can remember. Then it‘s public transport to the hotel, dump the cases and straight to the show. Things start to improve as does my mood as I walk into the exhibition hall. I wonder what delights await me. [Read more…] about An Enthusiast’s Retro

London to Brighton and the Classics of Regent Street

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Mr. Harold Pritchard's 1903 De Dion Bouton on Regent Street. (Click to enlarge)

In our twelve years of publishing weekly, VeloceToday has never covered the London to Brighton Run. Yet it is the oldest vintage car event in the world, usually dominated by French cars. In the last four years the start in London is augmented by what is billed as the ‘largest free motor show in the U.K.,’ the Regent Street Motor Show. This year, Jonathan Sharp reports on the activities from both London and his hometown of Brighton. See also “Brighton in Photos” (link) for Sharp’s excellent Vintage photos. Remember to click on photos to see larger image!

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Be sure to click on the photos to see much larger images!

See More Brighton Run Photos

Regent Street Motor Show
Early Christmas shoppers had a pleasant surprise when they went down to London’s famous Regent Street on the morning of Saturday the 2nd November. Gone were the red buses and black cabs that normally haunt the glamorous shopping street, replaced by a small lineup of Porsche 911s, there to celebrate their 50th Anniversary, a much larger line up of Aston Martins of all ages there to celebrate their 100th Anniversary, and an even larger line up of Veteran Cars there to celebrate the 117th running of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

Aston Martin brigade on London's Regent Street.(Click to enlarge)

Billed as the largest free motor show in the UK, the display is called the Regent Street Motor Show and is now in its fourth year. The Aston Martin line up was a good cross section of David Brown models and later V8 models, Saloons, Vantages and Volantes, brought right up to date with many current examples. From a photographer’s standpoint they had been roped off, which made photography a lot easier. Alas, that was not the case with the Veteran cars which proved very popular with the crowds, so patience was called for when taking shots. I am grateful to the sales assistants in the Jaeger store for allowing me to photograph the racing Napiers from the second floor windows of the ladies wear department, and to the Westminster City Council for positioning street lamps along the middle of the street (which gave me something to climb up!)

Getting the high view. Note the crowd on Regent Street, which seemed very interested in learning more about these Veterans.(Click to enlarge)

Three important Napiers [Read more…] about London to Brighton and the Classics of Regent Street

Brighton Run 2013 in Photos by Jonathan Sharp

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1898 Peugeot Double Phaeton Type 15 owned and driven by Mr. Colin Clarke. Between 1897 and 1900 Peugeot built 182 Type 15s. This example left the factory on the 16th July 1898. The Type 15 was fitted with the first engine ever built by Peugeot, a horizontal two-cylinder engine with 6 hp allied to a four-speed gearbox and twin-chain drive. One of the Type 15s was sold to Charles Rolls of Rolls-Royce fame. This example is fitted with a Double Phaeton body and still runs on its original hot tube ignition. The chassis tubes form part of the cooling system. The car has a top speed of 25 mph. (Click to enlarge)

Jonathan Sharp highlights the Brighton to London Run in photos. Be sure to read his story, London to Brighton, also in this edition of VeloceToday. Also, click on each photo to see much larger images!

Read more about the event

1902 single-cylinder 8 hp Deckert, owned and driven by Mrs. Barbara Dedman. The Deckert company was founded in Paris in the early 1900s by Henri Deckert. They built motor cycles, motor tricycles and motor cars. To promote his company Henri entered his vehicles in various trails but without success. The company folded in 1906. This is the only surviving example and is a regular entrant in the London to Brighton run. Aurore means dawn. The wheel depicts the rising sun and the bird heralds the dawn of the age of the motor car. (Click to enlarge)

1903 4-cylinder 7700cc 50 hp Napier, the oldest surviving complete British Racing car. The car was driven by Charles Jarrott in the 1903 Gordon Bennett race. Now owned by the National Motor Museum Beaulieu. (Click to enlarge)

This Napier, a 1904 11100cc 100 hp, is now owned by the Louwman Museum. (Click to enlarge)


[Read more…] about Brighton Run 2013 in Photos by Jonathan Sharp

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