French cars from lost manufacturers are a common sight at Retromobile. This 1950 DB HBR cabriolet by Antem was produced in 32 examples; some competed in great motorsport events like Le Mans and Sebring.
Photos and captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Jonathan Sharp
Retro by Jonathan Sharp
Patination, Bugatti on Lukas Huni's stand.
Photos and captions by Jonathan Sharp
An Enthusiast’s Retro
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
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!
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
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!
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
Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2013
Lancia recreation was one of the stars of the Bonham's Auction.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
The Four Days of the Goodwood Festival of Speed June 11-14 2013
The Goodwood Festival of Speed has become a four day affair. In addition, this year was the 20th Anniversary of the Festival of Speed and all of the stops were pulled to celebrate.
Thursday is the Moving Motor Show day, a new style of motor show where if you are lucky and your chosen manufacturer thinks you are a genuine customer, one is allowed to drive a test course around the Goodwood Estate including the hill climb course. The number of chosen is large and getting larger. [Read more…] about Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2013
Goodwood Festival: The Drivers
Jacky Ickx at Goodwood.
Goodwood is people too, and it provides a wonderful opportunity to talk to the legends up close and personal.
I had the pleasure escorting Jackie Stewart to the Mercedes-Benz W196; it could not be seen through the throngs of people, but I had seen it arrive. So being a gentleman I stepped in to help, wouldn’t you? [Read more…] about Goodwood Festival: The Drivers
La Vie En Bleu French Weekend at Prescott
Bugattis line up for Prescott, home of the Bugatti Owner's Club. George Davidson all the way from Kentucky heads the queue in his 1930 T35B. Photo by Jonathan Sharp.
Text by Jonathan Sharp, Photos by Jonathan Sharp and Roy P. Smith
Just back from a long day (June 2) at the Bugatti Owners Club’s Prescott Hill climb for their La Vie en Bleu event where there were 32 Bugatti’s entered. The annual International Bugatti rally was being held in the UK at that time with Prescott being one of the ports of call. A very impressive lineup they made, especially Jim Hulls Type 57 SC Electron reconstruction which he had brought from California.
Prescott is all about atmosphere. The location is as it must have felt in the 1930s, and to add to the atmosphere this year the local Steam Preservation railway was running great steam-driven trains. The sounds of the various Bugattis, blown and unblown, were mixed in with the sound of steam whistles and chuffing trains that enhanced the nostalgia.
As usual the French make car clubs put on a fantastic display. A rare favorite was the Peugeot 504 Pininfarina Coupe, just imported from the South of France. It had been owned by the proprietor of a Peugeot garage who had used the car during the summer, but had kept it in a heated garage in the winter. Its new custodian was justifiably proud of it. At various times during the day the works Bugatti test driver powered the 1200 BHP Veyron Vittesse up the hill and one lucky ticket winner got a ride up the hill with him at the end of the day.
Also demonstrated was the 1990 Benetton B190 F1 of John Reaks. This car was driven to victory at Suzuka, Japan in 1990 by Nelson Piquet. The first time I saw the car in the paddock after one of its runs it was without a nose cone. I understandably thought it had been involved in an accident but no, the cars mechanics had to remove the nose cone and then man- handle the car at the top of the hill to allow it to return to the paddock using the return road. Such dedication just to allow the spectators the chance to witness a 650 BHP Grand Prix car being driven up the hill in anger is worthy of praise. I do think it was a bit of a handful around the wonderfully named ‘Pardon Bend’ though.
Gordini author Roy Smith was there too, and caught the magic of Prescott. Photo by Roy P. Smith
Pure elegance: Bugatti Type 55 chassis 55221. Le Mans car of 1932, rebodied in 1933 by Figoni in 1933 besides the Bugatti Trust Library. Sharp photo.
Prescott has taken on the circus-like surroundings made famous by Goodwood. Jury is still out on that. Smith photo.
Circus or not, racing is still dangerous. Prescott nearly had a tragedy on its hands when Edmund Burgess lost his T13 Brescia coming into the esse's. Luckily he walked into the ambulance. The T13 had buckled front wheels and a serious misshapen steering wheel. Sharp photo.
Race Retro 2013
Team Vialle Alpine 110B Rallycross car was the most successful A110 in the FIA European Rally Cross championship.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp unless otherwise noted.
The annual Race Retro show, now in its 10th year at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, has always been considered to be a harbinger of the arrival of spring and the start of the new season of historic car racing in the U.K. This year spring had certainly been put on hold for the weekend. It was cold; the wind chill had been described by somebody more eloquent than me as being stiletto sharp, but the fun went on regardless.
[Read more…] about Race Retro 2013
A Brit in the Court of Cavallino Part 1
Sun sets on yet another great day at Palm Beach.
In January, VeloceToday correspondent Jonathan Sharp left the comforts of home in Great Britain to enjoy the warm temperatures and blue skies of Palm Beach. He reports about what he found at and on the way to Cavallino. His notebook begins with Wednesday through Friday below, and continues with Saturday and Sunday in a further article. Please note the lack of owner’s names in all three articles; this intentional and by their request.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Wednesday 23rd January, Palm Beach
Hi Peter, well we made it – amazing, given the recent snow fall at home in England. We seem to have grabbed the only snow-free day to fly out. I am told that nothing is moving in my home town today and it is impossible to get to the end of my road due to the snow, but then England does not do snow very well. The weather here in Palm Beach is amazing, temperature in the mid-70s, sun and blue sky. My brain is struggling to cope with the fact that it’s January. The atmosphere is building in the town with plenty of Ferraris to be seen.
A Brit in the Court of Cavallino Part 2
Ferrari 250 GT Chassis 2429GT on parade.
Englander Jonathan Sharp continues his notebook and letter to VeloceToday, ever more awed by quality, presentation and rarity of the Ferraris featured at Cavallino.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Saturday, The Breakers
The WOW factor started on the walk from the Chesterfield hotel to the Breakers. A lovely, warm, bright-blue-skied morning was enlivened by the sound of two V12s running in convoy, a beautiful special-bodied 250TdF followed by the 375MM, both motoring towards the Breakers. I certainly hastened my step after seeing and hearing that!
[Read more…] about A Brit in the Court of Cavallino Part 2
NEC Show, Birmingham England, November 16-18, 2012
Lancia Appia Furgoncino Series 2. Supplied new on January 1, 1959 to Signor B. Caberlotto of Cornuda (TV). He used the vehicle up until 2006 for the delivery of wines and spirits to his local customers. He nicknamed the van ‘The Earl’. Caberlotto sold the van to the Appia consortium in 2010.
Photos and Captions by Jonathan Sharp
This year’s annual Footman James-sponsored NEC Classic Motor Show show at the sprawling National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham England was the largest yet. spread over 11 halls. The visitor number was also the largest ever with just shy of 58,000 attending over the three days. The show has certainly grown in size and stature since the early days at dear old Alexandra Palace in London (or as us ex locals call it Ally Pally). It is very much a show built by the attending owners clubs – everything from Alfa Romeos to Zastavas. Each year, many of the clubs try to outdo each other in their imaginative display settings. They also bring different cars each year which keeps everything fresh.
[Read more…] about NEC Show, Birmingham England, November 16-18, 2012