The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
Bugattis enjoy a rare moment of sun. David Hand's 1925 T39 sits next to the 1924 Brescia T13 of Charles Knill-Jones.
By Jonathan Sharp
The Cotswolds: bucolic golden-hued thatched cottages, rolling farm land, wheat fields swaying in a warm summer breeze, antique shops, old English country inns selling fine English ales. All this and more, for it is also the home of the Bugatti Owners Club of Great Britain and the famous Prescott Hill climb.
Cheltenham is near Gloucester, Prescott Hill 5 miles northwest.
Let’s put this place on the map: Prescott Hill Climb, based five miles northwest of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire consist of 60 partly wooded acres, with a beautiful private drive of about 1127 yards (.64 mile) in length.
Overhead shot of Prescott, wouldn't it be lovely. and it is.
The course rises over 200 feet with a combination of short straights, fast and slow corners and a breathtaking hairpin. Today’s supermachines get up the hill in about 36 seconds. The old ones take a lot longer but are more fun to watch. Each year Prescott hosts a variety of annual events ranging from the “Le Vie en Bleu,” a celebration of French cars, to the Autumn Classic, open to American automobiles.
Track Diagram corresponds well with the overhead photo.
Ferrari 290MM Scaglietti Spyder. chassis 0626. Ex-Fangio 1956 Millie Miglia. Jonathan Sharp photo.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp and Hugues Vanhoolandt
Last week, we found out that both Hugues Vanhoolandt and Jonathan Sharp would be attending the two major shows in the U.K. this past weekend. Solution? The more the better. We selected seven shots from the Windsor Concours from each photographer; Jonathan leads off on Windsor, Hugues will lead on the Prive coverage.
[Read more…] about Windsor Castle Concours, September 9th, 2012
1953 Pegaso Z-102 ‘Thrill’. Hugues Vanhoolandt photo.
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt and Jonathan Sharp
As was the case with Sunday’s Windsor Castle Concours, the previous Friday’s event at the Syon House was also attended by both Hugues Vanhoolandt and Jonathan Sharp. In this report we lead off with Vanhoolandts’s work. Saturday, Sharp emailed and sent his initial impression of the event:
[Read more…] about Salon Prive at Syon House in London, September 7, 2012
The reason I have chosen this shot is because I like the symbolism. You could not pick a more British make than Lotus but Lotus has always relied on the co-operation of others for success whether that be Ford of Britain, Coventry Climax, Renault or as it is now, Toyota.
Photos and captions by Jonathan Sharp
Jonathan caught our attention..not an easy task these days…when he sent along a few B&W images of the Bugattis at Prescott. [Read more…] about Presenting Jonathan Sharp