1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Jonathan continues his report from Retro with Alfas and Lancias.
Jonathan Sharp
Thornley Kelham, the home of the Lancia Bandit
Construction of a Bandit
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
As a previous Lancia owner (Fulvia, Gamma Coupe, HPE VX, and Thema Turbo) the chance to tour the restoration facilities of renowned Lancia specialist Thornley Kelham was a chance I was not going to miss, even though it meant an early start and a long drive from Brighton to South Cerney in Gloucestershire. [Read more…] about Thornley Kelham, the home of the Lancia Bandit
Shuttleworth On the Ground
Ian Morgan’s 1915 Ford Model T Speedster (right).
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Shuttleworth is an event I have been meaning to attend for some years but never seem to get around to it, the Shuttleworth Collection’s ‘Race Day Air Show’ which this year was held on Sunday the 5th October. Early start for me as it is about 100 plus miles from my home to Old Warden in Bedfordshire, the home of the Shuttleworth Collection. I had not been to Old Warden for at least 15 years, and it dawned on me whilst driving to the event that I had not actually attended an airshow since witnessing the tragic events at the Shoreham Air Show in 2015 when a Hawker Hunter T7 warbird crashed onto a main road during an aerial display killing 11 people and injuring 16 others.
Casa Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena
Taken during the audio visual presentation and lightly photoshopped.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
It was back in 2014 that I had last visited the Ferrari Museums in Maranello and Modena. This year, whilst planning my trip to Bologna for Auto Moto d Epoca, it dawned on me that Modena was just down the road, so to speak, and with a late evening flight back to the UK we could, after spending a day and a half at the Bologna show, jump on the train and visit the Casa Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena.
St James’s Motoring Spectacle
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
What we as kids back in the 60s used to call the “old crocks race,” the London to Brighton Run has over the past few years morphed into a sort of London Motoring Week which kicked off on the Wednesday, October 29 with the opening of the Royal Automobile Club’s ‘Art of Motoring’ exhibition at the Iconic Images Gallery in Waterloo Place Piccadilly, and reached its zenith on the Sunday November 2 with the London to Brighton Veteran car run.
Royal Automobile Club Treasures, RM Action
Taking center stage in the atrium of the RAC Club House, this 1902 Wolseley two cylinder 10hp Tonneau, only the 53rd car to be road registered in the city of Birmingham. Originally fitted with solid rubber tyres, the Wolseley now runs on pneumatic tyres, and has done since 1953. Before being purchased by the Oldman family in 2001 the car was owned by Jack Howes, an enthusiast who entered and completed 45 London to Brighton Veteran Car Runs, in fact this Wolseley has now made the run 55 times.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
For the past two years, us scruffy old media types have been allowed into the venerable RAC Club house located on Pall Mall, slap bang in the center of the St James Motoring Spectacle. So a chance to enter through the mahogany revolving doors and take a peek inside was not something I was going to miss.
Fiats at Auto e Moto d’Epoca
Script on the grille of this Fiat seems to read “Weber”. Any ideas?
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Just back from Bologna after visiting Auto e Moto d’Epoca (October 23-26). A great show as usual with much to see. For me it is not the exotic stuff that makes the show, though the F1 display (see Vanhoolandt’s report) in the atrium was impressive, it’s the obscure stuff dotted around the various halls, sometimes on the club stands but more often buried in amongst the hundreds of cars for sale from both the dealers and private owners.
Goodwood Revival, Paddock and Aircraft
Alfa Sportiva and 158
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
‘Turn on, tune in, drop out.’ The entry gate into this year’s Goodwood Revival took us back to the late 60s and to the intersection of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco and the birth of the hippie movement and the 60s counter-culture.
We waded past the hippie tents and the psychedelic school bus to reach the paddocks, where all the really interesting stuff lay. I have never seen so many VW Type 2 split screen vans in one location, as each morning before the racing commenced, the Type 2s paraded around the circuit to celebrate the model’s 75th anniversary. According to the programme at least 130 were expected and, due to the muddy infield where they had planned to display them, they were parked literally everywhere and whilst I am not a big fan they did make a very impressive sight. [Read more…] about Goodwood Revival, Paddock and Aircraft
Drivers at the Goodwood Revival, 2025
Tony Kanaaan, Dario Franchitti, Marino Franchitti and Scott Dixon.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Goodwood Revival, September 12-14 2025
As Jonathan Sharp’s photos began to arrive here, we noticed something different; the smiles that were so dominant at previous Goodwood Festivals and the Revival were not as abundant. There were many, to be sure, like the group shot above, exuding good cheer, but many not.
We asked Sharp why this might be, or was it just coincidence? Probably the weather, he said. “On Saturday and Sunday and I was in the pits for the driver’s shots during the pouring rain during the RAC TT Celebration on Sunday afternoon, after all, wouldn’t you feel just a bit stressed if you had to driver a 400 bhp Cobra flat out in a monsoon? Because at the Revival, boy do they race!” [Read more…] about Drivers at the Goodwood Revival, 2025
Royal Automobile Club’s Magnificent Displays
In a class of its own: Displayed in front of the clubhouse, 1955 Osca FS372. Introduced in 1955, the FS372 debuted with the upgraded 1491cc twin-spark engine. Only five were constructed. This example was purchased by Sir Stirling Moss in 2008 and raced by him at various historic motor sports events.
Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Last week we covered the RAC concours classes held on July 9th, so this week let’s take a look at the curated displays, the titles of which, in most cases, are self-explanatory except perhaps for the ‘1000 mile trial 125th Anniversary’ display.
Heveningham Concours 2025
1967 Maserati Mistral Coupe, chassis 1146, after spending many decades languishing in a California garage is now with a UK based enthusiast, and it is a 4.0 Litre example to boot, great looking and 265 bhp.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
After what can only be described as a Friday afternoon nightmare journey via the M25 to my hotel near Ipswich, it was so nice to take to the nearly deserted roads of Suffolk for a very pleasant 40 minute run to once again attend the Heveningham Hall Concours on June 28-29. With the cars displayed on the grass terraces I have to say that, along with Hampton Court, it is one of the best locations for displaying automotive works of art. [Read more…] about Heveningham Concours 2025
London Concours June 3-5, 2025
1978 Ferrari 308 GTB. This example was purchased from Cooper’s of Leicester via Tony Willis, to the sales director of BMW Concessionaires TKM.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
After several long trips to Italy to follow my passion for old cars, a trip from Brighton to the London Concours was a pleasant diversion. It is but a short train ride up to the capital; catch a Thameslink train up to London bridge station, then a pleasant stroll across London Bridge, pass the monument to the Great Fire of London, then pass the Bank of England, and a few minutes later you arrive at the green oasis that is home to the Honourable Artillery Company.
But as the train pulls into London Bridge Station it starts to rain.