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The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

Jonathan Sharp

Sharp at the Salon Prive, London

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Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

The kindly gentleman looked resplendent in his scarlet coat, the uniform of the Chelsea Pensioners. We were all staring at the new Ferrari. He turned to us and began to speak. “Do you know, I was at the Nurburgring in 1960, when Moss and Dan Gurney were driving the Camoradi Maserati Birdcage?” No, we didn’t know that as it was from out of the blue. But he continued. “Gurney had just handed over to Moss whilst at the same time the whole of the Ferrari team were in the pits refueling. The Ferrari team manager, I forget his name, got into a panic and ordered the cars to resume racing ASAP, one car leaving before refueling from the large fuel urn had been completed. In the next second, whoosh flames everywhere!” We asked him “Did you take any photos at the event”?

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79th Goodwood Member’s Meeting, 2022

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1956 Renault 4CV entered by Frederic Fatien, driven by Pierre-Brice Mena, Sopwith Cup for saloon cars of a type that raced up until 1956.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

Did you know, the rear lights of a Porsche 956 are the same as those fitted to a late 1970s Eriba Puck Caravan? No, neither did I, Thanks Gary Axon and Goodwood Radio for that wonderful piece of trivia.

Why am I mentioning Porsche 956s? Well the recent 79th Goodwood Members Meeting included a track demonstration of 956/962s, twenty of them. Also demonstrated/displayed were approximately 20 F1 cars from the V10 era, lead on the track by Bruno Senna in his uncle’s 1990 McLaren Honda MP4/5B, a wonderful sight and an amazing sound. In addition to the demos the program also included 13 races covering a period from prior to WW2 right up until Group 1 saloons from the 1980s.

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Twenty Shots From the Schlumpf Collection

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Photos by Jonathan Sharp

From the VeloceToday Archives, May 2018

In 2016, Jonathan Sharp made an intensive visit to the Schlumpf Museum, and returned with thousands of photos. This week we’ve selected just a few of our favorites taken from the several articles showing the treasures of the Schlumpf. [Read more…] about Twenty Shots From the Schlumpf Collection

Spitfire: Symbol of the Defense of a Nation

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Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

It is by chance that I am composing this on Saturday the 5th March 2022, 86 years to the day of the first flight of the Supermarine Spitfire. More importantly it is also incredibly sad that I am writing about the Symbol of a Nation that in 1940 was standing alone and fighting an evil regime whilst at this very moment, Ukraine also fights for its freedom.

The Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire, a place I used to know well, announced late in 2021 that it was opening an exhibition, on the 27th December, titled the “evolution of an icon”, and in Britain, other than our beloved Queen, there is no greater icon than a Spitfire.

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Warbirds at Goodwood

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Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

The pandemic must have made the curation of the 2021 Freddy March Spirit of Aviation Trophy (held as part of the Goodwood Revival Meeting September 17–19, 2021) much harder, but as usual, the mix of aircraft on display was as eclectic as usual, from bi-planes to bombers, trainers to fighters, from wood and canvas to polished alloy fuselages. [Read more…] about Warbirds at Goodwood

Cartier Style et Luxe 2021

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We seem to be riding a wave of wooden bodied skiff classics at VT. Annie Scaldwell’s 1924 Hispano Suiza H6B wears a skiff body by the esteemed Parisian coach builder Ansart & Teisseirie.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

We’ve had a lot of events to cover as the Pandemic subsides, then spikes again. Events are suddenly back on the calendar and one right after another. We covered the Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 8-11) this year but left out the Cartier Style et Luxe Concours, held as part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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Goodwood Members Meeting, 2021

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

It had been postponed twice, but one month after the superb Goodwood Revival meeting it was time to go again to the Goodwood Motor Circuit for the 78th Members Meeting. So how does the Members Meeting compare with the Revival? You could call it ‘Revival Light’; the racing is as great as at the Revival and the entry list is equally first class, but a bit more varied, as entry requirements do not restrict cars to the circuit’s original race period of 1948 to 1966. As the event is only open to members of the Goodwood clubs, crowds are not a problem and the politeness found at the Revival still prevailed. [Read more…] about Goodwood Members Meeting, 2021

Brooklands Italian Car Day

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Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

A huge thank you to our friends at Auto Italia magazine for making the Brooklands Italian Car Day happen, and for the loan of a hi viz tabard (high level photo pass) to allow me to take shots during the lunch time demo sessions on the Mercedes Benz World test track.

As the Editor pointed out last week, there are three or events that attract rare Italian cars; Concorso Italiano in the US, Milano AutoClassica in Italy, the even larger Auto Moto d Epoca in Padua, and the Brooklands Italian Car Day in the UK. I have covered the UK event now for many years, and it is always a joy.

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The Lighter Side of Goodwood

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VeloceToday Office Manager says, “Ah, now don’t that remind me of old times!”

Photos and introduction by Jonathan Sharp

In addition to famous drivers, fantastic races, and an epic entry list, what else did the return of the Goodwood Revival meeting offer?

If you arrived early enough (a sensible idea) you could enjoy the daily air display; three Spitfires flown in a most graceful and balletic manner over the airfield before watching the track parade of Hot Rods and Gassers.

Later you could enjoy the track parade to honor the late Sir Stirling Moss. If BRMs are your thing, on each day you could enjoy the BRM parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the marque’s first appearance in a Grand Prix.

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Silverstone Classic, 2021: Post 1970 Racecars

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1979 Alfa Romeo Alfa Sud Sprint Veloce grp2, driven by Geoff Gordon.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

See Pre 1970 Racecars at Silverstone

Racing a car, particularly an F1 car, in the rain at what seemed to be near full chat, takes a certain sort of mind set, one that was very much in evidence during the wet qualifying day on the Friday, all rooster tails and balls of spray in the single seaters, Flapping wiper blades and steamed up windows in the tin tops, and often sideways in the sports cars. Luckily Saturday morning arrived without rain but hardly any sun either. As I was going to have to leave for home during the lunch break I took myself off to Brooklands corner to watch the first three races, having first taken a very quick trip around the various car club displays. With the skies darkening it was alas time for me to depart and then 10 minutes down the road the heavens opened yet again. Here’s hoping for dry weather for the Goodwood Revival.

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Italian and French Cars at the Goodwood FOS

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This is the Festival of Speed

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp

Definition of stress: trying to assemble and organize this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Cars that could not be sent, cars that were sent but the mechanics to run them could not travel. Many drivers arrived, some drivers could not for obvious reasons. Now put the cars, mechanics, owners and drivers in order. The fact that the Goodwood team were able to put on the event, and that the event was up to its usual high standard, deserves the fullest praise.

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