The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Story and photos by Sean Smith
From the Archives, December 2018
Well before Nick Soprano climbed behind the wheels of some of the world’s greatest sports cars, he was drawing his version of the perfect high performance machine. Every young car lover does this, but Nick never grew out of it.
How to keep an OSCA MT1500 TN on the road…
Story and photos by Sean Smith
From the VeloceToday Archives, November 2019
Steven Dibdin had been working flat out for a startup company in Brooklyn and was rather burned out; he wasn’t sure if he wanted to work for someone else, and anyway he had an idea for a new company. He went over to White Plains, NY, and asked Santo Spadaro of Dominick’s European car repair https://dominick-european-car-repair.business.site/ if he thought the idea was viable. Santo thought for a minute and came back with “Do you think you can make one of these?” It was a twin spark rotor arm for an OSCA. The honest reply was “I think so.” And behold, a 3D printed OSCA distributor rotor became the first project for Steven’s new company,
Poster Boy: A shot taken of Whit Smith and his father in 1996 and used for this poster the following year.
Story by Sean Smith
From the VeloceToday Archives
After 18 years gone missing, Whit Smith finds his father’s Alfa racecar
It’s all Whit Smith’s mother’s fault. She and Whit’s dad met in Galion, Ohio. Pat was a local, Mason a New York city guy stuck in Ohio for work and a bit bored. The future Mrs. Smith spun tales of a race track just down the road at Mid-Ohio; they went to check it out.
Story by Sean Smith
All photos copyright Sean Smith unless otherwise noted
From the VeloceToday Archives October 2017
Bradley Price became aware of automobiles at eye level. His father was an enthusiast, and when Bradley was young his dad had an Austin Healey 100-6. That went away and was replaced by an XK140 Jaguar that his father still owns. Being a young boy, these machines were looming entities. Bradley would examine them closely, looking at all the details. A piece of chrome, a tail-light, a shiny set of spokes. Cars resonated with him. He responded to their call where his older brother did not. Bradley was hooked.
In 1935 George Rand installed a Ford Model B engine into this Bugatti T37. 82 years later it is still there. Sean Smith photo.
From the VeloceToday Archives, July, 2017
Story by Sean Smith
Color images taken at Lime Rock by Sean Smith
Historic photos courtesy Sandy Leith
If anyone was born to the VSCCA it is the current President, Sandy Leith—his father Bill Leith was a founding member. At a very young age Sandy was in the paddock watching his father race his Type 35B Bugatti against others in the fledgling club. Formed in 1958, the Vintage Sports Car Club of America was seen as a kinder, gentler version of the growing Sports Car Club of America. It was a place where their pre-war cars could shine. Then as now it was a place for racing, rallying and good old fashion socializing, but the prime focus was racing. “Isn’t this what all parents do on the weekend… zoom around in old race cars?” Sandy thought so! Classic cars, especially Bugattis, were ingrained in Sandy’s soul. At 17, there would be no snarling muscle car or modern sports car for him.
Story and photos by Sean Smith
This time Sean Smith didn’t wait to see Brandes Elitch’s top ten prewar sports car list before he eagerly jumped into the fray with his idea of the greatest prewar sports cars. Will it ever end? Well, guess what. It ain’t over yet!
Story and photos by Sean Smith
From our Archives, 2018
On June 4th, 2017, Walter and the SIATA won the “Vintage Rallies” award at the 2017 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. But the car still was not running right—so off it went to Automotive Restorations in Stratford Connecticut.
They were chasing what they thought were some electrical gremlins. They got the SIATA running better, and technician Chip Webb took the car out for a road test.
On June 8th at 1:30 in the afternoon, Chip was waiting for a light at the corner of Stratford and Surf Avenues with his signal on, when a woman in a Toyota Camry came along doing something she shouldn’t have been doing… one hand on the wheel and the other on her ubiquitous cell phone… driving distracted.
BANG!
Story by Sean Smith
From our Archives, 2017
In Part 1, Sean Smith relates the fascinating life of a Siata that has been in the same family for almost 60 years, a story that begins back in 1952 with a most unlikely car….Ed.
Dr. Julius Eisenstark had an eye for unique cars. In 1952 when everybody else was buying Fords and Chevys, he bought a Hudson.
Not just any Hudson, but a Teaguemobile.
Epic Alfa Battle. Photo by Michael Dipleco.
Story by Sean Smith
Photos by Sean Smith unless otherwise noted
Anniversaries are meant to be celebrated. Alfa Romeo was having a big one – 110 years old. There were many celebrations planned, but 2020 gave us a nasty slap in the face with COVID 19, and the carefree world of vintage racing got put on everyone’s back burner with events being canceled across the country. No racing, no camaraderie, no fun. We all had more serious things to think about. We got locked in, locked down, and locked out. Summer passed by with very few high points.
Santo Spadaro, 1965 Lancia Fulvia GT 2C
Story and photos by Sean Smith
On September 3 through 7th, 2020, Lime Rock Park held their 38th edition of the Historic Festival. There were five days of beautiful Connecticut weather at a beautiful track, but no spectators to witness the racing, and a very small crowd allowed in for the Sunday in the Park Concours and gathering of the Marques.
Sean Smith, 1 1/2 years old, with his father’s Porsche 356.
Story and photos by J. Frederick Smith and Sean Smith
The Editor and I were going over ideas for stories to do; at the moment it’s not all that easy, with this COVID craziness going on. Pete floated the idea of digging into my archives and talk about a favorite car or event.
That gave me the idea of doing my automotive ancestry and what brought me to this point in my life.
I will start out with a disclaimer: there are no French or Italian cars in my past. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any in my future. So accept my apologies from the beginning and grant me your patience while I climb through the branches of my vehicular tree.
