vintage racing

Oldtimer Grand Prix, 2012

August 22, 2012 By Gerelli

Maserati 250F sculpture got our attention.

Photos and Captions by Alessandro Gerelli

Since we are celebrating our tenth anniversary this year, we thought it might be nice to list all the articles about the Nurburgring Oldtimer event filed by Alessandro Gerelli in the past decade. It’s an interesting walk through the famous paddock and one can get a sense of how much or how little vintage racing, European style, has changed over the years. Above and below, Gerelli’s photos from this year’s Oldtimer Grand Prix. [Read more…] about Oldtimer Grand Prix, 2012

Tony’s Talbots

March 28, 2012 By pete

Peter drives his first Talbot Lago, #110007, ex-Chiron. Courtesy Peter Giddings.

Hindsight is a good remedy for perceived mediocrity. Looking back on the 20-odd year run of the French Lago Talbot, it is easy to see that the cars of Anthony “Tony” Lago (born on this date in Venice in 1893)were not only were winners on the concours circuit, but significant winners on the Grand Prix tracks in the post war era. After five major Grand Prix wins, nine lesser ones and victory at Le Mans in 1950, Cyril Posthumus would write, “Lago, in his retirement years could look back on a remarkable chapter of accomplishment.”

On the day of his birth, we remember the cars of Tony Lago, thanks to VeloceToday reader and longtime vintage racer, Peter Giddings.

From the dramatic concours-winning Figoni et Falaschi coupes of late 1930s to the last-of-the-line Lago America coupes of 1956, Lago Talbots came on the scene with style and flair, making the most of a meager budget and limited facilities. In between the flashy sports cars were the real stars…the series of remarkable 4.5 liter Grand Prix cars that were campaigned primarily by privateers from 1939 to 1952.

Peter Giddings can claim to have been racing Lago Talbots for over thirty years. Although he recently parted with the ex-Etancelin car #110054 (which went to his good friend David Duthu), Giddings has an enormous amount of experience with the GP Lagos. He also owned and raced the ex Chiron/Whiteford French/Australian Grand Prix winning Lago Talbot #110007 for ten years. Like no one else, Giddings is the guy in the know.

The ex-Ron Smith Talbot-Darracq 150 which inspired Peter Giddings. Photo courtesy of David Venables.

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A Car Life, by Larry Crane

May 27, 2009 By Gerelli

Rounding Creg-ny-Baa en route to famous Kate’s Cottage (in reverse direction from the TT) with the roar of 16 tiny Bugatti cylinders. During the Manx TT super bikes round the Cottage corner with knee-down and descend this hill at 160 mph+.

Italophiles in the Emerald Isles

This is the Cranes we’re talking about here. When we did a tour if England and Tracy’s ancestral home on the Isle of Man, we borrowed an Alfa Romeo 164 for the trip. We started with a run up to Liverpool and took the Steam Packet (four-hour, deep water ferry) to the Island.
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