Archives for February 2013
French Cars at Retro by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Photos and Captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
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Graham Gauld at Retro
Story and photos by Graham Gauld
It’s the first week of February, and to many that means Retromobile in Paris. This large motoring extravaganza is the meeting place of those who are in the know and looking for customers for their cars, as well as those who are there to drink in a truly diverse collection of cars, memorabilia and artifacts that never fail to produce some surprising items.
I tend to overlook the big historic car dealer stands with the major items that are generally covered in depth by most of the historic rags. I tend to look in the corners and on some of the smaller stands where you can find some really interesting stuff.
I have known the Stanguellini family for over fifty years, but this was the first occasion I have seen one of the 1100cc Fiat-engined berlinettas produced in the early 1950s. They were built as a short run of cars aimed at racing, with beautifully styled coachwork by Nuccio Bertone. As you can see from the photo it was very stylish for 1951 and at the Coppa Inter Europa that year, four of them took part, Manzini’s car finishing 8th in the 1100cc class. The one on show was on the Belgian Marreyt Classics stand with a price tag a shade over $180,000.
Italian Cars at Retro by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Photos and captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
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A Citroën Right Hook
By Wallace Wyss
Picture the scene: it’s pitch dark, you’re down by the Seine on a foggy night. A guy in a trenchcoat lights a cigarette, and in the flare of the flame you see a woman in a full length black coat and red beret aiming a pistol at him…
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On a personal note….
Our Features This Week, February 7, 2013
Denise McCluggage: Racing the Alfa at the Nurburgring P3
Drawing by Duane Unkefer
By Denise McCluggage
“I Go Pro” was written for and published by “Sports Cars Illustrated”, February, 1959 and is reprinted here with the permission of the author and artist.
THE FACTORY TEAMS had arrived for the Grand Prix of Germany. (A small championship race that was to follow mine.) A friend who happened to drive for Ferrari (yes, Phil Hill) offered to drive me in my car around the Ring, imparting wisdom enroute. It was a fast lap and a valuable one. But costly, too. Apparently in the thrashing about of the wheel, my benefactor’s hand had brushed the key case which was enough to jar the key which was enough for the bum switch to engage the starter motor and-well, like we were already going. And going very fast. Not until we stopped after a complete tour did we hear the hopeless grinding of the starter motor chewing itself into oblivion. Naturally, it was burned out (oh, the smell of it) and furthermore the starter ring gear was as toothless as an old hag.
The Exner Renwal Revival Cars of 1964
Catalog courtesy Peter Larsen.
By Brandes Elitch
Photos courtesy of http://www.madle.org/
If you were a teenager in the 1960’s, as I was, you will remember that Renwal made a series of plastic 1/25 scale model car kits of the Revival Cars. Renwal Products was located in Mineola, NY. I have the ’66 Packard model. The box art says, “Modern Version of a Great Classic Car-Advance Showing.” There was even a slot car version, at least according to the assembly instructions. This is the story behind the Exner Revival cars.
In December of 1963 Esquire magazine published an article under the heading “Flights of Fancy.” It was titled “Introducing the 1964 Duesenberg, Packard, Stutz, and Mercer!” and written by Diana Bartley. It describes how the concept of the Exner Revival Classics, in particular the Mercer, Bugatti and Duesenberg designed by Exner with bodies constructed by Ghia and Sibona & Basano was brought to Exner.
Bartley sets the stage:
“Granted that American car design now ranges from acceptable to handsome, still, one of the ways our cars aren’t better than they used to be is that they all tend to look alike…anyone familiar with the individuality of so many of the great American cars of the past does notice – and cares.”
Bartley, who was a well-known automotive writer in the fifties and sixties, was one who cared. More than that, she had a notion and the opportunity to do something about it. She contacted Virgil Exner, recently retired VP of Styling at Chrysler. Exner and his son had a design consultancy business. Bartley broached the idea to them of creating sketches of a “modern parallel” to the great American cars which had what she called “immense marque identity,” but which no longer existed.
Choosing to work with the Exners was a stroke of genius for Bartley. As she relates, “…the Exners still believe that luxury-car buyers would welcome a return to the wide choice of luxury-car makes and models that was available almost until WWII.”
Exner Sr. commented, “We believe not only that greater stress should be put on the development and continuous refinement of a distinctive character for each marque, but also that the market for luxury cars can be greatly stimulated by some real effort to recapture some of the elegance and originality which make many of the old cars so interesting and exciting to us yet today.”
Bartley further comments, “You might think that the Exners are the theorizers…But they are more than that. They’re the doers.” Responding to her guidance, they actually produced four modern versions of the cars in the title for 1964. In creating the cars, Exner assumed that “… each manufacturer had pursued a policy of refinement and modernization of the cars’ identifying characteristics, and that each had decided to resume business after a thirty year lapse. What we are trying to do is to capture the spirit of the older car design and body type in a modern package.”
In the article, the Exners provided pencil sketches of the original cars and their modern version. There were four pencil sketches of each car, two of the front and two of the rear three-quarter views, along with their informative commentary. Above this was a 7-8 inch color rendering of the side view of each car.
Bugatti T101
A Brit in the Court of Cavallino Part 1
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.
A Brit in the Court of Cavallino Part 2
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!
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Palm Beach International Raceway Photo Gallery
While Brit Jonathan Sharp covered the event from the beaches of the Breakers, from Milan came our correspondent Alessandro Gerelli to capture some of the action at the adjacent races at Palm Beach International Raceway. Just as at the Cavallino Classic, this year’s event at Palm Beach International Raceway was a spectacle of cars but not owners. We have not associated the cars with their owners per their request for a bit of privacy. Ed.
Photo story by Alessandro Gerelli
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