Archives for June 2015
Coda Tronca: Fact and Fiction
Story by Pete Vack
The world of the Internet will likely soon be filled with stories of a particular Alfa Romeo that served as the prototype for a new Alfa Zagato GT, one with a long tail, suddenly clipped off and called the “Coda Tronca”. And so we add to the hoopla, for of course the prototype Coda Tronca as found by the long time and truly enthusiastic Italian collector Corrado Lopresto and introduced at the Wilton Concours last weekend, (see related story) is an important find and a truly significant Alfa Romeo and Zagato. In Part 1 we’ll look at the use of the Kamm effect and why the Alfa SZ Coda Tronca was different.
Winter, 1960
As Ercole Spada would later recall, these were exciting times. In February 1960, The 22 year old ex-soldier, lacking any kind of formal training, had applied for a job at Zagato upon completion of his military service. He brought with him no portfolio, no sketches. But he loved to draw cars. “While my friends were stealing a peak into Playboy, I had my nose deeply into car magazines,” Spada recalled. Elio Zagato asked him if he had a driver’s licenses and could draw on a one to one scale. Spada said yes and Zagato hired him on the spot. Before Spada came onboard, Zagato didn’t have a chief designer. Cars just more or less happened. Life was simpler then.
His first assignment was to design a body for Tony Crook’s Bristol 406S, which although high and narrow, was a great improvement over the earlier Zagato effort on the 406. Hot on the heels of the Bristol came the Aston Martin Zagato, and suddenly, with less than a year under his belt, Spada was if not famous, definitely had proven his worth. It was a story out of the dreams of thousands of boys, and Spada was living it.Wilton Concours 2015; Bugattis and More
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Another weekend and yet again the grass has not been cut! Events keep getting in the way.
Not such a long journey this weekend, (June 6-7) just a two-hour jaunt to Wilton House near Salisbury in Wiltshire, the home of the Earls of Pembroke since 1540. The reason for the visit was not to view the recently restored, Inigo Jones designed South Front of the house, or indeed the glorious state rooms; no it was to attend Lord Pembroke’s Classic and Super car weekend.
This is an event that I have never attended before and judging by what I saw laid out on his Lordship’s lawns I can safely say it will not be my last visit. In front of the house, two rows of prize Bugatti’s with three Veyrons (to Celebrate its 10th anniversary) lined up between them. To the left of the house an enviable line up of classics whether you classic of choice be a Ferrari or a VW Camper. The right of the house, a further selection of Classics from a Mini to a Muira.
Book Review: Spada, The Long Story about a Short Tail
Review by Pete Vack
All images courtesy of the publisher except as noted
Order from: www.waft.be
300 pages, 30 x 30 cm, 90 Euros
Ercole Spada: If the name does not ring a bell, it should and it is high time Zagato’s most important designer be given credit, in this case a long-overdue book. Appropriately entitled Spada: The long story of a short tail by Belgian Bart Lenaerts and his team at WAFT Publishing, it is stylishly produced with the cooperation of Ercole Spada himself, along with his son Paolo. Even more stylistic is a limited edition version of 150 books with an aluminum casing, signed by Ercole Spada, priced at 350 Euros. Both versions are in English only. [Read more…] about Book Review: Spada, The Long Story about a Short Tail
VeloceToday for June 2, 2015
Prescott Bugattis and Benjafield Bentleys
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Well it’s Sunday night and another weekend gone without the grass being cut, or the cars washed, as I just got back from the Bugatti Owners Club Vie en Bleu event at Prescott after a day at Goodwood to enjoy a Benjafields Racing Club meet. All for the glory of VeloceToday, of course!
From my front door it’s about 3 hours to Prescott. The first 2 plus hours are spent on the most boring of motorways but the last hour is spent driving through beautiful Cotswold countryside. It’s all honey-colored stone cottages and rolling green farm land. If it was not for the speed cameras and the modern car you could still believe it was 1930. The 1930s feeling continues when you arrive at Prescott. It’s not just the cars in the racing paddock, it’s the sound of a steam train whistle blowing in the distance. There will be a hush in the paddock when all the cars haven fallen silent when in the distance you will hear the distinct sound of a steam whistle and above the trees will appear the white smoke of an old Great Western Railway steam locomotive as it pulls out from the station at the bottom of the hill, filling several carriages loaded with happy steam train buffs, all ready to chuff their way through the rolling countryside. There was a time in England where every school boy grew up wanting to be steam engine drivers.
As is usual with Vie en Bleu event the paddocks and hillsides around the course contained many an interesting French cars and what is nice is that a lot of them I had not seen before. Unfortunately it poured with rain mid-morning but that did not stop play as you will see from the enclosed photographs. And this year, we managed our way into the Bugatti Trust Museum. All in all another great day.
Gerelli at the RM Auction, Villa Erba
Story and photos by Alessandro Gerelli
During the weekend of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, an important auction was held by RM Sotheby’s in the nearby Villa Erba. Only 40 lots were in the catalog with a couple of Riva boats and 17 Ferraris.
Top Ferrari models were a 1961 California SWB (with an estimate of more than 10 M euros) and a 1960 Berlinetta 250 SWB, unfortunately both unsold. Top price was reached for the Ferrari 212 Export by Touring of 1952 at 6.7 M euros.
All the prices are in euros and include the buyer’s premium.
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2015
Story and Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
The park of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este at the Lago di Como was again the backdrop of the most prestigious European Concours d’Elegance. Due to the lack of space at Villa d’Este , only 58 cars were on show, including some of the latest concept cars.
But each of these cars is of high profile and few other Concours can equal the level of excellence of this one.
While the access to Villa d’Este on Saturday is private, the general public can enjoy the show at the more spacious Villa Erba, on Sunday.