Archives for October 2015
Peter Brock: Building the Daytona Coupes in Modena
By Peter Brock
As soon as the first Daytona Cobra Coupe, CSX 2287, was completed and tested successfully at Riverside Raceway on February 1st 1964, Carroll Shelby decided to build five more. He felt he had a score to settle with Enzo Ferrari and finally had the weapon to do it. The Daytona’s radical design had been so controversial within the Shelby organization that most of those employed there figured Shelby’s plan to race in Europe against Ferrari would evaporate as soon as the first Coupe was tested and found to be a failure. That resistant attitude changed dramatically as soon as test driver Ken Miles called from Riverside trackside to inform Shelby that he’d shattered the track’s lap record by 3.5 seconds!
[Read more…] about Peter Brock: Building the Daytona Coupes in ModenaChassis History of the Six Daytona Coupes by Pete Brock
By Peter Brock
Brock updates the history of the Daytona Cobra Coupes for VeloceToday
Carroll Shelby built only six Daytona Cobra Coupes to contest the World Manufacturers Championship in 1964 and 1965. Its controversial body design was created by Shelby’s Director of Special Projects, Peter Brock. The first Shelby Daytona Coupe was built completely at the Shelby American race shop in Venice, California. The remaining five were partially-built (chassis) at Shelby’s but then were flown to Italy to have Carrozzeria Gransport in Modena build the bodies. A seventh semi-related car, the 427 “Type 65” Shelby Daytona Super Coupe # CSB3054, built on the later Ford designed MK II chassis, was planned to run in the Prototype Class in 1965. When the GT40 program was awarded to Shelby for 1965, the Cobra program was terminated, so the Type 65 was never officially completed by Shelby and is not included herein.
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Chassis #CSX2287 was the prototype Cobra Daytona Coupe. It is the only coupe (chassis/body) that was built entirely at the Shelby American race shop in Venice, California. It has an extensive race history (7 races), competing at Daytona, Sebring, Reims, Spa Francorchamps, Oulton Park TT, Le Mans and Tour de France. It was driven by Chris Amon, Dave MacDonald, Bob Holbert, Jo Schlesser, Phil Hill, Jochen Neerpasch, Innes Ireland, André Simon, Maurice Dupeyron, Bob Johnson and Tom Payne. [Read more…] about Chassis History of the Six Daytona Coupes by Pete Brock
Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, South Australia, 6 October
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
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The first competitive hillclimb in South Australia, held in 1904 on the Norton Summit Road, was won by Ernest Rymill in his 15hp Darracq. The following year he made it two in a row. Sadly, Rymill’s Darracq wasn’t in the Barossa Valley this year for the Sporting Car Club of SA’s Vintage Collingrove, although the French were admirably represented by local stalwart Richard Creasy’s slightly younger Amilcar G.
Richard purchased the car in 1986 as the remains of a Morris powered special built in the 1960’s in Melbourne. It has been rebuilt with Amilcar components. The engine is a 1925 pressure fed 1985cc side valve and drives through its original 4 speed transmission. [Read more…] about Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb, South Australia, 6 October
VeloceToday for October 20, 2015
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Due to rising costs of maintaining a secure website as well as the normal costs of doing business, VeloceToday needs to charge a small amount for our exclusive content…stories and articles that do not appear anywhere else and are written for VeloceToday only.(However, we will continue to offer a selection of free articles each week.)
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Pete Vack, Editor and Publisher
Zagato’s Fab Four
Story and photos by Al Morrison
Alfa Romeo GTZ 1
I first laid eyes on a new Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ 1 at the 1965 London International Motor Show when I was working in England as a very young architect. Right then I knew I wanted to own one someday.
Five years later in 1970, after seeing an ad in Competition Press, I decided this was my chance. A few phone calls to the seller and a couple of Polaroid pictures later, a friend and I flew from Atlanta, Georgia to El Paso, Texas armed with a box of tools and a full-purchase-price check in hand. Who but a young Alfa nut would forsake normal automotive due diligence before making such a risky purchase?
[Read more…] about Zagato’s Fab FourA Very Good Year
Although the 254 articles published in the year 2013 was par for the course for VeloceToday, it was in many respects a very special year for us. For within our electronic pages one could find Denise McCluggage, Michael T. Lynch, Gijsbert-Paul Berk, Ed McDonough, Graham Gauld, Carl Goodwin, Roy P. Smith, Eric Davison, Judy Stropus, along with regulars Wallace Wyss, Hugues Vanhoolandt, Jonathan Sharp, Roberto Motta and Alessandro Gerelli. And you bet we’ve missed some! Below are icons (buttons) for all 254 articles during the year. Click on the icon to read the article. They are arranged by month beginning in December, so keep scrolling to January. It will take you a few minutes to scroll all the way through!
December
Zoute Grand Prix, 2015
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
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The Zoute, situated along the North Sea, not far from Bruges and a few kilometers away from the Dutch border, is one of the most popular resorts of the Belgian Coast and one of the more affluent of Northern Europe.
Since 2010, the Zoute welcomes all the classic cars enthusiasts and supercars lovers of the country to a three day event. [Read more…] about Zoute Grand Prix, 2015
Automedon in Paris, 2015
Story and photos by Alessandro Gerelli
Automedon is a two day event held every year in the exhibition center of the Bourget Airport near Paris. This year to celebrate its 15th edition, the main theme of the event was Simca and the Club Simca France presented many Simcas of the 40s and 50s.
But as usual, in the parking lot outside, many production cars, including Italians, Germans and Americans, attracted the attention of the enthusiastic visitors, and for us, perhaps even more fun than the show itself!
Nice cars, nice weather, lot of people…thoroughly enjoyable!
[Read more…] about Automedon in Paris, 2015VeloceToday for October 13, 2015
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Comment Date: 2015/10/11 at 5:26 pm
Norbert McNamara and Friends
I was thinking about one of Norb’s Abarths when I stumbled upon this page of wonderful remembrances. Norbert would have chuckled that my comment follows that of Mr. Jonathon Till. Norbert and Sabra were both clients and close friends. I owned Showpiece Detailing and Restoration until the mid 1990’s. I believe I worked on all of Norb’s cars including preparing and presenting both the Monterverdi and the ATS for Pebble Beach, alongside Mr. Till, Jeremy Goodspeed, and Ward Rose. I think in one of the late years we took Norb’s TVR to Pebble Beach; but I’m not sure the paint was dry nor all the bolts that held the body to the chassis were tight.
Read the story and the comment from Steve Nelson.
Ferrari and McCluggage Honored at Santa Fe
By Michael T. Lynch
The sixth edition of the Santa Fe Concorso took place over three days under beautiful Southwestern skies. Despite the good weather, wonderful cars and great fellowship, the event was poignant because of the loss last May of journalist/racer/philosopher Denise McCluggage who was a Santa Fe resident and involved with the Concorso from the beginning. That feeling was tempered because all of us knew a life well lived when we saw one, and you couldn’t go far without feeling Denise’s presence. [Read more…] about Ferrari and McCluggage Honored at Santa Fe
Thoughts on Ford and Chev Engines in Ferraris
By Brandes Elitch
Bowtie Ferraris:
Chevy-engined Ferraris from the 1950s and 60sIn the February 10, 2015 edition of VeloceToday, author Michael Lynch reviews the book called “Bowtie Ferraris, Chevy-engined Ferraris from the 1950’s and 60’s,” written by Randy Cook. Mr. Lynch is very knowledgeable about Ferrari; I am not. During the Monterey Rolex Reunion in August, I met Randy at the Quail Motorsports Gathering show, “The Legend of the Automobile.” I was intrigued why a 250 GT coupe would have American Racing mags, and when I looked inside and saw the shifter, I knew that there was an American V8 under the hood. [Read more…] about Thoughts on Ford and Chev Engines in Ferraris