Story and photos by Paul Wilson
Photos courtesy the author
My Alfa 6C roadster still awaits its engine, but I found a few more jobs I could do on what’s here. The biggest one was the top.
The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
By pete
By pete
Interview by Pete Vack
From the Archives, February 2019
Most of us are avid readers, particularly of good, solid historical books which feature our favorite cars; the more detailed the better, with decent contemporary photos, chassis numbers, hardcore information that you can count on, preferably on nice stock and hardbound.
But few readers realize what goes into the making of such a book, and how difficult it is to find publishers. We decided to ask Maserati expert Willem Oosthoek how he did it and what kind of problems he encountered in writing his last three major works; in 2004, Birdcage to Supercage, in 2009, The Magnificent Front Engined Birdcages, and the three volume set, Sports Car Racing in the South,Texas to Florida, 1957-1962.
By pete
Story and photos by Allen R. Kuhn
In my duology of Aston Martin at venues other than Palm Springs, my viewfinder did not locate too many of them on my sojourns around Southern California back in the ‘50s and ‘60s. I saw my first Aston Martin in 1956 and only a few more in 1957 and 1958. Since 99.9% of my shots will be of the DB3S model I’ll just call them Astons. This chapter will concentrate on the myriad of other racecourses located in our beautiful Southern California. True, most of our courses, eight out of the thirteen I attended, were on runways or large parking lots. That’s what you can expect from mostly desert locations.
My first sighting, shooting with my folks’ Kodak Pony 135 camera loaded with Kodachrome, was of Bob Drake, the winner of the main event at Pomona on October 21, 1956. It wouldn’t be until some time in 1957 that I would graduate to my beloved Canon IVS2 35mm camera.
By pete
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALLEN R. KUHN
On our trip down memory lane this week we will be gazing upon some of the beautiful Aston Martin “Chariots of Power” that I was able to capture through my viewfinder. All of those in this part were taken at Palm Springs between 1956 to 1958. I did not even discover one of them until a year ago. It was a photo taken at Pomona in early 1956 and was the first DB3S I ever shot. It was the winner of the main with Bob Drake driving. It will be featured in my Aston Martin Part 2 story.
By pete
Photos by Charley Seavey
There is always something about Charley Seavey’s photos that sparks one’s interest, opens the eyes, surprises, delights, fascinates. He sees and photographs things that most, or at least, I, would not notice or simply ignore, like the baggie disc brake or the door at the ACD Museum. Even a simple shot of a well-known make or model like the Alfa SS and Arnolt Bristol catches the light in a more dramatic way that we normally see it. His comments too, originate from a different point of view, often with less knowledge than one might assume but with charm it adds rather than detracts from the composition. And he often does so with a humor we can all recognize. So we make no apologies when we present the work of Charley Seavey. Enjoy.
By pete
Story by Willem Oosthoek
With John Mecom winding down his racing program, Frank Lance left the Mecom team at the end of 1966, but he had fond memories of his time there.
Frank: “In 1966 Mecom flew in some of his company people, as well as my wife Carolyn, to see the Indianapolis 500. His company airplane was a four-engine Lockheed Electra. They flew up just for the day, and flew back to Houston that night, after celebrating Graham Hill’s win in the Mecom Lola. I got to see Carolyn for a few minutes before the race and for a couple of hours afterward. I had been away from her for the whole month. Carolyn had a seat in the stands behind the pits, with all of the drivers’ wives. I thought it was very thoughtful of Mecom to include her on that trip to Indy. By 1967 the theaters would show the race in closed circuit. My mother came up to Houston to help Carolyn with the kids, and they all went to see the race there in Houston. This was the first time my mother ever got to see what it was that I was doing for a living. [Read more…] about Frank Lance: Lonestar Mechanic Part 9
By pete
Behold the art of Jim Sitz, an 18-year-old Californian who was already steeped in racing knowledge and an expert photographer when arrived in Europe in the summer of that magical, epochal, dangerous year of 1957. Sitz was not wealthy, but worked and saved for two years in order to afford the trip that would change his life forever. And after 67 years his photographs and memories are still enriching our lives.
We have assembled a portrait gallery of fourteen of the greatest race drivers of the era, adding Jim’s personal recollections including his first-hand report of Fangio’s German Grand Prix. Also herein are Jean Behra, Mike Hawthorn, Luigi Musso, Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Oliver Gendebien, Ron Flockhart, Archie Scott Brown, Masten Gregory, Wolfgang von Trips, Phil Hill, Harry Schell and Ken Miles.
Story and photos by Jim Sitz
Lead Photo: Masten Gregory (29 February 1932 – 8 November 1985) sitting in the Testa Rossa prototype before the 1957 Swedish 6 Hour on August 11 where the car was retired with gearbox failure. A week earlier at the Nurburgring I joked with him, saying he’d should be very careful and that I’d seen him spin his C type Jag at March Field in 1953. “Oh God, you mean you were there?” he replied. [Read more…] about Jim Sitz: Faces ’57
By pete
Story by Willem Oosthoek
After a year with Shelby American, the lack of insight in the future with the Ford program after the Le Mans disaster made Frank Lance return to his previous employer, John Mecom in Houston. Little did he know what a success story the Fords would become at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967. He rejoined the Mecom Racing Team in July 1965.
Frank: “When I got back to Mecom’s I never saw the Hussein. I didn’t know where it was. It was not in the shop. The Lola Mk 6 Coupe wasn’t there either. John didn’t keep his old race cars for long. All that was present at the time were two Lolas T70.”
By pete
By Willem Oosthoek All photos by Henri Beroul [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.
After the GT40 successes at Daytona and Sebring in early 1965, it was time to concentrate on the June Le Mans 24 Hours, for which a test weekend was scheduled in April.
By pete
Clyde Berryman, age 69, passed away of a heart attack on December 31st, 2023, surrounded by his loving wife Gulay and his daughter Ajda. Clyde was a man of many talents; an artist, author, anaylist, opera lover, art gallery mamager, and much more. The below article about his Grand Prix dioramas was published in April, 2019, followed by links to a few of his articles that appeared in VeloceToday. We will miss him greatly.
By Pete Vack
Photos by Clyde Berryman
Clyde Berryman began collecting die-cast model racing cars as a young boy in the early 1960s in Tripoli, Libya, where his father was working for a major oil company. His passion for motor racing dates back to this era, and hearing stories from longtime Italian residents of Libya talk about the glory days of the pre-WW II Tripoli Grand Prix held at the Mellaha circuit. [Read more…] about Clyde Berryman (1954-2023)
By pete
Story by Paul Wilson
From the Archives, April, 2023
I’ve decided to build an Alfa BAT. Yes, I know it’s a crazy idea. The Men in White Coats, always worried about my sanity, will come for me if they find out. I hope they don’t read VeloceToday.
We’re all familiar with BAT 5, BAT 7, and BAT 9, experimental cars built on Alfa 1900 chassis in the ‘50s. Of course they were presented as studies in aerodynamics; the air flow theme dominates the designs. But this was just an excuse for making the wildest, most extravagant sculpture ever put on four wheels. It’s their function as expressive forms, not their drag reduction features, that gives them their status today.
Everybody agrees that they’re exciting, original, and eye-catching. But are they beautiful?
By pete
By the Editor
One of the many joys that VT brings to its editor is experienced when a long-lost acquaintance sends an email, which is nice enough, but often it is accompanied by a photo or story idea. Some of these singular but digital reunions harken from long ago. For example, Jim Cohn and I were only 19 when we organized rallies for the local sports car club back in 1966. Because of VeloceToday, Jim emailed me from Hawaii in 2006, 40 years later, with rare OSCA photos. We are still in touch. Last year, Jackie Jouret, my old editor at Forza made contact with me after 20 years, which resulted in the Merritt Interview story we ran earlier this year.
Recently, we received an email (and a story idea) from one Greg Glassner. Now that was a name I recalled but couldn’t quite nail it. He wrote, “You may remember me from my days in Norfolk. I was editor of the newsletter for the short-lived Tidewater Drivers Club and I believe you contributed several stories before going on to bigger and better things. We shared an interest in Italian cars. I am retired after 40-some years in newspapers.” [Read more…] about Meet the Author