The Birth of Road America, 1955
Glen Glendenning captured the first cars on the new track, probably in June of 1955.
Robert Birmingham tells us about Road America’s first event
With photos by Glen Glendenning unless otherwise noted
During the late 1800s, and decades beyond, was a small, calm pastoral village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin serving the farming community. Times were good, America was entering an industrial period and the village became a popular vacation destination. Available via the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) the village served many wealthy Chicago and Milwaukee families who sought to enjoy what was offered.
Quality resorts served visitors, the Schwartz Hotel, Siebkins, Pine Point, Sharps and Osthoffs, each overlooking a deep, blue lake where stately trees lined the shore. Business ebbed during World War I, picked up after but during the mid-thirties Great Depression returned to hard times. World War II continued the demise until signs of recovery in the late forties. To put it bluntly the town was not growing, business continued to laze and then something changed. The town was Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. [Read more…] about The Birth of Road America, 1955
1939 Tripoli Grand Prix: The Race
Lang makes a rocketing start and leads Caracciola and Farina whilst Villoresi’s streamliner falters. (Mercedes-Benz Classic)
Story by Robert Young
Photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz Classic
The race
The 30-lap race started in searing temperatures and one wonders how Luigi Villoresi was coping in the cramped confines of the streamliner’s cockpit. The track temperature was reported to be some 50 degrees and it was up to 40 degrees in the shade.
The race was to be started by ‘lights’ and by Marshall Balbo waving a flag, and this caused some confusion as the lights flashed before Balbo dropped the flag, and Lang, watching the lights, streaked away. For the Officine A. Maserati it was a disaster – Trossi’s car broke a piston and failed to complete a lap, the streamliner had a gearbox fault and Cortese retired on lap 4. [Read more…] about 1939 Tripoli Grand Prix: The Race
AutoWord Brussel’s Lancia Exhibition
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
The Autoworld Brussels museum is currently presenting an exhibition retracing the epic story of the Lancia brand through a dozen vehicles entitled “Lancia 120 Years – Innovation through Italian Design”.
From the very first models, Lancia cars distinguished themselves by their lightness, functionality and originality of design.
These are the characteristics illustrated by the models displayed here. [Read more…] about AutoWord Brussel’s Lancia Exhibition
Ferrari 750 Monza: Beauty Saved
By Peter Darnall
From the Archives, February 2021
Déjà vu: a feeling that one has seen or heard something before . . .
I came across an old friend at Thunderhill recently. I had not seen her in more than fifty years—and she had not changed a bit. She was drawing quite a bit of attention in the paddock, which was just the way I remembered our last meeting in the Del Monte Forest in the spring of 1956. [Read more…] about Ferrari 750 Monza: Beauty Saved
Repco Adelaide Motorsport Festival, 2026
Esperienza Giro Lamborghini, display paddock
Story and photos by Vince Johnson
The heavens chose to wait until the last day of summer to finally bring South Australia some much-needed rain this year. In the state capital on the Victoria Park circuit, crews had obviously done their homework and on Saturday morning, in the paddock and pits, slicks were nowhere to be seen. With fifteen categories, ranging from Formula 1 to Historic Sports and Racing, including Motorbikes, the track was live from 8:30 to 5:30 each day.
Never Out of Date: Cartier’s Concours from 2025
Winner of best in show, Mr Sascha Baggli’s 1951 Bentley Mark VI Cresta II by Facel Metallon. This unique vehicle was commissioned by Jean Daninos as a gift for his wife.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
In the lull between Retromobile and the proper start of the 2026 season I thought you might indulge me by allowing me to show you an event that we did not have a chance to publish in 2025 – the Cartier Style et Luxe concours which is an integral part of the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed.
You can always rely on the Cartier team to come up with a great selection of classes and last year was no exception.
Baby Bugatti by Marshall Buck
British Speed King Donald Campbell practices his craft in his Baby Bugatti. Campbell would set many speed records both on land and water but died in a speed boat record attempt in 1967. His father Malcolm, also a Land Speed Record holder, assists. Photo courtesy the Bugatti Trust.
From the VeloceToday Archives, March, 2011
By Marshall Buck
I can’t believe that the answer has been in front of me all these years. The answer to what you ask? The answer to the question I often ask myself: How am I ever going to afford a genuine vintage Bugatti? Simple answer…buy a ‘Baby’ Bugatti; a child’s car to be precise. I’m not talking about one of those cheapy Toys R Us plastic jobs. No sir, the one I have in mind is very special….one of the authentic half scale renditions of a Type 35.
A Brief History of Disappearing Hardtops
The French make Peugeot pioneered the retractable hardtop in the early 1930 ties by selling Éclipse bodies, made by coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout, on their 301 and 601 chassis. The concept of the Peugeot 402 Éclipse was also based on Georges Paulin’s patent. But this model, introduced in October 1935, was built in Peugeot’s own factory. Between 1936 and 1940 some 580 units were produced.
From the VeloceToday archives, March, 2015
Three important Frenchman who had a tremendous influence on automobile design: Georges Paulin, Marcel Pourtout and Emile Darl’mat, the three Musketeers. Much of their combined work evolved around the development of the disappearing hardtop as conceived by Georges Paulin. To give us a further insight into how clever kinematics conquered the auto industry, Gijsbert-Paul sent us this history.
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk
In the previous decades nearly all the major car manufacturers have introduced retractable hardtops in their popular or premium convertible models.
Opel had them on the Tigra TwinTop, Ford on their Fiesta and Focus models, Renault provided a glass paneled ‘see through’ hard top on the Megane CC, Volvo on the C 70 and BMW on the type 4 cabriolet. There even exist Ferrari California and Ferrari 458 Italia Spider versions with a retractable top.
Sports Car Racing at Midland, TX 1960-62
The cover of the September 1960 Midland race program. Although Hap Sharp owned a 1959/60 Ferrari 250TR at one point, it never saw action at Midland Airpark.
Story by Willem Oosthoek, photos by Bob Jackson
The 3rd Annual Midland Sports Car Races took place on September 17-18, 1960, again at Airpark. Based on published spectator numbers – 4,000 on Saturday, 6,000 on Sunday – the event was a commercial success, but based on the number of entries, not so much.
Smith’s Alfa Vintage Racing Chronicles
Luigi-and-me-at-PVGP 2004. Photo by Ed Hyman, AutoPhotos.
Story by Sam Smith
My love for Italian cars started in 1960. A visit to Marlboro Raceway allowed me to get up close to cars only seen in Road & Track magazine, like a long wheelbase California Spyder and Charlie Hayes’s 250GT Short Wheelbase Berlinetta.
Squarebacks to Love
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Sqaureback by Panther Westwinds chassis 15275
Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
I wanted to sell our old Suburban, but I haven’t sold a car in years, and so someone told me to go to Facebook and look up groups on Chevy Suburban ‘Squarebacks’. And sure enough, that’s what the call them nowadays, Squarebacks, a term that presumably can be applied to just about anything with a square back. Ok, I get it. I’m not so square after all.