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In the 1930s, it was not unusual to bring an older late-model luxury car back to the dealer, manufacturer, or coachbuilder to have it rebodied with something newer and more fashionable. In this case, the opposite was done – the old body on this car was removed and fitted to...
1969 Rennmax BN3Photo: Ian Welsh It can’t be denied that the world of motor racing, both contemporary and historic, is saturated with egos. Some would say that it’s all really driven by egos, and that is sometimes directly connected to the size of the wallet. Perhaps without such egos we...
Full disclosure: I am a serious fan of Alfa Romeo automobiles. I’ve owned Alfas built from 1961 to 2017. My favorite Alfas, though, are the ones with the 105 chassis numbers – the Giulias. I’ve owned a 1966 Giulia Sprint GT Veloce, two Giulia Supers (1966 and 1973), a 1967...
Photo: Peter Collins Things were bad. There had been difficulties before for Lancia, but on both occasions the good guys had ridden over the hill to save the damsel in distress in the nick of time. Back in 1955 Gianni Lancia had had to say goodbye to his eponymous company....
Photo: Gilco The early 1950s found Enzo Ferrari’s burgeoning company quickly climbing the steep end of the power curve. His sports and racing cars, powered by the company’s now signature V12 engine in its various displacements, were proving successful not only on the racetracks of the world, but commercially with...
Photo: Casey Annis The 1950s and 1960s were a time of rapid change in both the road and racecar world. Technology was advancing quickly and with this advancement, it became increasingly harder and harder for a lone individual—either engineer or visionary—to be solely responsible for a complete automobile. Yet, some...
The 2024 12 Hours of Sebring delivered a thrilling showcase of endurance racing at its finest. Hosted on the historic Sebring International Raceway in Florida, this event stands as a testament to the spirit of motorsport, drawing teams and drivers from around the globe. Known for its demanding track and...
Leslie R. Henry wrote an article in Automobile Quarterly (Volume VII # 3, Fall 1968) simply titled “The Lincoln.”His opening paragraph says a lot about Lincoln cars up to that time: “Some enthusiasts speak of them with passion. Others find them interesting. But no one seriously interested in fine automobiles...
Photo: Steve Oom The next time you see an Audi on the road look closely at its badge. Four intertwined rings that probably remind the average person of the Olympic rings, but like most car badging there is a story behind the rings, which in the case of this German...
When the Chapman family finally stepped down from control of Team Lotus at the end of 1990 they carried with them a huge legacy. It was, and remains, one of the most successful racing teams of all time, winning seven Formula One Constructors’ titles, six Drivers’ Championships, and the Indianapolis...
The HSR Spring Fling, held at Sebring International Raceway, is a premier event for historic and vintage motorsport, featuring a record entry of nearly 120 cars for 2024. This event showcases a wide range of historic endurance and sprint races, including four feature races and a packed schedule of WeatherTech...
If I asked you to pick a brand associated with high performance and motorsport, chances are good the name Volkswagen would not be one of the first names to pop into your head. Known as the “People’s car”—and forever linked to the bulbous but iconic “Bug” nee Beetle—by the 1960s,...
Heaven or Hell, Jekyll or Hyde, Beauty or Beast, whichever you choose there is no doubt that Parque Montjuich provided us with one of the greatest circuits of all time. Unlike many of its disused airfield contemporaries Montjuich with its historic Palace and ornamental gardens clung to the side of...
I couldn’t quite pinpoint why, during the research and writing of this profile, that I kept hearing the Lennon/McCartney hit “Come Together” somewhere in the back of my head. I have often used the metaphor of how some of the most interesting motor racing tales are based on an almost...
Very few machines are more engaging than an Italian automobile built during the post war era. Literally every Italian manufacturer from this booming period was raising the bar on exceptional design, engineering, and braving new marketing territory – unafraid to risk, leading with passion and vigor. And it wasn’t just...
The author enjoyed slipping snugly into 2617 and giving it a proper run during an HGPCA test day at Silverstone. Photo: Pete Austin In 1966, the rain in Spain didn’t stay mainly on the plain. It blew eastward to the Ardennes Mountains of Belgium, and hurled itself down onto the Belgian Grand...
You will never know the feeling of a driver when winning a race. The helmet hides feelings that cannot be understood. – Ayrton Senna Sebring International Raceway is the spiritual home of SVRA, where the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association was founded over 40 years ago. Become a Member & Get...
The Targa 66 event, conceived by motorsport legend Brian Redman, serves as a tribute to the golden era of sports car racing, drawing inspiration from the iconic Targa Florio race in Sicily. This event is a haven for aficionados of both classic and contemporary sports cars, offering them the rare...
All right, I suppose I should start off with a confession. I am a mad, keen Austin-Healey enthusiast, and have had one example or another locked away in the garage for over 40 years. In fact, I have been quite taken by anything that was done by the Donald Healey...
A lifelong friend gave me something towards the end of his long and brave battle with Parkinson’s disease saying he wanted me to have it as his family would “Just scoop it up as part of their inheritance and not appreciate it”, I certainly did, and do, appreciate it. All...
It’s rather ironic that both the birth of the “Pony Car” movement in the mid-1960s, and its eventual death in the early 1970s, would be brought about by the “economy car.” Perhaps even more interesting, and less well known, is the fact that the first car to officially enter this...
The 2024 Daytona 24 promised to be a stellar event. It was once again oversubscribed with entries. Record numbers of Parking passes, tickets and camping spots had been sold by the Daytona International Speedway. The race would be run on the road course, a 3.56-mile circuit that makes use of...
Imagine running a car company with manufacturing technology limited by only 15-20 years of recovery from one of the most devastating wars ever fought on your soil. Now imagine you are about to risk not only on the design and development of your newest sports car offering, but you are...
It was probably 50 or so years ago when I first saw a Marcos. It was a 1/43rd scale model, and I thought it was beautiful, so I bought it for my burgeoning model collection. I’ve seen a few Marcos 1800s in person, but I hadn’t gotten close to one...
The 275 GTB occupies a very rarified space in the pantheon of Ferrari road car history. It sits at an important nexus where Ferrari road cars were evolving, becoming more sophisticated, no longer just racecars turned out for the street. Old techniques were giving way to new adaptations of racing-proven...
With the recent passing of automotive icon Carroll Shelby, it is easy to look at his amazing life through the lens of his greatest achievements—the revered Cobra and GT350 being but two that will immediately pop to mind for most casual enthusiasts. But Shelby’s career as a constructor and team...
Like most German industrial companies, World War II left much of Mercedes-Benz’s Stuttgart factory in ruins. However, with time Mercedes rebuilt and returned to what it knew best, manufacturing passenger vehicles. But Mercedes-Benz also had a passion for competition on the world stage and so by 1951 factions within the...
Words and photos: Kevin Ehrlich & Mary Fischer Germans have a long relationship with the automobile. The best-known German brands have sparking museums scattered across the country to tell their stories. Munich is the home of BMW. Audi’s home is Ingolstadt. Mercedes and Porsche share Stuttgart. Volkswagen and Wolfsburg are...
Formula Ford, as unlikely as it may seem now, brought me closer to being on the inside of professional motor racing than anything I experienced before or since. After a 35-year lay-off from that particular single-seater category, it was both an eye opener—and somewhat familiar and reassuring—to go back and...
It is unlikely that most of us can picture a Simca that is not one of the econoboxes that the company exported to the US in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. It is also unlikely that most of us knew that the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon sold at US...
If you had to pick the most challenging era of sports cars development, it would have to be the late 1970s. Automobile manufacturing was struggling for new directions, fuel consumption and regulations robbed cars of horsepower, and build quality was among the worst seen worldwide. The level of malaise was...
In a fiercely competitive and action-packed manner, the eighth installment of the Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Classic Sebring 12 Hour unfolded on a Sunday afternoon at Sebring International Raceway. 84 Patrick Bean/Theo Bean 76 Chevy Dekon Monza Among the highlights was the DeKon Monza, a Wynn’s car that ran in...
So, you want to drive in the Mille Miglia? OK…you need a car. A model built between 1927 and 1957 (when the MM was an open-road race). And if you want all the perks that go with a Mille Miglia entry, you need a car that actually raced in the...
Credit – BarnFinds.com I saw my first Bricklin in 1974. Lit up under the Southern California sun, a local specialty dealership was featuring this gleaming Safety Orange plasticized wedge of sharp cheddar cheese. I was immediately drawn to it. I’d already spent months daydreaming in math class about becoming a...
If you’ve never seen a Lancia Stratos in person, you owe it to yourself to seek one out. The Stratos is one of those cars that must be experienced in person to fully understand its design audacity, stance, and visceral presence. Initially conceived as a concept car of dramatic proportions,...
The European circuit-racing scene has shut down for the Winter, so car fans have to get their fix elsewhere- this show; sponsored by Lancaster Insurance (one of the leaders in Classic car Insurance in the UK) is not entirely about competition cars but there are always plenty of racers from...
There are three people who you acknowledge as important to the marque when you see a Rolls-Royce. There is Charles Stewart Rolls, Henry Royce, and Eleanor Thornton. Who is Eleanor Thornton, you ask? Well, she is the “Spirit of Ecstasy,” more about that her later, since her significant contribution to...
At the start of this month, Historic Sportscar Racing hosted one of the most anticipated races of their season: The HSR 24 Hours of Daytona. Much like the real 24 Hours of Daytona that kicks off the WEC and IMSA season each year, this event had cars of all classes,...
Since its launch in Japan in 1992, the WRX (World Rally Experimental) has taken the world by storm. The WRX was Subaru’s weapon to take on World Rally competition. The WRX took three consecutive manufacturer’s championships. It was the first Japanese automobile company to do this. It also took class...
Before Ferrari, before Maserati, before Italy’s Motor Valley…there was Stanguellini. The heritage of this historic family business is preserved in a marvelous museum in Modena. 1908 Fiat Tipo 1, Museo Stanguellini 1908 Fiat Tipo 1, Museo Stanguellini Francesco Stanguellini began in the bicycle business in 1900. He followed a logical...
In a nation known for heritage and historic preservation, the Museo Nicolis stands near the top of all car collections. The hundreds of historic autos, and thousands of additional items on display, stand as a tribute to the founder and his humble beginnings. Luiciano Nicolis, 1933-2012 (Courtesy Museo Nicolis) Luciano...
The Barn Find of a Lifetime There is just something about a weathered, unrestored original car that is intriguing. When presented a at car show, the beat-up original car (much to the chagrin of the guy parked next to it with the $30,000 paint job) will always have a crowd...
In the heart of Pontiac, Michigan lies the M1 Concourse. Host to the annual American Speed Festival, it’s an electrifying motorsports extravaganza where legends of automotive performance converge. This year’s event is no different, and was a must-attend event for all enthusiast as the 1.5-mile M1 Concourse Speed Ring transforms...
A young Art Center College of Design student, named Peter Elbert Brock, became the youngest designer ever hired by Bill Mitchell, the Vice President of Design at General Motors. He rewarded Mitchell in November 1957 by making a sketch of what Mitchell chose to be the basis for the next...
This is Why We Porsche In a symphony of speed, where legends convene, Become a Member & Get Ad-Free Access To This Article (& About 6,000+ More) Access to the full article is limited to paid subscribers only. Our membership removes most ads, lets you enjoy unlimited access to all our premium content, and...
Every vintage race car has a story to tell…but this story has more chapters than most. Become a Member & Get Ad-Free Access To This Article (& About 6,000+ More) Access to the full article is limited to paid subscribers only. Our membership removes most ads, lets you enjoy unlimited access to...
The Detroit Concours is an annual celebration that pays tribute to the heart and soul of the Motor City and its rich automotive culture. That’s why this year’s celebration shines a spotlight on the dedicated individuals who have driven Detroit’s legacy as the epicenter of automotive innovation for generations, held...
It just seems right. Visually stunning historic autos, set against the scenery of California’s Sonoma County. Become a Member & Get Ad-Free Access To This Article (& About 6,000+ More) Access to the full article is limited to paid subscribers only. Our membership removes most ads, lets you enjoy unlimited access to...
The Charente area of South-Western France is mostly a sleepy, quintessentially French area, a land of gently winding rivers and rolling hills studded with vines, famed for the Cognac associated with the region. At the start of autumn each year, the ancient town of Angoulême reverberates to the sound of...
Ken Miles drove this car. So did Phil Hill, Bruce McLaren, and Chris Amon. It began life as one of the original aluminum monocoque cars built by Abbey Panels in Coventry, England. In 1964 the car was imported to America by the Ford Motor Company to serve as the testbed...
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