Throughout the history of man and machine there have been inextricable links between automobiles and airplanes. Henry Ford’s corrugated Trimotor...
Anyone who has studied literature will know about footnotes and the glossary of terms because the language is constantly changing....
Bentley is to make 12 “continuation” examples of the supercharged 4.5-liter Birkin “Blower,” one of those cars whose legend far surpasses its achievement. For a time it could claim to be the world’s fastest car, but it was built for racing and in that context it must be regarded as...
It is with a profound sense of sadness and loss that I must share that long-time contributor and friend Mike...
We are frequently told that Formula One is at the cutting edge of technology, but that has been true only...
One of my favorite automotive books is Doug Nye’s “Motor Racing Mavericks”. Published in 1975, it explores failures—high-end failures—in Grand Prix and IndyCar racing. “Failures” is a harsh word to apply to some; no turbine car won at Indy, but in 1967 Parnelli Jones came within three laps of victory...
Before WWII, the company which became Jaguar was called Swallow Sidecars and it had diversified into making special bodies for...
I have just watched “The Italian Job,” the 1969 original. At the time of writing, the remake has not hit Britain, but it makes the movie topical. When the remake was first mooted, the retro Beetle was pencilled in to take the starring role originally created by the Mini Cooper....
Wales is not a country one readily associates with Formula One, but in September, a small group gathered to celebrate...
Once upon a time in a bar…well, near a bar…I was talking to a couple who had just bought a...
Hi there. I am your new back-page columnist. I would like you to think of me as a friend, a special friend. How can I make you like me? I could start by telling you that I live just over a mile from the Goodwood Circuit, and what a pain...
Every so often you encounter an image which stops you in your tracks. For me it was a photograph of...
I wrote a book on the history of March, which came out in 1989 under the title, “Four Guys And A Telephone.” A telephone was all that Robin Herd, Graham Coaker, Alan Rees and Max Mosley had when they agreed to establish March. They then each put in £2,500 as...
I am considering registering my stomach as a trademark. Why not? Damon Hill has registered his eyes as a trademark...
These are days of confusion. As I write this, there are either three days left in the Millennium or, depending...
Now available on Netflix is “A Life of Speed: The Juan Manuel Fangio Story.” The 92-minute movie originates in Argentina and so it is no surprise that it is more fanzine tribute than balanced assessment. Air-brushed out is Argentina’s dictator Juan Peron who, directly and indirectly, influenced Fangio’s career. So...
I am not politically correct. I have never met anyone in motor racing who is. Motor racing and political correctness...
For the majority of VR’s readers, 2019 has been the 50th anniversary of Formula Ford, although it actually started in...
Have you noticed how old cars are getting faster and faster? I wish I got faster as I grow older. Interestingly, the Goodwood Motor Circuit tells the story because Goodwood has remained unchanged since 1952. That year a chicane was added to the original circuit (did you have a “Goodwood...
My father was in the Royal Air Force, so we tended to live on flat bits of England, a long...
It depends which Nelson you mean – and which Victory. In Portsmouth, there once was a station called Radio Victory, named after Horatio Nelson’s flagship, the pride of Portsmouth and still a commissioned ship of what remains of the Royal Navy. I was the first English “journo” to interview Nelson...
If you’ve been reading the editorials written by Casey Annis for a long time, you might already know of me....
This year is the 60th anniversary of the Morris Mini-Minor and Austin Se7en, and the Goodwood Revival will feature some...
Most people when launching a new product normally try to come up with a new name to reflect innovation. Then it comes to cars, however, there is a trend to resurrect a name from the past so we have had Allard, Connaught, Osca, Lea-Francis, Jensen, Invicta, Spyker, Ermini and that...
I have an old friend that works in law enforcement. I’m not talking about the local PD. Serious law enforcement,...
Is Renault French? Is the Pope a Catholic? I ask because Renault has bought the Benetton team and has renamed...