Do you remember the first racecar you ever lusted after? I’m not talking about the “Oh, I’d love to own...
A million clichés come to mind. Giant killer is probably the worst, pummelled to death by a thousand newspaper hacks,...
Fifty years ago, petrolheads woke one morning to discover that their life had changed, their horizons had widened. Suddenly there was the Jaguar E-Type, the most beautiful car in the world (Enzo said so) and priced less than four, basic 850-cc Minis—translate to the cheapest Korean import. In the UK,...
The year was 1980; the place, Road Atlanta. During the parade lap, Motor Racing Network’s sportscaster Mike Joy set the...
In March, The Legends of Motorsports group —who kicked off their sophomore year at Barber Motorsports Park this May—sent out...
The story of the Marzotto brothers and their brief but mercurial motor racing careers was mostly about Giannino winning the Mille Miglia not once but twice, in both 1950 and 1953. Which put him up there with greats like Giuseppe Campari, who won the race in 1928 and 1929, Tazio...
Last month I wrote about the road race that took place in Palm Springs in 1950. It was the first...
Among this year’s anniversaries is that of the Mini Cooper. John Cooper and Alec Issigonis became pals while competing in...
Bill Devin was a friend of mine. Even in his eighties he was incredibly sharp, had nearly flawless recall and was good for at least six hours of automotive tale-telling at a moment’s notice. His career manufacturing fiberglass sports cars and bodies ran longer than anyone in history (1954–2000) and...
Formula One crossed an historic turning point on March 2, but I think it is safe to say that almost...
Exotic doesn’t cut it when it comes to describing this gutsy, fun-loving, vivacious show-off of a beauty who was born...
Sports car road racing started after WWII on the East Coast during the late forties. The first wheel-to-wheel event was organized by the Sports Car Club of America on October 2, 1948 at Watkins Glen, NY. Even though Southern California was a hotbed of the car-crazy culture, road racing took...
“Their hopes, their dreams, their love; tied to a ribbon of road…and a boy’s unflinching faith…in a girl!” “A story...
By now you will likely be aware that this month marks the 100th anniversary of that most hallowed of American institutions, the Indianapolis 500. No other race, or racing venue, can lay claim to as long and illustrious a record—nor such a single-minded commitment to a single format of highly...
Hero is far too modest a word to describe Eddie Rickenbacker. Racing driver, World War 1 ace, Medal of Honor...
Parnelli is not his real name. Rufus Jones’ middle name is Parnell. His mother named him after a Judge Parnell...
It is a given that motor sport flourishes in countries that are both affluent and mindful of technology. In the pioneering days that meant America and Western Europe. We have the Turkish GP because the government is gagging to join the EU and Turkey is going through an industrial revolution,...
Greg Smith is a long time vintage racing enthusiast and runs a restoration shop that has traditionally specialized in European...
You may have looked at this month’s cover car and said, “That’s not vintage!” You might also have looked at...
Enzo Ferrari was always a sucker for fighters who would never give up, like Tazio Nuvolari, Guy Moll and Gilles Villeneuve. In fact, he thought Moll could become the anti-Nuvolari, so talented was the little Algerian. But Guy’s brief yet spectacular career came to a sudden end on August 15,...
The original Trans-Am was part and parcel of one of the things that made the Golden Age golden. Many of...
One driver rarely mentioned in the endless pub debate about great drivers is Sir Jack Brabham, yet in many ways...
This month’s Hidden Treasure begins with the sound of J. Why do I bring this up? Because for years I’ve noticed that even the most well-informed auto-sporters sometimes become confused by these cars. A quick review: Jomar, sports racers and coupes from New Hampshire; Jowett, British-built of which the Jupiter...
Every job has its drawbacks and its drudgeries. While writing for VR is a passion that all of our staff...
“Sex – the breakfast of Champions” was the legend on the T-shirt the 1976 Formula 1 World Champion wore under...
“Revisited” because this is my second column about Ken. My March 2006 column was the first, but in rereading it there were some things I left out and would like to tell about. A short time ago, while looking for a photograph, I came across a negative of Miles I...
Myron Vernis has a problem. Oh, he seems normal enough at first blush…terrific career, amazing wife, two wonderful loving daughters....
I’d like to talk with you for a moment about Regularity. Relax. This conversation has nothing to do with Metamucel, fiber or the consumption of prunes. Believe it or not, it has to do with the growth and long-term sustainability of historic racing. I just got back from a wonderful...
