Browsing: Vintage Racecar Articles
Targa Splendor
This race was the brainchild of the wealthy race driver and automobile enthusiast, Vincenzo Florio, who in 1906 created the first race run over 3 laps equaling 277 miles, over the most treacherous mountain roads on Sicily, Italy. Alessandro Cagno won the inaugural race in 9 hours and with an average speed of 30 mph. Over the years, the race length was repeatedly altered, the track had many hundreds of curves and bends over the unclosed public roads with sheer cliffs and very little means to prevent cars and driver disappearing over the edge. Neither were there any safeguard provisions for the…
March Meet Nostalgia Drags Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery from the March 1, 2020, Good Vibrations March Meet Nostalgia Drags at Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, California.
Britain’s First Sports Car—The Vauxhall C-10 “Prince Henry”
Originally built to compete in the 1910 Prince Henry Trophy, a German trial designed to discover the world’s best all-round touring car, the C-10 3-liter Vauxhall has since been acknowledged as Britain’s, if not the world’s, first true sports car. Laurence Pomeroy, Vauxhall’s Chief Engineer, entered three C-10s in the 1910 event, each with tuned versions of the company’s 3054-cc side-valve engine. The cars were driven by Vauxhall’s MD, Percy Kidner, and co-directors, AJ Hancock and Rudolf Selz, all of whom finished the 1230-mile event, but alas without collecting any awards. However, due to the cars’ speed and durability, a…
Duncan Hamilton, Remembered
He crashed numerous cars and aeroplanes, did his best to drown an admiral, and his dog delayed a critical wartime convoy for four days by eating top secret naval documents. Yes, Duncan Hamilton was certainly a larger than life character, but was also one of Europe’s premier racing drivers of the post-war era, who subsequently penned one of the funniest motor racing autobiography to date, Touch Wood. James Duncan Hamilton was born in Cork, Ireland. Aged two he knocked himself unconscious by crashing his pram down a flight of 38 steps. Later, while studying at Brighton College, he drove a…
Sonoma Speed Festival Moved to September
In light of the rapidly developing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and its effect on public gatherings, organizers of the second annual Sonoma Speed Festival have elected to reschedule the automotive lifestyle event at Sonoma Raceway to the Labor Day long weekend, September 4-6, 2020. Sonoma Speed Festival organizers have been monitoring the situation closely since the crisis first hit American shores, and have been working with officials at the City, County, State and Federal level as well as health care officials. As members of the Bay Area community, organizers have been following all recommended guidelines for preventing the spread of the virus…
Rare Mussolini Alfa Romeo to be Restored
Classic and vintage car restoration specialist Thornley Kelham is undertaking its most challenging project yet; a complete nut-and-bolt concours-standard restoration of a rare Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Super Sport (Chassis Number 6C0312898), with an even more extraordinary history. This particular Alfa Romeo comes complete with records showing the car was delivered to its first owner, “II Duce” Benito Mussolini, on the 13th of January 1930, for Lire 60,000. The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS was one of the most popular and successful sports racing cars of its day, as demonstrated by the fact that no fewer than 13 competed in…
Pre-War Dominance—Bugatti Type 13 & Type 35
A radiator in the shape of a horseshoe and a bright blue finish – everytime one of the striking Bugatti vehicles took its place at the starting line of a race in the 1920s, the spectators could be sure of one thing : This car was going to take the lead. The Type 13, and later the Type 35, cast the foundation for exceptional performance vehicles from Molsheim around 100 years ago. In addition to that, they become true racing legends. For Bugatti, the 1920s represent a time of pure victory in almost all competitions taking place at the time…
Le Mans Entrant and Enthusiast Kirk F. White Passes Away
Kirk F. White, consummate enthusiast and partner with Roger Penske when the pair entered a Ferrari 512S for Mark Donohue in the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans, has passed away. According to a message from his family: This beautiful, crazy, beloved man, father of five, author of DontWashMine.com, owner of the Sunoco Penske/White Ferrari 512 and the Cannonball Daytona, passed away peacefully on March 20. His generous nature, his love of automobile lure and of all of those who shared it with him will be missed terribly. The memory of all those wonderful times will live on in his…
Sebring Vintage Classic Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery from SVRA’s Feb. 27–29, 2020, Sebring Vintage Classic, at Sebring, Florida. Not a subscriber, but want FREE access to the rest of this Photo Gallery? Click here to sign up for a FREE, no obligation 30-day trial subscription.
Sebring Vintage Classic Subscriber Photo Gallery
Subscriber exclusive Photo Gallery from SVRA’s Feb. 27–29, 2020, Sebring Vintage Classic, at Sebring, Florida....
Bristol—A History
Bristol, once a significant marque, has relocated to the “Great Paddock In The Sky.” For some time it had been on life support and a car make in name only. In 2011, it had been acquired by Kamkorp a privately-owned small group of engineering companies, among them Frazer-Nash Research Ltd. This caused excitement in some...