Let’s try to summarise your key suggestions, the secrets to make a prototype: – Being in a small group of people – It’s essential. Because they’re things which you make mainly based on sensations, rather than through large meetings. The…
The confidence of your stroke in your drawings stands out. I was able to catch that you’re someone who’s always polite, reserved, calm, pondered… but the cars you created portray also something else: innovation, strength, determination, power. – On one…
– You were young, you were 27 years old when you drew the Lamborghini Miura for Bertone, I’m not talking about the actually car’s design which you consider to be unsightly… but the stroke was already bold. – Only to…
It’s a special day, after the turbulent thunderstorm that announced the autumn equinox, today, 23rd September, the intense sun rays are warm. As the photographer says: it seems like people are drawn by the light. This is the perfect day…
Would giving up have been fair? It really happened, despite Covid-19 which has subverted our lives, the Mille Miglia took place. We didn’t want to believe it until the very last minute. It sounds incredible, just like the news that…
Classic car country tour is a tour in which you enjoy a lot this tour, it is full of discoveries, which is combined with a proper driving sense and joy. You need a vintage car, drivers and passengers enjoy the…
Scaglietti, a page of history I ask Oscar to go back to the topic that will never stop fascinating me: the articulated gestation process that lead to the birth of a car. Oscar’s tale traces the profile of a choral…
Scaglietti, a page of history – I mean, homologation was a somewhat long phase, wasn’t it? – Yes. We only started with actual production after homologation. – Besides its straight-forward role, what was the relevance of homologation? – It was…
Scaglietti, a page of history How important is historical memory? What is the ultimate meaning of “keeping”? For one of those many paradoxes which make life beautiful, we only discover that (or at least, especially) when facing death, destruction. When…
Lamborghini Miura: emotion captures the gaze – The choice of the insulation is based on the type of varnishing: Polyurethane base coat: if you opt for varnishing with the polyurethane varnish or for a matt and transparent coating. Acrylic base…
Lamborghini Miura: emotion captures the gaze – Now the paint has been stripped, as well as the sealant and the acoustic insulator foam and now that we have the clean, smooth and bare metal we may read the car’s history……
Lamborghini Miura: emotion captures the gaze – 20R308 Rosso Fuoco (fiery red), this is the Longchamp gold, this is Merak blue, which is also called French blue, then we have Flemington, which sometimes is confused with iron-grey by some people,…
Gunnar Nilsson? How do you remember him? He was a young Swedish scion, born to race. A driver who preferred literary clubs, rather than frivolous parties. A born driver, to confirm his rushing through steps. He made himself noticed ever…
“His passion for races was equal to his technical passion and expertise” Peter Collins, a driver with major moral talent, just as he proved during the 1956 Italian GP. Collins voluntarily stopped to give his Ferrari to Fangio, who stopped…
Lodovico, Ludovico, or Lulù if you prefer, was an eclectic driver, able to give his best in a hill climb race, as if he was driving an F1 car. The support received from his family, since his father was a…
“His stubbornness and resistance as an old-school Viareggio native were especially exalted in the road races. He didn’t equally emerge on track. He died in a hospital ward, due to an incurable disease”, that is the concise description that Enzo…
Volpe Argentata (Silver Fox), this is how his fans called him, due to his prematurely grey hair and his temperament. Engineer Piero Taruffi studied his job deeply and he wrote technical books about race driving. He was a very controlled…
The last bend of the Olympia Bob-run St. Moritz-Celerina is dedicated to the one who wasn’t “capable of turning back when facing challenges”. “FON”, great Spanish noble of extraordinary courage. He adored adventure and racing, he went from a car…
A driver who, in the fifties, knew how to thrill his fans. Aggressive, generous, cheerful, handsome. In 1952, driving a Ferrari 2000 Sport, he won the Coppa d’Oro di Sicilia, the Senigallia racetrack, the Portuguese GP and he came second…
Which driver is the Interlagos racetrack dedicated to? He was Brazilian, born in Sao Paulo. In 1969 he established himself in the UK and in the following year, he won the F3 Forward Trust title, driving a Lotus 59. Then…
“Up until 1969, I had an ‘I have faith in God’ approach. From 1970 to 1972, I went quite fast and reasonably. From 1973 to 1974, I reasoned maybe too much, to the detriment of speed”. De Adamich, a native…
A polite and friendly man with very sweet blue eyes “I was aware, from the beginning of my career, about the risks that I was taking. I was always able to tame my fear, or even better, I never gave…
Which great champion of car racing never managed to win the world championship? We remember his fiery battles: with Fangio, then with Brabham or with Hawthorn… who, in 1958, stole the champion title off him by just one point! He’s…
Solitaire genius, creator of elegance. Giovanna, his daughter said: “his days spent in front of the drawing table, imagining new lines to trace the shapes of fantastic cars ruled the majority of his life”. Nuccio Bertone said: “His talent, his…
Monza’s National Racetrack, Formula 1 GP, Sunday 11th September 1977. The cars were aligned, Niki Lauda was in pole position and in the fourteenth position was a novice from Brescia, who turned 25 on the previous day. Bruno Giacomelli was…
Leslie Bruce McLaren had unconventional skills for his time: at 21 years old he was Cooper’s official driver and, at 22, he won his first worldwide championship Grand Prix. The meeting between Bruce and Jack Brabham was the key: a…
“Life is short and I want to enjoy it as much as I can… I shared my time between serious and fun things. I seriously put deep effort into the first and I have deep fun with the latter.” London,…
Humble and introverted, Marcello Gandini is for many the most revolutionary worldwide designer. Going from form to function is one of the aspects of design that excite him the most. Flaminio Bertoni is his favourite designer, due to his revolutionary…
Three world championships won: ’81, ’83, and ’87. 204 Formula 1 Grand Prix, 23 victories, 24 pole positions. This is Nelson Piquet, nicknamed “The Cat”, the tombeur de femme, you may choose. Seven children from four partners, wives. Two terrifying…
He takes his blue Staedler pencil out of his breast pocket and, while sitting at his drafting machine, he starts tracing the draft… it is a sketch of the Grifo, the Canguro, no, maybe it’s the Fiat 850 Spider. He…
This story starts in 1952 when Willamette (Willie) Keck Day decided she wanted to buy a new Ferrari. It should be noted that Willie’s husband was the principal of Superior Oil company in Los Angeles. Superior oil was later bought…
His father put him in a boarding school in Mondragone with the Jesuits, who gave him a very strict education. On the outside, he looked very self-confident, inside, there was a small rift. Musso was the only person in the…
After fifteen years of activity, he decided to leave races to go back to Bull, in New Zealand, without ever winning a Grand Prix. Chris Amon came very close to winning several times, but the unpredictable has always happened to…
He started by driving a 6-cylinder Maserati in Tripoli and at the Targa Florio race. In 1940, he ran the Mille Miglia behind the wheel of the “815” Auto Avio Costruzioni. He raced in Piero Dusio’s team with Cisitalia in…
On first August 1953, Adolfo and Omer Orsi hired the engineer Giulio Alfieri who, at the beginning of 1954, would become technical director, a role that he kept until 1975. Giulio, who was born in Parma in 1924 and graduated…
Joseph Siffert started as a mechanic repairing motorcycles and then raced them. In 1958, he became Swiss champion with a Norton 350. He had to make huge sacrifices to get to race on four wheels, doing the most varied of…
“Before the car became a consumer good, it had been a legendary and idealised item… As such, it developed the artists’ imagination, including body shop mechanics like Bertone, who started bringing to life the fantasies of wealthy and exclusive clients…
René Arnoux, the co-protagonist of one page in Formula 1’s history: the epic duel, wheel to wheel, with his friend Villeneuve at the Dijon GP in 1979. It was a different F1, it was neither better nor worse, but certainly,…
A privileged place, the heart of the city. Piazza Grande, in Modena. The square is the place for meetings, shows and historical memories. It’s the place of contact with the outside world. The ideal podium for the Modena Cento Ore.…
A great love for four wheels… Facetti, a man who, with great passion and commitment, has seen the world of engines from every angle: mechanic, prepper, tester and driver. Many are the brands that he raced for: Fiat, Alfa Romeo,…
Aldo Brovarone, one of the protagonists of the Italian style. His parents started him at the state commercial and technical institute. They considered it to be a safe journey, which would have given him the opportunity to be employed in…
Denny Hulme won the F1 world championship in 1967, after a season-long duel with his teammate, Jack Brabham. Denny built his success steadily. Once he completed his studies, he specialised as a mechanic in a garage in Te Puke, his…
A talent for forming bodywork runs in Alfredo Vignale’s family. His father, both of his uncles and brothers were car painters. At the age of eleven, he joined a metalworking firm as a workshop apprentice, and when he was 17…
Many years ago Hubertus Graf von Dönhoff, the driving force behind the Nürburgring Summer Historic Festival, came to be the possessor of the pride of the Third Reich a 1938 Auto Union Type D. Hubertus’s family had had vast holdings…
The emotion aroused by the Mille Miglia isn’t only triggered by the presence of the world’s most beautiful cars. There are other nuances of emotions, which are deeper and linked to the senses. These senses bring you back to distant…
99 races, 27 victories, 359 world championship points, 3 times world champion. Prompt reflexes, concentration, inner calm, resolved wish to win: Jackie Stewart. It was Barry Filer who induced him to start racing in the club races. In 1963, he…
The meeting with “Poison Lil” In 1948 at Watkins Glen New York the first post-war road race was held for the Members of the Sports Car Club of America which had formed just after the War. I wrote in past that I…
Mechanic test driver or driver engineer, that is how Giotto Bizzarrini loves defining himself. In his workshop, in Rosignano Solvay, Giotto created his “handmade” cars. A polite man and a tireless “teacher”. Fastidious and maybe someone would jokingly define him…
On Sunday 12th May I reached a place that classic car enthusiasts cannot miss: Bicester Heritage. We were guests at the Petrolicious Drivers’ Meeting. I left from London, heading north-west, towards Oxfordshire, after an hour and a half drive and…
This story began in 1979 when I negotiated the purchase of the Henry Birkin Lord Howe 8C 2300 Alfa Romeo that won Le Mans in 1931 and a lovely 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC. Both the cars were in Oklahoma City…
Who would name their own dog Abarth 124? Someone who has speed and races in their DNA, like Maria Paola Fiorio. She’s Cesare’s granddaughter and Alex’s daughter. Oh yes! After being a driver and winning the Italian Championship in the…
Piazza Vittoria is behind me, the chaos of the arrival has calmed down. The Mille Miglia is over. The intense smell of petrol is still lingering in the air and on my clothes. Olfaction, the sense that we develop first…
The Lotus 26R I have written about my involvement with some Lotus cars namely a series 2 Eleven and a Series 2 lotus 15. Both these were designed as pure racing cars but Lotus was also well known for their…
After the Second World War, SS Cars Ltd became Jaguar. The Jaguar car company manufactured elegant and sinuous sports cars, influenced and improved by the expert Malcolm Sayer, one of the first to study aerodynamics in the car industry. His…
Colin Chapman was born in Richmond in 1928. After graduating in engineering at the University College in London, and a brief service in the RAF, he entered a mechanical construction company as an engineer. On 1st January 1952, Chapman founded…
It all began at 6 am when the phone rang in my apartment in Chelsea, London. At the other end of the line was my good friend and Alfa nut, Christopher Mann: we have to go to France immediately to…
The nation’s Gigi He started his career with his brother Emilio, they were both confident and very passionate, bold and brave. In 1936, Luigi Villoresi, Franco Cortese and Giovanni Lurani founded the Scuderia Ambrosiana. It’s impossible to summarise concisely the…
It is not unusual in the world of historic cars to have several encounters with the same car even though years apart. This was the case with my Lotus 15 that I had sold to Peter Kaus for his Rosso…
Mauro Bonaccini’s guest You may call them coincidences, but when the search for “Wise Hands” is a priority, how can you say that it was just luck. An immediate connection, where you don’t need too many words. You can promptly…
Wolfgang von Trips was the only child of a noble German family. His relatives obstructed his passion for racing cars, to the extent that he started racing under a false name, Axel Linther, as his nickname, “Taffy”, was too well-known.…
Stricken by a Lancia Stratos photograph, Robinson decided that he would become a car designer when he reached sixteen. After his art degree in 1978 at Seattle University and the Industrial Design master the following year, he moved to Europe.…
A day to forget After the Mille Miglia, described in one of my tales, I was happy to receive Peter Kaus’s invite to drive the 2 Maseratis at his home event Nürburgring. This is a huge event and normally fields…
It was 1948, when in the di Cento square, during the San Biagio celebrations, a resourceful young man displayed his tractor: Carioca. It was a real success for Ferruccio Lamborghini, who gave the opportunity to the farmers to purchase an…
In 1958, Luigi Chinetti, the USA importer for Ferrari, took delivery of 0720TR from the factory. The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was presold to Jim Johnston, of Meadowdale Illinois. In Jim’s hands, the car was a regular contender in SCCA…
Mario Acquati: from the races to the Book & Art Shop For some, he’s still “the Master”: when I tell him that, Mario Aquati brushes it aside, but he smiles too. No, which “Master”, him? It is all down to…
Phil Hill was a Californian and had a great passion for antiques, classical music, musical instruments, painting and racing cars, or actually, for extraordinary cars! He was introverted and obsessed with perfection, never fully satisfied. Phill was always been considered…
After the 2nd World War motor racing started to make a comeback in the UK and Europe. The only cars existing were those built before the war and these pre-war cars made up the grids. In the UK there was…
Which driver had a white helmet, with the dollar sign drawn on one side and the writing “this space to let”? After studying in England, Jochen Rindt went back to Austria and found all of his friends again. With Helmut…
First, success in the karting world: Italian Champion, twice European team champion, until 1974 when Patrese won the World Championship. Then came his success with real cars with a very quickly evolving career: in 1975 he debuted with Formula Italia,…
Frank Williams is a resourceful man who took over the motorsports world a full 360 degrees. He was a Formula 3 driver as well as a distributor of spare parts for racing cars. He provided a home delivery service across…
For the future? “There’s always room to create something nice!” “In some way, you may say that beauty is within us, for how we live, for how we cultivate it and then you need to nourish yourself with art… Aesthetics…
I wrote previously about my trip to visit Grand Prix SSR and Jim Mc Allister. I had purchased my Cooper T53 Grand Prix car and a Maserati 150s as well as 2 semi-complete Lotus 15s which I had then sold…
Green helmet, white shirt, polka-dot bow-tie and the courage to surprise his colleagues and to make enthusiasts go crazy. He caught the racing bug off his father, the Hawthorn’s started racing with two Rileys, achieving many victories. Mike immediately showed…
When I first went to the West Coast for University I often went to the SCCA road races at nearby circuits. One of the winningest cars of the day was a Lister built by Brian Lister in Cambridge UK. They…
Who was the first Australian driver to win the F1 world championship? John Arthur Brabham. He was nicknamed “Black Jack”, “Chatty Jack by those who knew him, due to his scarce loquacity. He chose mechanics for his university studies, which…
When I went to the West Coast for the university, I often used to go watch the local races and I used to see many Lotus 11s competing. The Sports Car Club of America had many classes that catered to…
The young Roman driver in three years went from driving karts to F1. At 14 he won the Italian karting championship, and he won the European karting championship in 1976. His debut in F1 was with Shadow and, despite the…
A woman behind the wheel: Lella Lombardi, the little girl who dreamed of becoming a racing car driver. When she was eighteen, she drove the truck of the family business, which transported meat from Frugarolo to the Ligurian Riviera. In…
The unique Hollywood start had such a reckless life that he inspired singers, film directors and generations of youngsters. Terrence Steve McQueen was born in the Indianapolis suburb. He had a difficult adolescence, spent between the street and the community…
The story starts in the late 70s on a trip to New York to visit Jim McAllister at Grand Prix SSR. They were a well-known restoration shop outside New York City. It was financed by Jim McAllister who was the…
In 1984, a young driver, destined to take up a key role in F1’s history, made his debut on the racetrack: Ayrton Senna. The 6th May, at Imola, marked his only “NQ” in his career. In Monaco, he astonished for…
F1 Germany Grand Prix Nürburgring circuit, 22 Km x 22 laps = 484 Km. To this day this race represents something unique. It is considered by historians to have been the most fantastic F1 race in the 50’s. It’s the…
Donohue started racing in 1961 and his career mainly took place in the USA, across the different Can-Am and Trans-Am categories. He achieved a lot of success, including a first place at the Indy 500, in a McLaren. “Captain Nice”…
Aston Martin, the union between the name of a hill climb race, Aston Clinton, and the surname of the company’s founder, Lionel Martin. It was 1908 when Lionel Martin and his friend Robert Bamford opened a repair workshop in Kensington.…
The trip to the circuit took about 30 minutes and the road was wonderful and twisted through heavy forest. I really enjoyed my wake up drive. I had high expectations for the race because without doubt, I had the very…
The Metal Wizard Motorbikes, yes. Tavoni had a passion for the two wheels for a lifetime. When he talks about it, his eyes shine. “Motorbikes give more satisfaction than cars, you know? Think about when I took a ride with…
The Cowboy started racing in 1962 with an Alfa Romeo. In the following years, he participated in hill climb races with an Abarth 1000. He became driver and tester of the Scorpio team from 1968 to 1970. He won the…
Mt Fuji raceway The day arrived for my trip to Mt Fuji raceway and at 10 sharp the driver and the limousine were waiting. After a three-hour drive, we arrived at the circuit. Mr. Taki and Mr. Hayashi were standing…
Autofficina Sauro, a history of passion – Here, in this photograph, we’re amongst the first 12 qualified at the Coppa D’oro delle Dolomiti, in ’72, the people that you can see here, are the very same that started the Mille…
The idol of Sicilians and not only: Nino Vaccarella. His career started in his beautiful Sicily, it was 1958 when he won his first race. In 1959, he came first in Pergusa and in the Catania-Etna, while he came third…
To Japan for an Alfa Romeo In the early 1980s, The Japanese were ever present at the Monterey Historics which were held annually at the Laguna Seca Circuit. At this time there was a big interest in Japan for Italian…
After studying at the prestigious American Cornell University, Revson could have become the manager of a leading cosmetic company: Revlon. Revvie preferred motorsports. Initially, he raced in the Sports category, then, in 1963, he moved to Europe and he bought…
“Believe me, we’re talking about the best stranger in the history of racing” Stirling Moss said, while talking about Tony Brooks. His debut took place in 1952, but with no great satisfaction. He was noticed while driving a Connaught and,…
Alain Prost gained McLaren’s esteem on Paul Ricard’s racetrack, during the practice session, he was faster than John Watson. On 13th January 1980, the F3 French champion, nicknamed “The Professor”, appeared for the first time in an F1 GP, in…
Peter Kaus was a very well-known German collector and heir to Metzler tires. On his 21st birthday, his father gave him a new 550 Porshe Spyder to go racing and this started him on the road to open the best…
Enzo Ferrari Talis pater talis filius. Despite the differences in temperament and journey. If Forghieri’s dream were planes, his father’s footsteps lead him towards cars. Even though – and this is interesting – young Mauro’s graduation dissertation was a prelude…
After being a motorcycling champion, he switched to car races. Amédé Gordini wanted him in his own team. The cars weren’t competitive and results were late coming. In 1955, he was hired by Maserati and he came second at the…
The 25-year-old Graham Hill, after his first race, in Brands Hatch, hitch-hiked a ride back to London, and it was Mr Colin Chapman who gave him a lift. Their lives’ tracks started to cross and that marked the beginning of…
Ronnie Peterson caught the speed bug from his father, Bengt, a Swedish baker who raced in his spare time. With the “Robardie”, his racing kart, he became well-known across Europe. In 1966, he raced for the world championship, but Susy…
From time to time in my career, I have had to give up on racing due to its incredible expense. Whenever I found more money I tried to restart racing. It was always very difficult because like any sport when…
John Surtees had already won the world championship four times with the MV Agusta when he tried a racing car. The motorcyclist turned out to have extraordinary skills, and his search for different trajectories, which enabled him to use the…
The joke I first saw this lovely little 166 Competition Berlinetta upon my arrival in the San Francisco Bay Area, to attend University in 1969. After driving across the USA, I needed to take my 1957 Alfa Giulietta Spider Veloce…
– I mean, it sounds like you never rested for too long, or am I wrong? – No, you’re not wrong. I remember that we all wanted to sleep, but there was no time. We slept from one pit stop…
When I first started preparing customer racing cars the hottest small displacement engines were the Twin Cam Lotus Ford which was installed in Lotus Cortina and Lotus Elan production models. There were many tuners who were able to develop them…
“Those who love cars, remain young”, Leonardo Fioravanti said, one of the most appreciated talents in Italian car design. He was born in 1938 in Milan, after graduating in mechanical engineering at the engineering school, he was hired by the…
– Today, there is a going back to the ‘one-off’… – Yes, today We’ve gone back to personalisation. The real historical cars, that is, real classic cars, will always be more valuable because they’re available in limited numbers. In our…
A driver with impulsive temperament: Jody Scheckter, South African with Lithuanian origin, didn’t have a natural passion for motorsports, but his ascent was extraordinary. After only eighteen months from his arrival in Europe, McLaren hired him in 1972 to race…
Are you actually talking to me? Yes, there is no doubt about that… I was still in contemplation of a Lancia Stratos chassis and found myself back behind a school desk. The attention focused on the person who’s gifting me…
When I first went to the UK, in the mid70s, there was a booming series for historic Sports cars and single seaters sponsored by the Lloyds and Scottish finance group. It featured full grids of exceptionally well-driven cars, all fighting…
– What was the collaboration with the designers like? – The collaboration with Bertone was a little different to the one with Pininfarina. With the latter, we talked about drafts, then on the mannequin, then on the breakdown of parts…
It was 1958 when Luigi Chinetti brought the two Rodríguez brothers, Pedro and Ricardo, to Europe. They were known as the “terrible brothers”. They could convey the impression of being two smooth-faced adolescents, but their impertinence was equal to their…
“I have loved you” Villeneuve raced for the first time in F1 in 1977, driving a McLaren. You read that Enzo Ferrari hired him due to a bet between himself and Lauda, and he made his debut in October 1977…
A kiss from the Penthouse Pet of the year! My father’s best friend, Roberts Harrison, was asked to be part of a consortium assembled by Philadelphian Kirk F White, to run a Ferrari at the World Championship for Makes, Daytona,…
– You were still at school during those years, weren’t you? – No, I had already finished. I didn’t like school. It’s not that I didn’t do well there, but I couldn’t develop a liking for Latin at all. The…
Carroll Shelby took part in his first race in 1952, behind the wheel of a friend’s MG TC. He didn’t only win in his category, but he also had the better of the Jaguar XK120s. In 1954, he won the…
Picture does not represent the vehicle described in the article Pic by Dave Rook – www.motorsportinpictures.com I have written before of my fantastic drive to Sun Valley Idaho and Las Vegas in a D-Type Jaguar XKD541. This is another…
Who was nicknamed the “Italian” at Citroën? Flaminio Bertoni, painter, sculptor and designer, born in Masnago in 1903, he moved permanently to Paris in 1931. The collaboration with André Citroën, thrilled with his innovative ideas, was very profitable. Bertoni signed…
The Roots The house is high up there, on the peak, in Castelvetro di Modena. The mounds of soil tell lots of tales, the earth “knows”. Here, the countryside has soft and welcoming curves, just like a “zdora”, the proverbial…
I beat the World Champion and triumph at Pebble Beach Monterey is a beautiful town, located on the California coast and the doorway to Big Sur. Additionally, it became famous for John Steinbeck’s book ”Cannery Row”, but to get to…
“I’ve always believed that you should never ever give up and that you should continue fighting even when there is a very small chance to make it”, these were Michael Schumacher’s words in 2007, which are as true and as…
“Jacky Ickx is unreachable when it is necessary”, Mario Andretti. This statement is perfect to define Jacques Bernard, called Jacky, a great pilot who has not consecrated all his life to this activity. An excellent roll of honour: two times…
Pic by l a b e t e The story starts in 1974 with a phone call from my good friend Fred Knoop. Fred was an early SCCA racer who among other things had commissioned Joe Huffaker a San…
The former Ferrari driver left a deep empty space due to a tragic accident which occurred on the Lausitzring track. He was testing an Audi R8 Sport. We believe that he was the greatest Italian driver of the past decades.…
One of the most important turning points in his life was working for Gogliardo Freddi, his future father in law. Lorenzo Bandini loved engines and he wanted to get on the racetrack. With the help of Freddi, he started his…
I had already restored an OSCA MT4 for Steven Block, my tale OSCA: The last of the real Maseratis, so he had already been through all the twists and turns of a major restoration and he had sufficient means to…
Franco Bacchelli tells himself… “Does your mother know how to make tortellini? Do you speak dialect?” These are the questions that you need to answer to, in order to work with Bacchelli. When I ask him to confirm that, he…
Picture does not represent the vehicle described in the article Pic by Dave Rook – www.motorsportinpictures.com My 2000 mile, 3200 Km, a road trip in a 1955 Jaguar D-Type XKD 541 XKD 541, left the Brown’s Lane factory on November…
“I think that I was put on this earth to drive racing cars” The twice world champion started with motorbike races. In 1964, Emerson Fittipaldi and his brother, Wilson, created the first “Fitti karts”. Emerson decided to use them on…
The sport of motor-speedboat racing was born in the early century, between 1904 and 1905. The first major Italian success was achieved by Gallinari, on a speedboat that he built and which he powered with a FIAT engine. The search…
Joel Finn the well-known collector and author of many award-winning car books is a good friend. He started his working life with IBM and traveled the world for them. When he would travel for business he would conduct business meetings…
The Metal Wizard “Metal sheet needs to be tamed like a wild horse. It needs to be tamed through hands, eye and experience… because if it grows on one side, it needs to decrease on the other” Danilo Tavoni is…
Pic by Jim Culp In 1966 The Sports Car Club of America launched its first professional series called the Trans-Am. It was made up of two classes for sedans with a displacement of up to 2000 cc and over…
There are places which, once in a while, find a way back to my life. One of these places is full of energy, there were volcanos there which look dormant but they’re actually lava. They were volcanos of architecture, projects,…
When I went to the West Coast to go to University I drove across the USA in my Alfa Romeo Giulietta 750 Spider Veloce. These were jewels of cars and very fast. The tuner of the day was Conrero from…
The Queens in the hands of Gian Carlo Guerra When Scaglietti started working for Enzo Ferrari, Guerra – who was by that point an extremely skilled panel beater – became the workshop’s flagship. Ferrari appreciated him and Scaglietti often used…
Mantovano Volante Tazio Nuvolari is a legendary presence, always alive in the memories of motorsports enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts too. He’s the measuring unit of the fastest race and of the most exciting race which may be run. A timeless legend,…
My roommate at the University of California Berkeley, Bruce Owen, was also a motorhead like myself. He was a San Francisco native and was well connected to the Northern California Sports Car scene. He often spoke of his dear friends,…
Bacchelli talks and he doesn’t just talk about cars. He’s a person who saw generations parade in front of him, a man who came from a land who he fundamentally remained rooted to. And who watched his reality change. He…
I have written in the past about the influence my father had on my life. All that transpired was a reflection of my childhood and the wonderful preparation that I received as a child while working in the summers at…
The Queens in the hands of Gian Carlo Guerra – The Ferrari 250 TR? I made it, just like I wanted it to be because you know… I was a bit of a rebel. I mean, I liked doing things…
The story starts in 1957 when as a 17year old boy I was invited by a school friend to go to Florida for spring vacation. It so happened that the Sebring 12hour race was being held at the same time.…
Furia and his team To become the manager of the Ferrari technical department isn’t easy, even if you’re under the watchful eye and protective wing of Enzo Ferrari in person. But Forghieri succeeded, despite his inexperience and young age, due…
I have often been asked how a History and English major came to be a restorer of some of the World’s finest racing cars. I have written briefly about my father who was an extreme influence on me. When I…
The Electrofarmer – I’m an electrofarmer. He says that with a mix of pride and shyness, nearly as if he wanted to anticipate what I’m about to ask, and suggest the reading key to all of his history. – An…
Guerino Bertocchi took about a year to completely rebuild our Maserati 6CM. He sent dad a letter telling him that he had tested it with a temporary plate on the Modena-Bologna highway and had achieved 135 MPH. I am sure…
This story starts before I was born. In 1938. My father had gone to Indianapolis to spectate the 500 Mile race. Mauri Rose was chosen to drive a new Maserati 6CM n.1525 entered by Cotton Henning. During the race, the…
My father’s passion for Alfa Romeo started when he was a boy going to school in Paris. My grandmother used to winter there before the war. She would close her house in Radnor pack her bags and load her Packard…
– Chiara in the office, while there are 7 guys in the workshop, 2 work with me, on restorations, one works in the warehouse: his name is Raffaele, he plays guitar and he has a passion for music. He also…
O.S.C.A. is an acronym for Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili, or simply workshop for the construction of specialized automobiles. In fact, OSCAs were jewel like racing cars built by the Maserati brothers in their next life, after selling the Maserati brand…
Autofficina Sauro, the unforgettable meetings – Ferrari aside, which cars did you work on? – Well, Maserati’s and OSCA’s are the cars which I actually started putting my hands on… I also met Mr. Ernesto Maserati, you know? Actually, not…
For my 10th birthday, my father decided to surprise me by giving me a car. He had found an Austin 7 that was with a local policeman and decided that this was just perfect to learn on, both from its…
Starting with this first article, I will try to share with you some of the wonderful moments that I have enjoyed for the last 66 years with some of the greatest racing cars ever built. How it all began I…
Adolfo Orsi, 1888-1972 Work’s Cavalier His life seems taken from a folk tale, it revolved around sacrifice, intuition and success. Adolfo Orsi was born in Modena in 1888, in the San Lazzaro district, he was the eldest of eight children…
The last great “traditional” model (front engine and rear traction), the Maserati Birdcage left an important sign in the heart of the Trident brand’s fans, due to the sophisticated technical solutions. Designed for Sports series competitions, it was conceived in…
The first step is participating. We’re creating an archive about classic cars and motorbikes. The protagonists are the tales by artisans unique worldwide, drivers, extraordinary adventures. They’re stories by enthusiasts, who express their adrenalin-fuelled passion through their words. They’re sensations…
In the years 1957 and 1958, the manufacturing of the series by Maserati was fuelled by the inexhaustible source of the 6-cylinder engine, which finally took off with the 3500GT. The Knight Commander Orsi and Mr. Omer, the managing director,…
The first time I saw you When I saw it for the first time closely, a coral coloured Miura, with a Rome number plate. I was living in Aprilia, I was 14 years old and I was the shortest in…
“Vitesse en bleu” “See you Friday in Castell’Arquato, you may arrive at whatever time you wish!” “Stop where you see the bustle”, and what a movement! I enter the paddock and I park along Arda river, I already have my…
The engines’ roar has lured me to Monaco, for the 2018 Grand Prix Historique. The senses have become heightened, not only my hearing but also from the fragrances which have helped me to immerse myself in the atmosphere. The smell…
An Italian Saturday The event on the shore of Lake Como was a suggestive historic feature-length event of beauties on four wheels. There were fifty-one cars which participated in the race at the historical Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa D’Este. The…
Once more this year, the recall of the symbolic red arrow, the collectors world, from the five continents, punctually responded in large number. Nourished by the number of members, who would have liked to share the “dream of four romantics”,…
Mauro Bonaccini’s private collection 30th April 1955: Stirling Moss won the 22nd edition of the Mille Miglia, on the legendary Mercedes SLR, with number 722. Behind him came Taruffi on a Ferrari and his team mates, Kling and Juan Manuel…
A weekend at Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola It has been a week since the kermesse at the Imola racetrack. The programme was varied, ranging from conferences with the motorsport’s key protagonists, to the exhibiting of spectacular cars…
– Okay. However, shall we talk about the bookshop now? How was the idea conceived? –The idea was born when LEA (Editrice dell’Automobile in Roma) shut down the shop which they had in Via Hoepli. Giorgio Nada – who was…
At Idris and Samuele Morselli’s Museum How did I start collecting? Due to a passion? Yes, that was part of the reason, and because when I roamed around the country fairs, there were stands with scale models. A friend of…
Mario Acquati: from the races to the Book & Art Shop That’s right. We’re talking about the sixties, the time of the Economic Boom. The years told by Pasolini, those where modernity’s levelling bulldozer zeroed and redesigned the landscape. There…
DKW, founded in 1916 in Saxonia is the acronym for “Das Kleine Wunder”, The Small Wonder, and it was the largest motorcycle company worldwide. It distinguished itself for innovation and technical liveliness, it made DKW the technological leader in the…
It was never only a car “Which song would have Rosa chosen for this trip to the countryside?” I wonder while I look at the clear side out of the car’s panoramic roof. I smile and I think about her,…
Drivers and Victory From Forghieri’s tale we can see through the lines of a life which wasn’t only “lived in the field” and scanned by adventures and unforeseen events, but also an “internal” point of view, which enables you to…
To the question: what do you want to do when you grow up? I answered Niki Lauda. «It was Regazzoni who comforted me on my choice of driver, who was missing for the 1974 season, by confirming that Lauda was…
Ice cream and motors, these are the ingredients for the designing of Maserati Type 420/M/58. It was built to participate in the Two World Trophy, focused on the Indianapolis 500 in Monza. Entrepreneur Gino Zanetti, owner of…
The Family – What is it like to win? – Look, I don’t want to sound like someone who shows off but the truth is that for us, victory was logical. Even in ’63, when we won for the first…
The terms used to describe the various types of body styles that have “adorned” automobiles over time have never been precise and, as a result, have generated some confusion. The same term has been applied, through the years, to various…
Have you ever been on the set of a photoshoot? 2018 calendar, the topic: “Women and Motors”. It doesn’t sound like anything new! Here’s the surprise… The tidy workshop of Mr Luca, experienced mechanic of both classic and modern cars,…
The Metal Wizard That is where, through the years, Tavoni learned his job, until he becomes one of the best panel-beaters around. The small Fumana gained a new nickname – “Mani d’oro” (Golden hands) and Stanguellini in person nicknamed him…
Who won the 24 hours of Le Mans with a Gulf GR8 in 1975? Derek Bell, a specialist of long races. A name linked with the Stuttgart automotive company Porsche. Often racing as a duet, with another champion Jacky Ickx,…
An unmatchable optimist, the missed layer Laffite should have followed in his father’s footsteps, but he chose to follow those of his childhood friend, Jeanne-Pierre Jabouille, instead. In 1968, he attended the Magny Cours racing driving school. Tico Martini noticed…
The shadow man, from former secret services agent to owner of the Shadow team. In 1965, Don Nichols, lieutenant-colonel, left the American army and Vietnam. For the two following years, he sold Goodyear and Firestone tyres in the Far East.…
‘Io tigro, tu tigri, egli tigra’ “I adore this job. I wouldn’t want to do anything else. When I have the steering wheel between my hands, I feel a complete, serene and satisfied man. Not even during the darkest of…
“I thought I was the fastest driver in the world. Then, one day, I went to McLaren and I met Alain Prost”. Keke Rosberg should have been a vet, just like his father, but he hated early rises and he…
French, from Boulogne-sur-Seine, was able to bring popularity for motorsports back to his country. Beltoise started his career with motorbike races. After being the victim of a terrible accident, during the Reims “ 12-hour race” in 1964, his career risked…
Giampaolo Dallara, graduated in aeronautical engineering in 1959, in the same year, he started collaborating with Ferrari. He was assistant to engineer Carlo Chiti for two years. He gained experience with F1 single-seater cars, as well as with prototype and…
“Cars, speed, the smell of petrol were within me and I understood that it was the only path to follow…”. Reutemann admired Juan Manuel Fangio and Pancho Gonzales. After Fangio, no other driver was celebrated on the highest step of…
Dan Gurney, born in Port Jefferson, New York, defined by Enzo Ferrari as “an impetuous big guy, who’s a little naive”. In 1959, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a Ferrari Sport Testa Rossa, he had a fantastic…
“As I was still very young, I wasn’t able to stop the bike at the finish because my feet couldn’t touch the ground. I had to do a whole lap of the square before I could find a kerb my…
Enzo Ferrari wrote about him “His competitive nature was undisputable. He had a definitely superior view of races and a balance, a competitive intelligence, a confidence in his racing conduct which were truly peculiar…”. Omer Orsi said about “El Chueco”,…
Many adjectives were used to describe this former driver’s qualities: educated, good-mannered, always smiling, clever, organised and handsome. Tambay started his driving school at the Paul Ricard track, completing his courses successfully at the selective final, driving a Formula Renault…
