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1958 DeSoto Adventurer The 1950s were a halcyon period for American car manufacturing. After the deprivation of the war years, the American public yearned for a little excess—bigger, faster, flashier. Catering to this new appetite, during the 1950s American manufacturers went through a rapid period of automotive development, both technically...
Road America again hosted the Weather Tech International Challenge, a midsummer staple of the vintage racing scene. With well over 400 entries, the twelve racing classes featured full fields in each one. This year, the Formula Ford was the featured marque, celebrating 55 years of training aspiring racers all the...
A weekend where it feels as if the motorsport world descends upon the airy grounds of Goodwood House. In motorsport circles, the English summer is predominantly punctuated by two dynamic, yet distinctly different events. First on the calendar is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Sir Lewis Hamilton against...
Pat Dennis and Lotus Chassis #39, Bud Okon’s Chassis #30. Most people know that “snake eyes” means a high risk (1 in 36), high reward (30 to 1) chance of rolling two “ones” in craps. There’s the same risk and reward to rolling two “sixes.” Rolling two “sixes” is called...
In a month which hosted three of the most prestigious endurance races, all eyes turned to the hallowed ground of the Spa Francorchamps circuit, nestled in the undulating forest of the Ardennes in Eastern Belgium. The biggest GT race in motorsport landed hot on the heels of a thoroughly entertaining...
When Porsche first unveiled the 911, we lived in steady but gently progressive times. The 1960s was a turning point in many ways. Nearly everything was changing, and cars were becoming an exciting way for middle-class enthusiasts to express their desire for both performance and style. Manufacturers were embracing new...
Photo: Pete Austin Where do we start with the story of the March 761? In true Sound of Music fashion—at the very beginning. In the late 1960s, a band of four guys, Max Mosley (a barrister), Alan Rees (a former racing driver), Grahame Coaker (engineer and racing driver) and lastly,...
The Second Annual HSR Classic 6 Hours of The Glen took place from June 6 to June 9, 2024, with a bevy of familiar faces competing for victories. 41 Todd Treffert 74 Porsche 911 RSR Baby Turbo The HSR Classic 6 Hours is a retro-tribute race to The Glen’s longstanding...
Photography by Matty White Media Just shy of a third of a million fans flocked to the Circuit de la Sarthe, expectations set sky high following the celebrated Ferrari victory in the Hypercar class the previous year. With more manufacturers throwing their hat into the ring, new entries from BMW,...
As has become something of a tradition with my reports I’ll start by commenting on the weather (a British obsession as you may have noticed!). It is supposed to be “flaming” June and only a few days before the nights start getting longer in the Northern Hemisphere but of Summer...
Photo: Steve Oom With just over 600 produced between 1954 and 1962 it can t be said that the Jensen 541 was built in huge numbers. In my 45-plus years of older car enthusiasm, I can say that I have seen four Jensen 541s, and with pleasure have driven two...
The Fuori Concorso…Italian for “Out of Competition”…is exactly that. It’s not a competition, it’s a showcase. An exhibition. A weekend of vehicles and villas on Lake Como. 1936 Riley Sprite Unlike the expensive, exclusive Concorso d’Eleganza up the road at the Villa d’Este, the Fuori Concorso is an event meant...
Photo: James Beckett Benetton’s standing in F1 Like many of today’s Formula One teams, the Benetton outfit morphed from an existing team, Toleman, then itself became Renault and today it is operating under the banner of Lotus F1. Benetton first began competing in its own right beginning in 1986 with...
The annual exhibition of rare, classic, and contemporary cars along the shore of Lake Como never disappoints. If there were a theme to this year’s Concorso, it would be “original”…original designs, original condition, and an original overall winner. Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 1957 Ferrari 335 S 1957 Ferrari 335 S...
At the start of a month which has been heralded as the greatest month in endurance racing history, all eyes were on the mountainous Eifel region in Germany, where the first of three 24h races in Europe was to take place. June 2024 will see a gargantuan month of racing....
Photo credits courtesy of Fantasy Junction Automotive history offers a bounty of well-made sportscars. Tracing back to the earliest years of motoring, the sports car figured early in development as enthusiasts demanded more from their cars than simply efficient transport. Decades of research, refinement, and market growth fueled 20th century...
Ferrari runs several worldwide series and programs for customers to exercise and race their cars. The main one is the Ferrari Challenge which features a series of races in the USA, Europe, and Asia featuring the latest challenge cars which in 2024 are based on the current road cars, the...
The second round of the Masters Historic Racing series, and their first event in the UK in 2024 made for a mouth-watering weekend of historic racing at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, UK. After the initial Masters Historic round in Paul Ricard, competitors set sail for the South-East of...
Ferrari has always been a leader in high-performance engineering and design. Although many of their most innovative ideas were often plagued by modest resources, internal struggles, and industrial politics, the combined passion and stubbornness frequently yielded something glorious. Nowhere is this more apparent than when Ferrari launched their first 12-cylinder...
Assault in the Ardennes A land of myth and legend. Shrouded in the dense woodland of the Ardennes, the first glimpse of the iconic Spa Francorchamps through the trees, never fails to elicit a swiftly drawn breath. Stories are written here, legendary tales of motorsport heroics are created on this...
The Triumph Motor Company made a name for itself after World War II by producing interesting sports cars that performed well against their competition, despite having to design them on very limited budgets. After becoming a part of British Leyland, Triumph took a chance with a dramatic new design, advertised...
Photography by Chuck Andersen. The Fanatec GT World Challenge America championship took place at the Sebring International Raceway for rounds three and four of the 2024 season, with a scoring Florida heat beating down on racers and spectators alike during the weekend event. Become a Member & Get Ad-Free Access...
Lotus 72 The gentle shimmer of the Cote d’Azur sun on the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean. The shimmer of gold facades at designer boutiques lining the streets. The shimmer of heat haze exuding from exhaust pipes, working hard to cope with the demands of the most famed street...
The 46th running of the Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Mitty, one of the largest editions in the event’s nearly 50-year history, concluded on Sunday April 28th. Over the final two days at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, more than a dozen HSR Feature Race winners were crowned. Throughout the three-day blockbuster...
Photo: J. Michael Hemsley After he had finished the restoration of his 1936 Stout Scarab, Ron Schneider took it to a prestigious car show in Michigan. Two suited Chrysler executives looked over the car. As they turned to go, one said to the other, “So, who’s going to tell Lee...
1982 Martini MK37. Photo: Mike Jiggle Automobiles Martini tasted success in the French Formula Three Championship on a regular basis. Race wins and championship success were commonplace for cars designed and manufactured by “Tico” Martini and his loyal team. Race victories around the streets of Monte Carlo were common too, with...
Photo: Mike Jiggle The Porsche 356 is really the car that “started it all” for the iconic Porsche marque. Manufactured between 1948 and 1965, the Porsche 356 is the automobile that allowed the company to develop. This car is responsible for starting the world’s love affair with rear-engined machines. These...
Photo: J. Michael Hemsley When you have the only one ever built, you might have trouble convincing people that it is real. It’s a particular problem when what it looks like really isn’t what it is. That’s what Brian and Samantha Styles face every time they take their 1967 GT...
Images by: Virtual Motorpix/Glen Smale and CofGâr, Carmarthenshire County Council Museums and Arts Service Away from the bright lights, and tucked away in West Wales is the village of Pendine, which lies on a wind swept stretch of the Carmarthen Bay coast. Pendine Sands, a popular holiday resort, offers a...
For young teenagers entering high school, it is a time for discovering new interests, making new friends and perhaps becoming involved in sports and/or special interest clubs. For many teenage boys, high school also heightens their interest in cars especially as they approach the magic age of 16 years old....
On Sunday, May 26th, 1974, Johnny Rutherford won the 58th running of the Indianapolis 500-mile automobile race before a crowd estimated at 275,000 spectators at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Piloting an Offenhauser-powered McLaren M16C/D chassis for Team McLaren, the 36-year-old victor from Fort Worth, Texas took the...
Ten years since the reinvention of the Members’ Meeting has seen this grow from a relatively low key (by comparison with the headline Goodwood events), into one of the most cherished historic meetings in the UK. With a more relaxed, informal atmosphere than Goodwood Revival, where spectators are free to...
Though not well-known in North America for performance cars, Renault has always been a leader in clever engineering, leveraging platforms for a wide range of uses and innovating mechanical features with cost-conscious production methodologies. This methodology continues to make Renault one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. Largely...
Photo: Pete Austin Making its debut in 1963, the Rover P6 was introduced as the new jewel in the crown of the Rover fleet. The car was voted European Car of the Year in 1964 and it revelled in the glow of Britain’s last true motor manufacturing era. By the...
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...
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