Then. By his own admission, Geoff Hacker specializes in finding cars that no one is looking for. It’s actually an...
Much like the animal it was named for, the precise origin of the Unicorn H-Modified sports racer remains a mystery....
The 24 Hours of Le Mans; Le Mans, June 13–14, 1953. The experimental Porsche 550 coupe, which was driven by Hans Hermann and Helm Glœckler, turns through Mulsanne under lovely afternoon skies. They finished 16th overall, just behind their sister car driven by Richard von Frankenberg and Paul Frére which...
Legends are often born in obscurity. Alfa Romeo’s humble beginnings gave no hint as to the extraordinary heights the company...
What was Jud Phillips thinking? This has been the question that’s tormented Bill Fester for nearly a decade. Fester, from...
Before WWII, the term “sports car” was an alien phrase in the USA. There was no such thing. Returning G.I.s changed that when they came home with MG TCs. This gave America its first taste of small, nimble, four-cylinder sports cars. Enthusiasts on this side of the pond said, “Please...
“Their hopes, their dreams, their love; tied to a ribbon of road…and a boy’s unflinching faith…in a girl!” “A story...
Not every Alfa Romeo 1900C chassis that went to a Carrozzeria for custom coachwork (see this month’s Roadcar Feature) emerged...
At the 1953 General Motors Motorama in New York City, Cadillac unveiled a concept car designed by Harley Earl. Named in honor of Cadillac’s participation in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans. This new design was a low-profile, two-seat, fiberglass-bodied roadster that featured Cadillac’s first use of the wrap-around...
In 1953, Chrysler’s famed design chief, Virgil Exner entered into a partnership with the Italian styling house Ghia to produce...
Enzo Ferrari’s focus was on racing, not road cars, but he needed money to finance his racing addiction, so he...
Although Ferrari is among the most globally-recognized Italian brands today, the company was largely unheard of in 1953… Ferrari began producing cars in 1947 (barely: three cars were built, followed by five more in 1948, and 21 in 1949), and 1953 was noteworthy because it was the first year during...
The German Grand Prix; Nürburgring, August 2, 1953. World Champion Alberto Ascari sits in his Ferrari 500/F2 in front of...
The 1953 Turin Auto Show must have been quite a sight. It presented cars of what would become a landmark...
Then. I’ve been hiding something from you. I’m not proud of it, and it’s been going on for way too long. Before you know it, it will have been ten years. And I know if I don’t come clean now, I never will. So here goes… Become a Member &...
Then. Who wants to be Tony Curtis in the 1950s? That man had cars and women, fast and smokin’, in...
I spotted Phil Jelinek’s beautiful ’53 Kaiser Traveler Deluxe from across the Huntington Beach Concours show field. That is because...
In the March 2009 VRJ I wrote about Don Blenderman’s Kurtis obsession and his wonderful Sutton-bodied 500KK. What I failed to mention was his lengthy quest to capture an example of Frank’s most prolific sports racer, the legendary 500S. The Kurtis 500S is a masterpiece in function and design. Introduced...
1953 Leson Simca Special Progress is not always a good thing. In the early 1950s, if you wanted to go...
This month’s awesome Hidden Treasure was discovered in 1995, sitting behind a house in Glendale, Arizona. How awesome? You tell...
The Maserati A6GCS driven by Emilio Giletti and navigator Guerino Bertocchi at the 1953 Mille Miglia. They finished in 6th place out of a total of 577 cars that were entered (490 cars started the race, and 283 cars finished). Arthur Schening is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator living...
The 1953 Mille Miglia Race Results: 1953 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 25-26, 1953 / Winner: Marzotto G. –...
There is no hidden racecar in this story, but there are four treasures, one mechanical and three human. I love...
The photo caption on page 31 of the November 1953 issue of Road & Track read: “A strange assortment of cars lined up for the feature of the day.” The author was Bill Brant and the feature race noted was the Seafair Trophy at the inaugural Seafair Sports Car Races...
The main thing about the 1953 race at Watkins Glen was the question of whether there would be a race...
In the early 1950s, Americans looked forward to attending auto shows for the unveiling of the manufacture’s latest offerings. Adding...
“For nearly a half-century, wherever Americans powered their way to automobile glory, whether on the two-and-a-half-mile Speedway at Indianapolis, the short quarter-mile midget tracks or the dusty half-mile fairgrounds where sprint cars plied their fearsome trade, the name Offenhauser long meant the most dominant engine to power a racing car.”...
The Ghia-designed Dodge Firearrow III is flamboyantly showcased on its stand during the 1954 Detroit Auto Show....
Ascari and Formula II 1952 and 1953 were watershed years for Scuderia Ferrari, notable not only for what the team...
Archibald Frazer-Nash started his company in 1922, but found himself in receivership by 1927. From the ashes was born AFN limited, the majority of which was purchased by H.J. Aldington. In the aftermath, Archibald went on to create a new company with E. Grattan Thompson ( Nash&Thompson), which developed hydraulic...
