The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Author Randy Cook in 750 Monza (0518M) at Concorso Italiano.
By Pete Vack
From our Archives, February 2017
We are saddened by the loss of Bowtie Ferraris author and vintage racer Randy Cook, who passed away on February 16, 2017 after a being diagnosed with cancer.
When I first met Randy, he was carrying a huge, I mean huge, three ring binder bursting with facts and photos of Chevy-engined Ferraris.
He plopped it down in front of me and said, “Well, let’s get to work.”
One of the Ardun heads on the test bed.
Story and photos by Brandes Elitch
In mid-March our local Packard Club chapter hosted a tour of the Al Engel museum, just across the bay from San Francisco.
It was an extraordinary experience. I have been in many car museums in the US and Europe, but I have never seen anything like this.
Sud Super sorta sums it all up.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
After the perceived glamour of Retromobile Paris, it was time for a trip up the M40 to the NEC in Birmingham for the ‘Practical Classics Magazine’s Classic Car and Restoration Show’, an event that is more boiler suits than Armani suits but just as enjoyable. Unlike other classic car shows such as Retro, at the Practical Classics show the attendees manning the club stands are welding spanners rather than just drinking tea and chatting, while in Paris they sip wine; it is all very hands on and grass roots.
By Robert Young
Published in April 2026
ISBN 978-1-918070-02-6
$70 plus shipping
Published by Evro Publishing, Westrow House, Holwell, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5LF, UK
Order Here
Review by Pete Vack
Robert Young has been researching the history of racing in South Africa for years, almost as long as he has known Graham Gauld. Says Gauld, “I have known Rob Young for many years and have always been aware of his plan to record for posterity the racing specials built in South Africa, particularly in the post-World War II years.” [Read more…] about Special Brew, The Story of the Southern African Formula One and Libre Specials
Jim Kimberly in the OSCA coming down the hill into turn five.
Text by Robert Birmingham
Photos by Glen Glendenning
Road America June Sprints, 23-24, 1956
After an exuberant late 1955, an abbreviated time to sit back and smell the roses was shortened even more when the Chicago Region SCCA received approval to hold two race weekends at Road America, the first on June 23 – 24, 1956 and another on September 8 – 9. If that wasn’t ambitious enough, the National Association for Stock Car Racing’s (NASCAR) Grand National Series secured a race date in August. Clearly all involved, Clif Tufte and his extended team, local merchants and SCCA officials, had their winter hours spoken for to assure competing drivers and their respective teams, area merchants and attending fans from across the Midwest and beyond had safe, enjoyable and profitable summer. [Read more…] about Road America, 1956 June Sprints
Paul Goldsmith took the Jag MK VII to victory in the under 3.5 liter race. Photo courtesy of Bernie Silverberg Collection,
Story by Bob Birmingham
Photos by Glen Glendenning unless otherwise noted
NASCAR at Road America
On the weekend of August 11-12, 1956 a NASCAR group of mostly good ‘ol southern boys took to Road America in two events. On Saturday a 100 mile race for European and American cars under 3.5 liters and Sunday the 250 mile feature for American made stock cars. Saturday’s grid had a mixture of small European sedans, an American Studebaker and one Jaguar VII Saloon, the latter driven to victory by NASCAR’s Paul Goldsmith.
By Willem Oosthoek
The above title quote is how a Maserati-loving bottling magnate always ended his correspondence.* The bottling magnate was J. Frank Harrison Jr., whose father was a nephew of John T. Lupton, one of the Coca-Cola pioneers.
By Willem Oosthoek
The Harrison team brought all three Maseratis to the next event, the Road America 500 miler in September. Each car was practiced and the 450S was fast but considered too much of a handful in a long-distance race. With the new red Birdcage offering even better handling than the Streamliner, it became Jeffords’ preferred car.
Glen Glendenning captured the first cars on the new track, probably in June of 1955.
Robert Birmingham tells us about Road America’s first event
With photos by Glen Glendenning unless otherwise noted
During the late 1800s, and decades beyond, was a small, calm pastoral village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin serving the farming community. Times were good, America was entering an industrial period and the village became a popular vacation destination. Available via the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) the village served many wealthy Chicago and Milwaukee families who sought to enjoy what was offered.
Quality resorts served visitors, the Schwartz Hotel, Siebkins, Pine Point, Sharps and Osthoffs, each overlooking a deep, blue lake where stately trees lined the shore. Business ebbed during World War I, picked up after but during the mid-thirties Great Depression returned to hard times. World War II continued the demise until signs of recovery in the late forties. To put it bluntly the town was not growing, business continued to laze and then something changed. The town was Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Lang makes a rocketing start and leads Caracciola and Farina whilst Villoresi’s streamliner falters. (Mercedes-Benz Classic)
Story by Robert Young
Photos courtesy Mercedes-Benz Classic
The race
The 30-lap race started in searing temperatures and one wonders how Luigi Villoresi was coping in the cramped confines of the streamliner’s cockpit. The track temperature was reported to be some 50 degrees and it was up to 40 degrees in the shade.
The race was to be started by ‘lights’ and by Marshall Balbo waving a flag, and this caused some confusion as the lights flashed before Balbo dropped the flag, and Lang, watching the lights, streaked away. For the Officine A. Maserati it was a disaster – Trossi’s car broke a piston and failed to complete a lap, the streamliner had a gearbox fault and Cortese retired on lap 4.
