THE 1921 RUMPLER TROPFENWAGEN—AERO WONDER AND MOVIE STAR. PART 1
WHAT DOES THE 1921 Rumpler Tropfenwagen have in common with the 1933 Napier-Railton? And, even more obscurely, what ties these two cars with my own personal driving experience? An article … Continue reading
MONACO GP 1956—MOSS BEATS A FANGIO TAG TEAM
JUAN MANUEL FANGIO and Stirling Moss are legendary race car drivers. Fangio’s record five Drivers’ World Championships, 1951, 1954–1957, held up for 46 years until the Michael Schumacher era. Moss … Continue reading
ART OUT FRONT—RADIATOR MASCOTS
BACK WHEN RADIATORS weren’t hidden within automotive bodywork, radiator caps could be objets d’art. In their most artistic, these hood ornaments were designed by famous sculptors. Other automotive mascots displayed … Continue reading
SEPARATED AT (COACHWORK) BIRTH?? AT LEAST IN SPIRIT
WHAT DID MY 1958 English Ford Consul Mk II convertible have in common with the 1933 Barker-bodied Rolls-Royce 20/25 Three-Position Drophead Coupe? “Utterly nothing,” one is tempted to respond. However, … Continue reading
CONAN DOYLE (LITERARY AGENT)—MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PART 2
YESTERDAY IN PART 1, we learned details of the 1911 Prince Henry Tour, a German-sponsored automobile competition honoring the coronation of Britain’s George V. Today in Part 2, we identify … Continue reading
CONAN DOYLE (LITERARY AGENT)—MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PART 1
LITERARY AGENT COMMISSIONS paid by Brigadier Etienne Gerard and Dr. John H. Watson got put to good use: Literary agent Sir Arthur Conan Doyle participated in motor sports by taking … Continue reading
GP TEAM MANAGEMENT IN DAYS OF YORE
THE CONTROLLED FURY of Grand Prix racing has always been laced with team shenanigans. Here’s an example that occurred in the 1953 Swiss Grand Prix, with striking contrasts as well … Continue reading
1947 ARSENAL CTA GRAND PRIX CAR PART 2
YESTERDAY, WE LEARNED of an optimistic post-World War II plan of returning France to the forefront of Grand Prix motor racing. Chosen to lead this effort was Albert Lory, whose … Continue reading
1947 ARSENAL CTA GRAND PRIX CAR PART 1
WHAT DOES THE post-war French Arsenal CTA grand prix car have in common with a locomotive? At first thought, it isn’t the robustness of its construction nor the success of … Continue reading
1954 MORRIS MINOR—A TRIM TIDY SEDAN
THE MID FIFTIES were an exuberant time in American automotive design. Bigger was better. Fins were appearing, albeit not yet as expansively as in the late Fifties. In the MOBILGAS … Continue reading
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