TRANSPORT MEMORABILIA, 1995 (AND TIMELESS)
I LOVE auction catalogs. They contain a wealth of information. Printed on fine stock, they are typically a bibliophile’s delight. Christie’s catalog for a Transport Memorabilia and Models auction is … Continue reading
SCHMID’S LSR
EVER SINCE La Jamias Contente (French for “never satisfied”) set its land speed record of 105.882 km/h (65.792 mph) in 1899, cars designed for breaking speed records have been bizarre … Continue reading
BROOKLANDS AND ITS SILENCERS
APPARENTLY THERE’S not enough noise in Formula 1 this year (see http://wp.me/p2ETap-28h). This got me thinking of the opposite problem: Automobile racing is inherently a very noisy activity and, occasionally, … Continue reading
PITTSBURGH VINTAGE GRAND PRIX 1996
WHEN WE last saw our intrepid vintage racer (yesterday; http://wp.me/p2ETap-298), he and his patron, Jake Jacobson of the Old Spokes Vintage Racing Team, were chasing each other in 1930s sprint … Continue reading
JAKE JACOBSON AND HIS MILLER-FORD
MY VINTAGE racing career, a spirited though brief one, owed a great deal to Jake Jacobson. A fellow member of the Vintage Sports Car Club of America, Jake was the … Continue reading
ROTARY AUTOMOBILES
A CAR’S wheels rotate, they don’t go up and down. Thus, whatever other complications in moving a car, there has to be a basic transformation of reciprocating pistons into rotating … Continue reading
MAZDA MIATA AT QUARTER CENTURY
MAZDA IS celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Miata at the New York International Auto Show, taking place April 18 – 27, 2014. Given my personal involvement with Miatas, it’s … Continue reading
THE HECK, YOU SAY
THE GERMAN term Heckmotor (rear engine) is usually reserved for Porsche and Volkswagen. However, in the 1930s, Mercedes-Benz preceded Volkswagen in offering rear-engine passenger cars to the public. And, as you … Continue reading
TRIPOLI TANGLES, 1933
GOOD STORIES often get better—or at least more convoluted—in retelling. Such is the case with the 1933 Gran Primio di Tripoli. The original plan was bizarre enough: I Lotteria di … Continue reading
AUTOMOBILES AND ROOFTOPS
A FORD publicity stunt planned 50 years ago and its imminent recreation remind me of Fiat’s Lingotto facility in Turin, Italy, and the action flick, The Italian Job (the original … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 