Fangio said, ‘the pilots are always mentioned, not the mechanics; without them, you could not race.’ And how true that is, the unsung heroes, without perfect teamwork of the pit crews, a Grand Prix weekend, despite the best efforts of the pilots, can be thwarted. Formula 1 is not an individual sport; the best-motivated and […]
We are familiar with the Ford GT40 beating Ferrari at the 1996 Le Mans. Interestingly, despite Ford beating Ferrari after a bitter battle, Ferrari produced two of its finest Ferraris. Ferrari was still as determined as ever, although losing Le Mans the P3 finished first in Belgium. Following the GT40 beating Ferrari’s 330 P3, it
The Revenge of Il Commendatore Read More »
19 January 2023 On May 5, 2022, at an invite-only auction in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, ten uber-rich collectors bid as RM Sotheby’s auctioned a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Gullwing Coupé, with starting bids of about £43m. The motor car sold for £116m, and it is thought that Simon Kidston bought it on behalf
The Most Expensive Company Car Read More »
19 January 2023 Between 1934 and 1940, Jean Bugatti, the eldest son of Ettore Bugatti, the founder of Automobiles E. Bugatti, designed, developed, and drove one of only four Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic ever made. One of Ettore Bugatti’s famous quotes reads, ‘nothing is too beautiful; nothing is too expensive.’ Not surprisingly, his company
19 January 2023 On June 11, 1955, a racing car in Le Mans, France, went out of control and crashed into stands filled with spectators, killing 82 people and injuring 180. Mike Hawthorn driving a Jaguar, directed his car to the right of the track to enter the pits; Lance Macklin driving an Austin Healey,
The Ignored Warning Read More »
19 January 2023 Alfa 8C 2900B Le Mans Special (Fitted with a Touring body) Carrozzeria Touring was one of the glories of the great age of the motor car. Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera was an Italian automobile coachbuilder. Initially established in Milan in 1925, it was well known for its designs’ beauty and patented Superleggera construction
The Sartorial Deep Thinker Read More »
19 January 2023 Why do F1 drivers earn so much? There are three main reasons, their skill, the risk they take, and the global value brought to the F1 international circus. Some drivers bring money; Lance Stroll, Lando Norris and Nicholas Latifi are examples. As to skill, it is more than just their ability to
What’s the difference between $750k and $40m? Read More »
12 January 2023 The Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso (1928–2003) founded De Tomaso in Modena in 1959. It originally produced various prototypes and racing cars, including a Formula One car for Frank Williams’s team in 1970. De Tomaso also owned the motorcycle company Moto Guzzi from 1973 to 1993. De Tomaso went into liquidation in 2004, although
12 January 2023 The great Charlie Watts, who died at 80 on 24 August 2021, had an incredible collection of cars, which seemed odd given that he couldn’t drive. But Charlie loved how motor cars were built, how they looked and how they sounded. One other passion was tailored-made clothes, and he earned the title
The Sartorial Passenger Read More »
12 January 2023 Despite the F1 organisation’s lack of enthusiasm for more than ten competing teams, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has announced an Expression of Interest process, allowing potential new teams to apply to the travelling show. Toto Wolff leads the protest and explains that some team bosses told him ten teams are more