Historic motorsport, classic car features Retro-Speed classic car magazine

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THE CAR THAT WOULDN'T DIE - Omnibus 1 : Peter Baker

The Car that wouldn’t Die New Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page It was September 1924. No, I tell a lie. It was the second week of October. At the International Motor Car Show, Olympia, where a very young Bertie Bannister of Difflock Mansions, Mayfair, egged on by his latest girlfriend Lena Thataway, handed over a substantial amou...

FIA HISTORIC MOTOR SPORT COMMISSION : Jeff Carter

Q&A with the President John Naylor Words and image by Jeff Carter In December 2020 John Naylor was appointed President of the FIA Historic Motor Sport Commission, taking over from Paolo Cantarella, who had held the post since 2014. John Naylor brings with him a wealth of experience as a competitor, engineer and official, both in his native Ireland and on the international stage. We ca...

THE SCOTTS GO MOTORING - Omnibus 13: Peter Baker

The Scotts go Motoring Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow the daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page Way before Noakes was comfortably tucked up, George had decided on his course of action. He picked up the microphone. “This is your captain speaking. I know things look pretty grim at the moment, but actually folks, trust me, there’s not much to worry about. This...

FIA EHRC CONTENDER JEAN-FRANCOIS MOURGUES : Jeff Carter

Getting to know Jean-Francois Mourgues Words and image by Jeff Carter The 2001 French Rally Champion and former World Rally Championship competitor Jean-Francois Mourgues will take part in the 2021 FIA European Historic Rally Championship at the wheel of a BMW M3 with co-driver Denis Giraudet, who has five WRC rally wins between 1993 and 2001, one with Juha Kankkunen and four with Didier A...

THE SCOTTS GO MOTORING - Omnibus 12: Peter Baker

The Scotts go Motoring Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow the daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page It was raining again, thanks to another warm front working its way east along the coastline, and their primitive windscreen wipers had long since ceased to function. Robert, trying be helpful, suggested a potato might help, but Florence was in no mood for flippancy. “W...

FIA EHRC CONTENDER ANDREA 'ZIPPO' ZIVIAN : Jeff Carter

Getting to know Andrea ‘Zippo’ Zivian Words and image from Jeff Carter The 2021 FIA European Historic Rally Championship is due to get underway in April, with competitors looking forward to getting back onto the stages across Europe following the cancellation of last year’s series due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a series of short interviews with the leading competitors,...

THE SCOTTS GO MOTORING - Omnibus 11: Peter Baker

The Scotts go Motoring Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow the daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page It was a beautiful afternoon for the Scotts to go motoring. The tiny villages of La Chaise-Dieu, Arianc and Ambert, just dots on the map, came and went, as did Courpiere and Thiers, where Florence hesitated at the main crossroads. “Straight on.” Robert went back...

MONACO MUSINGS 2018 : Roman Klemm

Roman looks back at the 2018 GP de Monaco Historique 2018 Words and images by Roman Klemm Let’s hope, this was not the last time…. 'This could be the last time', rocked the Rolling Stones back in 1965 – let’s hope this is not the case with the 2018 Monaco Historique. Everyone who said goodbye to Monaco back then, started looking forward to its next edition. Howe...

THE SCOTTS GO MOTORING - Omnibus 10: Peter Baker

The Scotts go Motoring Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow the daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page Eventually Bill wrestled back the controls from Winston, who then retired into the cabin and flopped himself down in a makeshift chair. After five minutes of cloud-gazing the great man declared himself bored. “Tell you what Bertie. Let’s play ‘I-Spy’?...

ALL ELECTRIC BY 2030 - PURELY PERSONAL : David Alderson

Oats and grain, to ligroin, to electric Words by David Alderson I see that motor manufacturers are not going to be allowed to offer new internal combustion-engined vehicles for sale to the public after 2030. Well, that’s a great shame because I’m certain there’s a lot more development potential in these engines, particularly compression ignition engines (diesel) which, the...

MONACO MUSINGS 2016 : Roman Klemm

Roman looks back at the 2016 GP de Monaco Historique Words and images by Roman Klemm Monte Carlo full of stars.... The fashionable Monte Carlo has always been a kind of ‘High Society’ gathering, but in 2016 the Historique attracted a particularly large number of motorsport stars. The trend of former giants of steering wheels finding their way back into cockpits of real r...

THE SCOTTS GO MOTORING - Omnibus 9 : Peter Baker

The Scotts go Motoring Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow the daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page Due to heat haze and low-level turbulence, Captain Bill Pitt, chief test pilot with Stanley Page Aviation, made a cautious approach into Delhi military airfield, allowing plenty of time for the experimental, four-engined, SPA-X4 long-range, heavy bomber, to settle. It had be...

BAKER STREET : Peter Baker

Briggs Cunningham Museum, eventually Words and image by Peter Baker I remember flying into New York for the first time, as if it was yesterday. And in case you’re thinking, the man’s grown wings, I was on board a Jumbo Jet. Anyway, along with that sinking feeling that goes with losing height, the spiky top of the Empire State Building suddenly poked up through the swirling clou...

MONACO MUSINGS 2014 : Roman Klemm

Roman looks back at the 2014 GP de Monaco Historique Words and images by Roman Klemm The first time for Renault's sports department While top marques, such as Porsche and Ferrari, regularly used the popularity of Grand Prix de Monaco Historique to showcase their old and new products to the public, the domestic Renault brand was not involved at all until 2014. However, this ch...

THE SCOTTS GO MOTORING - Omnibus 8 : Peter Baker

The Scotts go Motoring Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow the daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page With Florence on umbrella duty, Robert poured in their final five gallons. “Should be enough.” Driving with ultra-care, and dodging myriad pot holes, they entered Rohtak, last big town before Delhi. The place was packed. “A carnival perhap...

MONACO MUSINGS 2012 : Roman Klemm

Roman looks back at the 2012 GP de Monaco Historique Words and images by Roman Klemm Pushing Arturo Merzario along the pit lane… Of course, my visit of Monaco Historique in 2012 again resulted into hundreds of unique experiences and impressions. But one of them was perhaps exceptional. My personal hero (from childhood, and in general) Arturo Merzario decided to take part in ...

THE SCOTTS GO MOTORING - Omnibus 7 : Peter Baker

The Scotts go Motoring Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow the daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page With temperatures falling they left Yazd, the sun setting, hoping to cover the 20 miles to Kerman before dawn. One thing was for sure, getting lost wasn’t going to be a problem, there was only one road, and that lay straight ahead, across the salt flats. Scottie ...

MONACO MUSINGS 2010 : Roman Klemm

Roman looks back at the 2010 GP De Monaco Historique Words and images by Roman Klemm Teutonic Invasion It was in 2010 when the Monaco Historique was discovered by the PR department of VW-Porsche, and it could be to its advantage. The museum in Zuffenhausen, therefore, sent a transporter to the Cote d'Azur with some precious cargo: two pre-war ‘Silverfish’ Auto Unions. Even th...

THE RALLY OF THE VALES : Ken Davies

Ancient and Modern Words by Ken Davies. Images: Speedsport, Photosport, Mike Carter and Ken Davies Part 1: 1955-1973 Conveniently situated at the southern fringe of the UK’s finest road rallying country, Swansea Motor Club (SMC) – formed 1924 – created a signature event, originally called Rally of the November Night 1955-57, although the 1956 event was cancelled due to S...

THE SCOTTS GO MOTORING - Omnibus 6 : Peter Baker

The Scotts go Motoring Serial copyright Peter Baker Follow the daily episodes on Peter Baker’s Facebook page Istanbul, one almighty market place, a heaving labyrinth of alleyways, where negotiation is an art form stretching back thousands of years and no tourist is allowed to leave empty-handed. Every holidaying American or Western European is guaranteed to return home clutchi...



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