During the fifties, Aston Martin produced sports cars with the designation, DB, which, of course, stands for David Brown. In...
John Von Neumann is an important name in the history of the second half of the twentieth century. A Princeton...
I have included a few remembrances about Lance in some previous Vintage Racecar columns, but because he was such a fascinating character, I thought a column explicitly about him would be appropriate in order to wrap up the theme. I wrote what was hopefully an amusing story about a party...
There is a man who is not only unknown to the general public but also to much of the racing...
During the fifties, I not only had a business relationship with Bill Devin, but we were also friends. We saw...
As old age creeps up, I think of things that are a must for me and perhaps also for readers of this magazine. I assume you are not only an automobile enthusiast and racing fan, but also have more than a passing interest in car history and the personalities involved....
I’m writing this column during the waning days of 2006. Fifty years is traditionally a significant anniversary. What I remember...
I’ve always been fascinated with the Goodwood Revival concept of “a magical step back in time.” For some time, I’ve been determined to take in at least one. The opportunity arose and 2006 was the year. Art Evans Goodwood is an amazing place. I can’t think of anywhere else quite...
When I first talked with Vintage Racecar editor Casey Annis in 2005, the conversation revolved around the subject of me...
During the Fifties, a number of women were involved in the sports car craze. This was during a time when...
This is a little-known story, but the real father of Riverside Raceway was Jim Peterson. I thought this would be a good time to tell it, because the new Riverside International Raceway Museum is having a “Legends of Riverside” celebration on March 27-29. It might be appropriate to include at...
Whether or not most of us realize it, a most unusual man is among us. Until the late ’50s, he...
One of the most successful relationships in motor sports during the sixties was between Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. It...
Jack was born on April 2, 1926, and I think it’s appropriate that we all wish him a happy birthday. (I realize you are reading the May edition of Vintage Racecar, but subscribers usually get it in April.) On this occasion, I thought you might be interested in some of...
I don’t remember when I first met Lance Reventlow, but it must have been through my buddy, Bruce Kessler, who...
In 1953, the Rootes Group in England, which had acquired the Sunbeam Company in 1935, produced a handsome sports car, the...
Like many other sports during WWII, automobile racing experienced a hiatus. Soon thereafter, however, competition resumed. The Formula One World Championship series was initiated in 1950 and became the ultimate goal for both drivers and constructors. At the same time, Southern California became a hotbed of the car craze. Road...
Carroll Shelby once remarked, “There are only two people I can think of who could sit down, take a welding...
On August 4, 2007, an icon of American racing and my dear friend, John Fitch, turned 90 years old! In...
Sexual debauchery, a regime’s imminent downfall and a kidnapping fit for a gentleman were some of the highlights of the 1958 Grand Prix of Cuba for sports cars. Racing during the fifties was noted for some remarkable events. The horrific 1955 Le Mans when almost 100 spectators lost their lives...
The immutable rule of life is that every living thing is born, lives and dies. Publications are living things, and...
During the fifties, everyone’s hero was Juan Manuel Fangio. He won the World Driving Championship five times, an achievement that...
Some of our California sports car races during the fabulous ‘50s were not just for current vehicles. At some SCCA events, there were races for pre-WWI racecars! We called them the “old crocks.” Just one man owned all of the cars: Lindley Bothwell. Lindley was one of the most interesting,...
On this, the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Monterey Historics, I thought it would be interesting to look back and see...
During the early fifties, road racing in the United States took place, for the most part, at airports. While airports...
As everyone knows, after the 1960 racing season, Carroll Shelby retired as a driver and became even better known for creating Cobras and Shelby Mustangs. But perhaps fewer know that he ventured into car creation somewhat before. During the fifties, Shelby, Jim Hall, and Jim’s brother, Richard, had a dealership...
During the Fifties and Sixties, one of the most popular sports car racing venues in the West was Palm Springs....
I remember that the Reader’s Digest used to have a series of articles titled some-thing like “The Most Unforgettable Character...
For the last 20 years or so of his life, Rodger Ward and I were friends. Even though I had met him only once during the fabulous fifties when he drove a customer’s Devin SS when I was the Devin distributor. We became close friends when I asked him to...
