Magazines are a funny thing. You hold in your hand the August issue, but you’re likely reading it in July and I’m writing this column in May! Go figure. It’s...
Formula One crossed an historic turning point on March 2, but I think it is safe to say that almost no one realized it. A new era was ushered in...
So, you might be  asking yourself, “What happened to my Vintage Racecar? There seems to be another magazine stuck to the back.” Correct you are! This month marks the debut...
Car design has been a key part of automotive history since the very first series of carriages was built for royalty. Though not a car per se, these first carriages...
Driving in to the office the other morning, I was listening to a comedian on the radio. His name is Adam Corolla and much to my pleasant surprise he was...
My personal record with the Mercedes 300 SLR was six starts, three wins, two 2nd places and one “withdrawn when leading”…under protest. That was at Le Mans after the big...
The possibility of working with Ferrari surfaced in mid-1996. Michael told me at the end of 1995 that he was leaving Benetton to join Ferrari. I was aggrieved about this,...
Throughout the history of man and machine there have been inextricable links between automobiles and airplanes. Henry Ford’s corrugated Trimotor being one of the most obvious examples, and the temporary...
Huffaker Engineering has been more successful, over a longer period of time, and in more forms of motorsport, than any other American racecar manufacturer. Who else has built winning sports...
My column in the October 2006 edition of Vintage Racecar was titled, “Shelby, the Early Years.” For the most part, it was about Carroll Shelby’s racing career that culminated in...
A little over 20 years ago, I made a radical switch from research scientist to magazine publisher. That ridiculous move was crazy enough, but I never thought I’d go from...
A driver’s helmet is a form of recognition, much the same as coats of arms in medieval warfare. “Lion rampant on gulles, with bend sinister argent, hold your fire lads,...
Thirty years have passed since the official presentation of the F40, which took place on 21 July 1987 at the Civic Centre in Maranello, now home to the Ferrari Museum....
A couple of years and a bit ago I suggested in this spot that, during these times of economic stress, Indycar racing might be rejuvenated by reviving the old stock-block...
There is an outfit in England making simulacre Vanwalls, road equipped, and with the choice of one seat or two. I’ve seen them only in green, but their natural livery...
Today we think of Fiat’s role in Grand Prix racing as the owner of Ferrari, but the Turin company was once a successful pacesetter in the sport in its own...
BBC TV’s Top Gear is seen in 170 countries. There is now an insipid American version,  which remakes original programs in a cozy way. The American presenters have had personality...
When you think of classic British cars made in East Anglia, surely the first marque that springs to mind is Lotus, which since 1966 has been based in Hethel, Norfolk....
I have driven most types of racing car from Formula Ford to Formula One and from the best in sports cars to that Volvo Estate car in the British Touring...
When the Chapman family finally stepped down from control of Team Lotus at the end of 1990 they carried with them a huge legacy. It was, and remains, one of...
Images courtesy of Glen Smale, Peugeot Motorsport, and Archives Terre Blanche/Photononstop On 26-27 May 1923, the first Le Mans 24 Hours event was held, or the Grand Prix d’Endurance de...
Nate JonesPhoto: John Zimmermann I first got involved with the Long Beach Grand Prix after a phone call from my friend John Queen, who said, “Hey Nate, my son Jack...
I wrote in this space, last month, that racecar drivers are just like us in that they too are human and suffer many of the same issues and problems that...
Earlier this year Reynard disappeared, having once been the world’s most prolific maker of racing cars. I’ve known Adrian Reynard for more than twenty years and so I was personally...
When we think of Southern California’s Willow Springs Raceway, what often first comes to mind is a fast corner such as Turn Nine, thanks to its speed and “hang on”...
It depends which Nelson you mean – and which Victory. In Portsmouth, there once was a station called Radio Victory, named after Horatio Nelson’s flagship, the pride of Portsmouth and...
As you’ll read in this issue’s news, the much-revered Lyndley Bothwell collection was recently sold by Bonhams. Of particular interest in this collection was arguably the jewel in the crown,...
In the 1930s, it was not unusual to bring an older late-model luxury car back to the dealer, manufacturer, or coachbuilder to have it rebodied with something newer and more...
The 24 Hours of Le Mans was always good for me. Of the 12 times I raced, I finished six times—not a bad ratio in the world’s most enduring of...
Racecar designers are sometimes accused of copying others’ ideas, but are they really “copy cats,” or is it a case of “great minds think alike?” Something worth examining, albeit there...
When Japanese cars first came on the scene, although practical, most were somewhat stodgy. In the mid-’60s, however, Toyota decided to produce a sports car that would rival others of...
Motor Racing History – Radical Technical Innovations & The Era of Ground-Effects The Birth of Ground-Effects Two major developments occurred during 1977, the Renault turbo made its debut at the...
Going into the new season, they looked to be in a strong position. Their car was the fastest in the field, they had two front-line drivers – one the reigning...
T’s Corner Intro Welcome to my little corner within the vast and ever-expanding supercars.net universe, aptly named “T’s Corner”. You may already know me via the website as a regular...
Hot on the heels of its creation of the World Drivers’ Championship in 1950, the FIA turned its attention to sports-car racing. Endurance races like Le Mans and the Mille...
Though only a few Dutch vehicle makers are in operation today, in the early years of the motorcar around the turn of the 20th century, quite a number of automakers...
Ron Harris was a wealthy man who had a company distributing 16-mm films, obviously prior to the days of video, who was running his own Formula Junior team. Apart from...
Adrian CamposPhoto: Pete Austin Today, Spanish motor racing spectators have much to cheer for. Fernando Alonso wins many Grand Prix races and is number one Ferrari driver. Jamie Alguersuari is...
You know how someone’s opposing opinion, one that seems inconsequential enough to let slide at the time, can keep gnawing on you ’til finally you just gotta explode? That’s what...
After thousands of hours spent on engineering and design, Cyan racing was able to produce a car that embodies their philosophy of giving a sixties sports car the performance power of a modern-day...
Since the very dawn of motorsport, automobile racing has been governed by rules. The very first motoring competition was the Paris-Rouen trials in 1894. Organized by the Parisian newspaper Le...
Sir Stirling Moss has just been given a special honor to mark 60 years as a member of the BRDC.  He had just turned 19 when he was elected to...
A couple of weeks ago, you may recall I bared my soul to you with the admission that I drove my Alfa Romeo so little that I had to have...
1982 Martini MK37Photo: Mike Jiggle Automobiles Martini tasted success in the French Formula Three Championship on a regular basis. Race wins and championship success were commonplace for cars designed and...
Having raced at “Mid-O” in karts and cars since 1964, the track’s site picture is indelibly scribed on the inside of my skull, where, naturally, there’s little else to get...
Prior to 1980, I had raced in the United States on a few occasions—I’d done Daytona two or three times with Porsche and I’d been to Watkins Glen. I won...
Not long ago, our resident sage—the good Dr. Lawrence—noted that innovations in road cars have always come from sports cars, rarely if ever from Formula One. Carrying this one step...
In a recent “Last Lap” [60 Years of the Upscale Mini] I considered the expensive customized Minis of the Swinging Sixties, which got me thinking about Mini specials. I cannot help...
The Canadian – American Challenge Cup (Can-Am) – The Ultimate Guide Introduction John Bishop, Executive Director of the Sports Car Club of America as his Competition Director, Jim Kaser to...
Jimmy Murphy Biography Jimmy Murphy was born in 1894 but tragedy soon struck the Murphy family when his mother died while Murphy was two and his father succumbed to injuries...
When drivers are asked about their greatest racecar, many look at cars that have won races or given them great success in their careers. I look back and try to...
Early 1900s Cars Contributions to the manufacture of early 1900s cars were made possible by several men. Two brothers, Charles E. and James F Duryea, were the first to manufacture...
The Untold History of MGB GT Classic Cars In 1962 during the Earls Court Motor Show, it was the first time that the MGB car model was launched. During that...
Chris Meek Photo: James Beckett Collection No Subscription? You’re missing out Any Text Here Get Started Already a Member? Sign in to your account here....
As far as I’m concerned the greatest racecar I ever drove is the car that gave me the greatest happiness in my motor racing career. It is the qualifying car...
Nestled in a nondescript building at an industrial section of Lincoln, Nebraska lies one of the world’s most impressive automotive collections. If not for the race car out front, you’d...
Tony SouthgatePhoto: Pete Austin At the end of the 1972 season, I left BRM to join Don Nichols and his Shadow race team, my brief was not only to design...
When Formula Junior came to the UK shores, to replace the now out-dated 500-cc Formula Three racing, I felt that it was time to build a single-seater chassis for myself....
Sullivan’s best GP came in the tight and twisty streets of monaco where he started at the back of the grid, but drove through to finish a creditable 5th. Photo:...
After WWII, sports cars became more and more popular. As a consequence, road racing took hold in the U.S. For the most part, it was an amateur sport governed by...
Unleashing the rampant horsepower of its global ‘Total Performance’ campaign, Ford funded many racing stables but could never quite commit wholeheartedly to the world’s most rewarding and highly publicised sports...
By 1963, Cobras were doing very well in Sports Car Club of America races. Cars driven by Shelby American drivers won the SCCA A Production National Championship. In addition, they...
The finned Cunningham D-Types of Walt Hansgen and Sherwood Johnston, wait with Duncan Forlong’s AC/Bristol and Curtis Attaway’s XK-120.Photo: Bob Schroeder Over the years Texas has seen its share of...
Two Ross Brawn-designed cars were to play a big part in my racing career, both were formidable contenders and race winners, but in totally different formulae. My experiences in one...
In the April edition of VRJ, both the editor and Robert Daley independently complained about cinema’s treatment of motor racing. When I first began writing this column for VRJ, Sylvester...