Friday, 26 June 2015

WATERSTONES BRIDPORT WINDOW DISPLAY OF DORSET FROM THE SEA

Huge thanks to Waterstones bookshop in Bridport for this fantastic nautical-themed window display, featuring Dorset from the sea.

The timing couldn't be better, as this week is love the Jurassic Coast week. Use hashtag #lovethejurassiccoast on Twitter.


The visual feast that is Dorset is enjoyed by millions, visitors, locals, or through printed and virtual media. But few are lucky enough to enjoy the coastline 'from the outside looking in'.
This book has been photographed entirely from the sea by sailor and marine photographer Steve Belasco who has cruised the area in small boats for over 20 years.
His love of Dorset's waters, those who enjoy and the people and creatures that depend on them, comes shining through.



Dorset from the Sea – The Jurassic Coast from Lyme Regis to Old Harry Rocks photographed from its best viewpoint by Steve Belasco is available now in souvenir & large format editions.

Wednesday, 24 June 2015

CUMMINS MINI RETURNS TO GOODWOOD FoS 2015, UPRATED TO 4,400 HP


Visitors to the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed (Chichester, 25-28 July) will see a more powerful re-incarnation of the almost as famous Cummins Mini, previously seen in 2010. Originally fitted with the QSK78 3,500hp engine, the car (an original Austin version) has a new power source: the 4,400hp QSK95.

“The 3,500hp Mini display certainly proved to be a draw for visitors and customers previously. It was clear they had seen nothing like it before, with their pictures and comments reaching around the world via the internet. So, for 2015 we decided to do something even more impressive with our 4,400hp engine,” said Steve Nendick, Cummins Communications Director.

The QSK95 is a V16 engine with a capacity of 95 litres and develops 4,400hp and over 16,000Nm of torque. It is designed to power locomotives, mine trucks, power generation units and marine vessels. It meets the ultra-low U.S. Tier 4 Final emissions regulations with the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) after-treatment as used by many of today’s trucks and buses.

“It uses some of the same leading technology as a commercial vehicle engine, such as common rail fuel systems and SCR, but on a much larger scale. The QSK95 provides the torque of 16 delivery trucks, city buses or excavators. Each of the 16 cylinders has the cubic capacity of 5.9 litres, the same as the original Cummins B Series engine, and the equivalent to six of the original Mini one litre engines. However, the Mini doesn’t need to carry over 400 tonnes payload in a mine or pull 12 passenger carriages in a locomotive,” added Nendick.

“Unfortunately it doesn’t actually run. It would need a transmission, fuel tank, cooling system, and exhaust system that would each be bigger than the original Mini. As a complete power pack with all these systems installed it would be about the same size as the Cummins 40 foot exhibition trailer,” concluded Nendick.

To mark the appearance of the 4,400hp original Mini (on stand 20/21), Cummins will run a photo competition at Goodwood. The target is to reach 4,400 photos that are tweeted using #cumminsmini. The top 10 most original pictures will be announced on Twitter by @cumminseurope and receive a QSK95 related prize.



Tuesday, 23 June 2015

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF ALPINE AT GOODWOOD FOS 2015

The new Alpine Celebration Goodwood show car is the glamorous centrepiece of this famous sporting brand’s display at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Alpine will celebrate 60 years of pedal-to-the-metal race and road cars at Goodwood this year, featuring demonstrations and displays not only of the exciting new Alpine Celebration Goodwood, but of many famous cars from its past.
Most of these cars will run up the hill on Friday in a single celebratory batch, while Lord March will drive the Alpine Celebration Goodwood up the hill in the first run to open this year’s Festival of Speed.

Alpine Celebration Goodwood


A compact sports car inspired by Alpine’s motorsport heritage, the Alpine Celebration Goodwood is a two-seater coupé with sleek, flowing lines.  Its colour scheme has been specially created for the Goodwood Festival of Speed to commemorate 60 years of heritage, celebrated by a blazon on the side and rear, and will be seen for the first time at the opening of this year’s Festival.  The ‘Goodwood’ moniker in the show car’s name recognises the event, as well as this new livery, and distinguishes it from the Alpine Celebration Le Mans show car that appeared at the 24 hour race earlier this month.
The deep blue colour scheme is the same blue that adorns the Alpine prototypes that made a triumphant return to endurance racing in 2013. It is a livery referencing the Alpine models that played such a pivotal role in the brand’s original Le Mans adventure when, from 1963 to 1969, the M63, M64, M65, A210, A220 and even the A110 so valiantly upheld French honour in La Sarthe.
The Alpine Celebration Goodwood faithfully replicates the timeless style of Alpines of old whilst adding a modern twist. Its low profile, sloping, creased bonnet, sculpted sides, distinctive rear window and other design details are all clear echoes of models like the A110 that have featured so prominently in Alpine’s glorious history.
With no need for gimmickry to stand out from the crowd, the beauty of the Alpine Celebration Goodwood resides in its simplicity. Mindful of remaining elegant whilst at the same time responding to the need for frugality and efficiency, the Alpine Celebration Goodwood show car reveals much about the brand’s heritage. If it retains a familiar style and set of values, it integrates them in a thoroughly modern manner. Carbon detailing is used to highlight the high-tech features of the car’s body, from its spoiler to the side sills, diffuser, rear air intakes and mirrors.
The positioning of the masked double headlamps and the central round lights barred by a white cross will remind fans of the adhesive strips that used to be found on the headlights of Alpine’s rally cars. It was formerly a means of holding the lenses together should they be broken.
The apparently floating spoiler framing the Alpine’s bold nose strength, whilst the visual impression of poise and efficiency is enhanced by the straight, sharp lines of the side sills. The mirrors, meanwhile, incorporate a thin mirror that seems to be suspended free of its housing to heighten the dynamic, lightweight and aerodynamically efficient feel.  The famous Alpine arrowed ‘A’ is visible on the air intake grille, sides, front wings and roof.
The design of the wheels recalls a style that was popular on the A110 and A310 models during the 1970s. They reveal the prominent brake discs and orange brake callipers. In the middle is a one-piece cast aluminium hub – another element that contributes to the overall styling.
The athletic rear integrates air intakes built into the rear quarter panels to contribute to engine cooling. The engine cover – which can be spied through the louvered motifs of the rear window – reveals the mid-rear positioning of the power plant.
Above the wheel arches, scoops guide airflow in a manner that is unmistakeably Alpine. The rear of the vehicle is characterised by an impressive diffuser that incorporates a central rear light, flanked by two brushed stainless steel exhaust tailpipes. The approach throughout is very clearly to highlight rather than conceal the car’s structural elements. The result suggests low weight, agility and rewarding performance.
That said, the true significance of the Alpine Celebration Goodwood show car is to be found in its design – all flowing, sensual curves – which single-handedly symbolises the very essence of driving pleasure à la française.

Alpine A106


Rédélé’s first production car, the A106 was based on the popular 4CV saloon, highly tuned versions of which he had raced very successfully. Rédélé reckoned that with a special lightweight body the 4CV would be swifter still. In fact, he had already commissioned talented Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti to design aluminium coachwork for a lighter 4CV, this pretty one-off coupe built by coachbuilders Allemano.  The 4CV Spécial Sport turned out to be a major giant-killer in the 1953 Dieppe rally.
At much the same Rédélé had become interested in glassfibre technology, had grown keener to become a car manufacturer in his own right and had heard about a wealthy American industrialist by the name of Zark W. Reed. Reed wanted to build plastic-bodied sportscar to sell in the US against MG and Triumph. The two met, and devised a plan for Reed’s Plasticar company to build a grp-bodied version of the Michelotti car called the Marquis. The project ultimately came to nothing, but provided inspiration for the A106, as did a second 4CV rebody Rédélé had ordered from Italian coachbuilder Allemano.
In 1955 Rédélé presented three A 106s in red, white and blue to Renault CEO Pierre Dreyfus, their glassfibre bodywork manufactured by Chappe et Gasselin. The A106 was primarily intended as a racing car and offered with various power outputs, suspension set-ups, weight reductions and a (pricey) five-speed gearbox option. But demand for road-going versions saw it appearing at the 1957 Paris motor show, alongside a new Michelotti-designed cabriolet. Larger Renault Dauphine engines and even a spaceframe chassis were eventually offered, 251 A106s produced between 1955-59 at the company’s Dieppe factory.

Alpine A108


The A108 was a coupe version of Michelotti’s restyled A 106 cabriolet, based on the 4CV’s Dauphine successor. It appeared with the A106 at the ’57 Paris show powered by a 37bhp Gordini version of the Dauphine’s four-cylinder 845cc engine. Like its predecessor the A108 was glassfibre-bodied on a pressed steel platform. But Rédélé developed a more advanced version called the GT4, which used a steel backbone chassis, cradles at either end carrying the suspension, powertrain and steering gear. It rode on a 7cm longer wheelbase and appeared in 1963, only a year after the Lotus Elan was launched using the same arrangement.
Although less than 100 GT4’s were built, its structural composition was the basis for the legendary A110, whose styling was a highly successful evolution of the A 108’s look. Rédélé’s dream of overseas production was also realized with the A108, the car built under licence in Brazil by Willys-Overland to become the country’s first sports car. Renamed the Willys Interlagos, it was produced in Sao Paolo and enjoyed plenty of competition success. An impressive 822 were built from 1960 to 1965 – more than the 236 Alpine A108s built in Dieppe between 1960-62.

Alpine A110



The A110 Berlinette was an evolution of the A108, but a very significant one. It harnessed hardware from the Renault R8 rather than its Dauphine predecessor, and ran with engines that regularly became more powerful. Like the Alpine GT4, it was built around a backbone chassis to which its mechanicals were bolted, its exceptionally low body made from lightweight glassfibre. It was launched with a 1108cc engine which grew to 1255cc, then 1565cc, 1605cc and finally 1647cc for the Berlinetta SX. Aesthetically it changed relatively little over the years, not least because it was already very attractive. But there were many minor changes, among them a front grille with four headlights, widened wings, a front-mounted radiator, a removable rear skirt revised wheel designs and more.
Unusually for a relatively low volume car, the A110 was also produced under licence in Spain and Mexico. In total some 7,500 Berlinettes were produced between 1961 and 1965, the car shining in every competitive arena it entered. But its most famous exploits were on rally stages of the early ‘70s, Alpine winning the 1973 World Rally Championship with the car as well as many other victories.
The Alpine A110 Berlinette was the car that cemented Alpine’s reputation, and turned it international, besides giving dozens of drivers, professional and amateur, the taste of victory.

Alpine M65


A purpose-built sports prototype, the M65 was developed during a fertile design era for endurance racing cars triggered by the so called ‘Index of Performance’. This ingenious handicap system promoted all kinds of experimentation with mechanical layout, engine size and aerodynamics, cars scoring for efficiency as well as speed, Alpine winning it in 1964 with the M64.
The befinned M65 was powered by a Gordini-tuned 1300 engine that started life as the 1100 unit used by the Renault 8 Gordini. Its 130bhp was impressive for the engine’s size, and coupled with the M65’s modest 669kg and fish-like slipperiness, allowed the Alpine to run at over 160mph on the Mulsanne straight.
In 1965 it won the 1300cc class at the Reims 12 Hours, topping that with a startling win in the Nürburgring 500km race, pair of M65s appearing at Le Mans in the same year, although Mauro Bianchi and Henri Grandsire would retire on lap 32.
Alpine A110 1800 Groupe 4
A competition version of the A110, this Groupe 4 car is powered by the largest engine used by the model. By this point the A110 was beginning to be beaten in rallies, but only after a long period of success that included a World Rally Championship win in 1973.

Alpine A442 B


This is the model that won Alpine outright victory in the 1978 Le Mans 24 Hours, with Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi. Its success was the culmination of five years of work, the A 442B evolving from the first normally-aspirated A 440, the A 441 and then the turbocharged 442. There were many wins in Sport world championship events on the way, but plenty of heartache before Alpine’s ultimate goal was scored.
The A 442B was powered by a 2.1 litre turbocharged V6, hit a staggering 223mph on the Mulsanne straight and set what was then the fastest ever lap time recorded by an Alpine at La Sarthe. On the day of its victory Renault President and CEO Bernard Hanon, who had set Alpine’s Le Mans goal, announced that the team would withdraw from endurance racing to contest Formula One.
Each day, René Arnoux will pilot the A442b up the Goodwood hill climb.  René’s motor racing career spans 12 Formula One seasons (1978 to 1989), competing in 165 World Championship Grand Prix, winning seven of them, achieving 22 podium finishes and scoring 181 career points.

Signatech-Alpine  A450b


Fresh from its battles at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour race, the Alpine 450b has been racing in this year’s World Endurance Championship, which is a step up from the European Le Mans (ELMS) championship that the Signatech-Alpine team has won for the past two years.
With these two successful seasons under its belt, Alpine has decided to turn up its programme a notch in 2015, the Alpine A450b appearing at all eight rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
‘The world championship represents a whole new challenge,’ says Alpine’s CEO, Bernard Ollivier. ‘The context will be very different because our aim will be to make a name for ourselves in the LM P2 class. It will be a chance for us not only to keep learning but also to showcase our ability in parts of the world that are important for our brand. This programme will benefit Alpine’s image across the globe.’
As a tribute to the Alpines which raced at Le Mans in the 1970s, the 'LM P2' prototype by Signatech-Alpine has been christened 'Alpine A450'.

Although Alpine is looking very much towards the future, it has not forgotten its extraordinary heritage. The Alpine A450 name raced at and – in the case of the A442B – won at Le Mans in the 1970s.
The 450b is driven in the WEC by Paul-Loup Chatain, Nelson Panciatici and Vincent Capillaire.

– Alpine books available from Veloce –

Click image to browse.

Friday, 19 June 2015

NORMAN BURR VIDEO INTERVIEW



The names 'Keith Duckworth' and 'DFV' are practically synonymous, such is the reputation of the famous F1 racing engine which he designed.
Whilst there are books covering the technical aspects of the DFV engine, and other designs from Cosworth, the company which he founded with Mike Costin, there are many gaps in the story of Duckworth's career, before and after Cosworth. This book comprehensively fills those gaps, taking the reader into the world of Britain's finest 20th century engineers.
It was a world consisting of far more than motorsport, embracing an astonishing variety of mechnical devices, including aircraft, boats, and motorcycles – particularly Triumph, for whom he was a consultant during his retirement.
A man of strong convictions and high integrity, Keith Duckworth OBE cared passionately about his work, fitting almost every aspect of his life around it. His northern industrial roots, the ups and downs of his personal life, his health problems, and his generous support of charities and business start-ups, combine to create the story of one of motorsport's – and engineering's – most endearing and enduring characters. More info about the book.


Thursday, 11 June 2015

RESTORATION OF SINKHOLE-DAMAGED 1 MILLIONTH CHEVROLET CORVETTE

Milestone damaged when earth opened beneath National Corvette Museum.


Craftspeople and technicians at the General Motors Design Center are painstakingly restoring the historic 1 millionth Chevrolet Corvette damaged nearly 16 months ago when a sinkhole opened beneath the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky.
The restoration crew is part of GM’s Mechanical Assembly group at the Design Center, which typically spends its time building prototype and concept vehicles.    The white 1992 Corvette is a challenge because rather than build an all-new vehicle from the ground up, the workers are trying to preserve the original appearance of a production vehicle.
It is the second of three sinkhole-damaged Corvettes that Chevrolet has pledged to restore. The first, a 2009 Corvette ZR1 prototype known as the Blue Devil, was only lightly damaged and was returned to its original condition last fall. The National Corvette Museum will oversee the restoration of the third car, a 1962 Corvette.
Five other Corvettes swallowed by the sinkhole will remain in their as-recovered state to preserve the historical significance of the cars. They will become part of a future sinkhole-themed display at the museum.


On Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, at 5:44 a.m., National Corvette Museum personnel were notified by their security company about the burglar alarm going off in the Skydome area of the museum. Upon arrival at the museum, a sinkhole   measuring about 45-by-60 feet wide and 30-foot deep was discovered. 
Security camera footage showing the Skydome floor’s collapse has been viewed more than 8.5 million times on YouTube.
Eight historic Corvettes – two on loan from GM and six owned by the museum – were swallowed that day:

• 1993 ZR-1 Spyder (on loan)
• 2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil” prototype (on loan)
• 1962 Corvette
• 1984 PPG Pace Car
• 1992 1 millionth Corvette
• 1993 40th Anniversary Corvette
• 2001 “Mallett Hammer” Z06
• 2009 1.5 millionth Corvette

On March 3, 2014, the 2009 Blue Devil was the first car recovered and despite significant damage was started and driven out of the Skydome. The 1.5 millionth Corvette and Mallet Corvette were the last cars pulled from the sinkhole, on April 3 and April 9, respectively – after workers were initially unable to find them amid the collapsed earth.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Friday, 5 June 2015

SUMMER SPECIAL OFFER!


Are you planning a holiday in France this summer? Or maybe a trip to Le Mans later this month? To celebrate the start of summer we'd like to offer our blog readers 35% off the France: the essential guide for car enthusiasts for a limited time!*

The guide covers everything automotive, from museums and concours d'élégance, to motorsport events and track days, this book is packed with useful information and essential data. See what Petrolicious had to say about the book in its review earlier this week.

Use promo code FTEG35 to claim your discount either at checkout on our website, or by quoting the code over the telephone +(0)1305 260068.

*offer ends 31st December 2015 & excludes leather and limited editions, Veloce gift vouchers, Veloce eBooks & apps, other coinciding special offers, and non-Veloce products. P+P extra. Orders by telephone are during office hours only (9am-5:30pm GMT, Mon-Fri).



Thursday, 4 June 2015

EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION: WHAT’S GOING ON WITH CLASSIC CARS?
By John Mayhead


The other day I was reading an old classic car magazine from 2005, researching past values for the Hagerty Price Guide. But it wasn’t the values that caught my eye, rather a ranty letter from one reader who warned of “what I’ve been dreading for years – transverse engine front-wheel drive hatchbacks being considered as classics!” His ire was not limited to the ‘new’ cars either, but also the man who started it: “If it hadn’t been for Issigonis and his wretched Mini being the forerunner of the Volkswagen Golf, the hatchback may never have happened!”

Poor man. If he’s still alive today, we can only hope he’s living on an island somewhere with no internet or television. Or magazines. Or cars. Because whether you like it or not, the market is going crazy for 1970s and ‘80s classics: from the Ford Capri to the Ferrari Mondial, everyone wants ‘modern’ classics.

Many commentators think this marks a shift-change in the classic car world. Their rationale is that a new generation of owners – people in their 30s and 40s with spare cash – will buy cars that they can relate to. They will be attracted by drivable classics which are comfortable to drive, powerful, and full of the gadgets you would expect of a modern car: air conditioning, ABS, power steering and the like.

The theory continues that earlier cars won’t have this ‘cultural reference’ for the new generation of owners, and interest in them will dwindle as the current owners get older and shuffle off. So Wolseleys, Alvis, Sunbeams, and the like will all be left to rust.

So are we looking at a total change in the classic car world, one where anything more ancient than 45 years old is written off as a has-been? I don’t think so.

It is true that a lot of first-time classic car owners have been attracted by the comfort and complexity of 1980s cars. But with that complexity comes … well, complexity. Open the bonnet of any 1960s car and you’ll see an engine, coil, distributor, a bit that controls the fuel entry, a bit than controls the air entry, and an exhaust. With a bit of logic and a workshop manual, all things seem to be possible, and if you get it a little bit wrong the engine will probably still work (of sorts).

Open the bonnet of a BMW E30, a Porsche 944 Turbo or an Audi Quattro Ur and the story is different. You have an ECU to deal with for a start, lots of sensors, and much finer manufacturing tolerances. Add in the need for a range of specialised workshop tools and it all gets a bit complicated.


Now, I’m not saying that owning an ‘80s classic is a bad thing – I personally own two myself – but I think that having made the step into classic car ownership, having experienced the thrill of driving and nurturing an old car, the love will spread. I’ll use myself as an example. Last year I bought my first ever Porsche, a 944 Lux. Now I want a long-bonnet 912 more than anything else. Do I have any cultural references for the 912? Absolutely not. They stopped making them when I was two, they weren’t driven by my favourite movie star, nor did they feature in the TV shows of my youth. No, I want one because I love my other Porsche, I LOVE the look of the early 912/911 cars, and I quite like the idea of an engine that is roughly similar to the one in the back of my VW camper: basic.


So I welcome the influx of new owners, even if they start with a “wretched” VW Golf. Because for every new classic owner who gives up the first time their car breaks down, there will be another whose love will spread. Maybe the Golf owner will yearn for a Karmann Ghia or an early Beetle. Maybe he or she will attend a rally and be introduced to the pure driving thrill of a vintage car. As their confidence grows, the whole world of wonderful, diverse classic motoring will be opened up to them. And that can only be a good thing.

Text and pictures courtesy of Hagerty Classic Car Insurance. If you enjoyed this, there's more at www.hagertyinsurance.co.uk/Articles-and-Resources.

Tuesday, 2 June 2015

AVAILABLE NOW! FIRST PRINCIPLES – THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF KEITH DUCKWORTH

A few of our favourite 'Duckworthisms' from the book ...


First Principles chronicles the life of Keith Duckworth OBE, the remarkable engineer famous for being co-founder of Cosworth Engineering and creating the most successful F1 engine of all time, the DFV. Although the company's engines are given due prominence, this isn’t an intricate technical examination of their design, but a more rounded look at the life and work of their designer – work which included significant contributions to aviation, motorcycling, and powerboating.


The names 'Keith Duckworth' and 'DFV' are practically synonymous, such is the reputation of the famous F1 racing engine which he designed.
Whilst there are books covering the technical aspects of the DFV engine, and other designs from Cosworth, the company which he founded with Mike Costin, there are many gaps in the story of Duckworth's career, before and after Cosworth. This book comprehensively fills those gaps, taking the reader into the world of Britain's finest 20th century engineers.
It was a world consisting of far more than motorsport, embracing an astonishing variety of mechnical devices, including aircraft, boats, and motorcycles – particularly Triumph, for whom he was a consultant during his retirement.
A man of strong convictions and high integrity, Keith Duckworth OBE cared passionately about his work, fitting almost every aspect of his life around it. His northern industrial roots, the ups and downs of his personal life, his health problems, and his generous support of charities and business start-ups, combine to create the story of one of motorsport's – and engineering's – most endearing and enduring characters.


Available now! First Principles – The Official Biography of Keith Duckworth by Norman Burr. Foreword by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE.

MAY INSTAGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

A look back at some of our Instagram highlights from last month.

Special thanks to Drive Guide for providing a French twist with photos from Vintage Revival Montlhéry, Classic Days Magny-Cours, Rallye Dior Paris-Granville and Grand Prix de Pau.

Maserati overtakes Riley at Vintage Revival Montlhéry.

Stunning Monaco paintings by Bryan Apps from his forthcoming book. Thanks to Kevin for sharing this 'in production' photo.

Quirky Panhard dashboard with a clock mounted in the centre of the steering wheel.

Track action at Classic Days Magny-Cours.

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