THE FATE OF THE SLEEPING BEAUTIES VIDEO

An atmospheric look at the Michel Dovaz collection at Villemaréchal & Château de Sanxet (Copyright Op de Weegh), plus footage from a European book launch in 2008. Thanks to the authors for sending us the footage!

The fate of the Sleeping Beauties
By Ard op de Weegh, Kay Hottendorff & Arnoud op de Weegh

The ‘Sleeping Beauties’ – an array of neglected Bugattis, Lancias, Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, Cords and Aston Martins on a rural French estate – have fascinated car lovers worldwide since 1983, when they were immortalised in a sequence of photographs taken by Herbert W Hesselmann. For 25 years, the full story behind the collection and its fate has remained untold ... until now. More info.

VELOCE PUBLISHING CATALOGUE 2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More trucks

Printed copies of the catalogue coming soon!

DID BRIGHTON ROCK BRING BACK MEMORIES?

If all those clips airing on TV News lately from the remake of Brighton Rock, which premiered in Brighton last Wednesday night, have been bringing back memories and giving you ideas about the freedom of iconic two-wheeled motoring, this new book from Veloce could be just what you're looking for – and at ￡9.99 it won't break the bank, but could prevent you from making a potentially expensive mistake …

Vespa Scooters - Classic 2-stroke models 1960-2008
By Mark Paxton

Stop! Don’t let Brighton Rock tempt you into buying a classic Vespa without buying this book first! Having this book in your pocket is just like having a real marque expert by your side. Learn how to spot a bad scooter quickly and how to assess a promising one like a professional. Get the right classic Vespa at the right price!
The two stroke Vespa is rightly regarded as an iconic scooter. It’s initial purpose was to provide low cost transportation to the masses in the 1950s, but it evolved through the vibrant ’60s to became a symbol of the burgeoning youth culture, and on into the ’90s when it became firmly entrenched as an Italian icon.
The history of this phenomenon has been well documented, as has the subculture that surrounds it, but there has been no previous attempt to provide a guide to buying one of these classic scooters. This new book from Veloce Publishing, which is for sale now in all good bookshops or direct from www.velocebooks.com, will help ensure that you avoid the main pitfalls and end up with your very own slice of La Dolce Vita on the driveway. Scooters look set to be the 'must have' vehicles of 2011.

THE BRITISH CONQUERING THE BRICKYARD

The British at Indianapolis by Ian Wagstaff gets Book of the Month in Octane magazine! Take a look at the review below. Click image to view full size!

Click here for more info about the book.

ERIK CARLSSON TO ATTEND START OF XIV RALLYE MONTE CARLO HISTORIQUE, REIMS, JANUARY 28TH, 2011

Erik Carlsson at the Monte Carlo Rally 1963
Rally legend Erik Carlsson is to support the centenary celebrations of the Monte Carlo Rally by backing a team who will compete in this week’s XIVth Monte Carlo Historique rally in an exact replica of the car that took him to victory back in 1963.

The classic Saab 96 has been created by German vintage car magazine Oldtimer Markt and will be driven by chief editor Peter Steinfurth and navigator Thorsten Loeber .They will take the start at Reims this Friday (28 January) in a car that recreates the original in every detail, right down to the 283 entry number Erik used that year. He will be on hand to wave them off.

The exploits of Erik, aka ‘On the Roof’, Carlsson helped put Saab on the automotive map in the 1960s. He is a double winner of the Monte Carlo Rally in 1962 and 1963 and also took a hat-trick of RAC Rally victories in 1960-62. Now 82 years old, Erik was born in Trollhättan, Sweden, the home town of Saab, and was a works driver for the company throughout his career. Today, he is still employed as a roving ambassador for Saab.

Erik Carlsson was married to Pat Moss (1934-2008), who was also a successful rally driver with several wins in the Monte Carlo Rally ladies class, She was the younger sister of racing driver Sir Stirling Moss.

Erik’s ‘David and Goliath’ battles against larger, more powerful cars are now legendary in the annals of international rallying. With small two-stroke engines, 748 or 841 cc, the first Saabs lacked power for competition use and to overcome this disadvantage Erik developed a special driving technique. It was necessary to keep the engine revving at all times, so he used left foot braking while keeping his right food hard on the accelerator pedal. This allowed him to make the most of his car’s light weight and manoeuvrability while cornering.
Source: Saab

Coming soon from Veloce! Harnessing Horsepower – The Pat Moss Carlsson story
By Stuart Turner
Forewords by Sir Stirling Moss and Erik Carlsson

Covers the life of one of the greatest women rally drivers of all time, Pat Moss Carlsson.
Sister to Sir Stirling Moss, Pat had a highly successful career in show-jumping before moving into motorsport, going on to become European Ladies Rally Champion no fewer than five times. More info.

Available now! Saab 96 & V4 (Rally Giants Series)
By Graham Robson

The front-wheel-drive Saab 96, later the V4, made the brand into a rally icon in the 1960s, succeeding in events as diverse as the Monte Carlo, Britain's RAC rally, special stage events in every Scandinavian country, and the rough-and-tough Spa-Sofia-Liege Marathon. More info.

THREE SLEEPING BEAUTIES!

A big thanks to Mark & Gail from New Zealand for sending in this brilliant picture of two new Veloce books (The fate of the Sleeping Beauties & Sleeping Beauties USA) snoozing with their beautiful cat Gemma!
We particularly like the link with pets here, as our new Hubble & Hattie imprint is the home of a range of books that cover all-things animal!

Keep sending us your pictures of Veloce books!

JAGUAR CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF E-TYPE

This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous and desirable cars in automotive history - the Jaguar E-Type.

Jaguar will be celebrating this special anniversary year at high-profile motoring events throughout 2011.

The company will mark the anniversary at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and go on to celebrate at Goodwood’s Revival and Festival of Speed, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Nurburgring Old Timer Grand Prix and a host of Jaguar customer, dealer and lifestyle events worldwide.

When it was launched in 1961, the appeal of E-Type transcended the automotive world. Such is the inherent rightness of its proportions, stance and purity of line, that it is a permanent exhibit in New York.
Source: Jaguar

To coincide with the 50th anniversary, Veloce will be publishing Jaguar E-type – Enthusiast’s restoration Manual by Peter Crespin.
Forthcoming!
People dream of restoring an E-type, but many fail to complete their project after time or money run out. Do you REALLY need to spend £4000 trimming a two-seater, £6000 on an engine, £2000 on a soft top, or £30,000 for a new body shell? No – you can do it yourself for far less, provided your goal is a solid, presentable, and above all driveable car. If you are time rich but cash poor, this book is for you. More info.


E-type Essential Buyer's Guide's available now!

Click covers for more info.