LAMBORGHINI URRACO BOOK REVIEW

There is a fantastic review of The Book of the Lamborghini Urraco by Arnstein Landsem on Automobiliac.com. Nice to receive some praise too! Here is a snippet of the review:

"Veloce has gone from strength to strength lately, and at this point I would consider them the foremost publisher of affordable automotive books in the world. Veloce consistently delivers books that are comprehensive without being pedantic, profusely illustrated, well produced in terms of printing and layout, and accessibly priced. And the new Urraco book is no exception."

Click here to read the full review!

This book tells the amazing story of the Lamborghini Urraco. It describes the problems that beset this little supercar, and why it never got the chance it truly deserved. After its demise, the Urraco lived on in the form of the Silhouette and the Jalpa, and both these models are also covered in detail in the pages of this book. The unique Bravo and Athon concept cars are also described.
Featuring detailed advice for potential buyers, as well as over 300 photos and illustrations, this is a fascinating and practical account of a future supercar classic. More info.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE MGB AT THE SILVERSTONE CLASSIC 2012

This summer’s 2012 Silverstone Classic powered by the AA will be one of just three official showpiece events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the MGB, widely hailed as one of Britain’s most cherished sportscars.

The world’s biggest classic motor racing festival has teamed up with the MG Car Club and the MGB50 committee to establish a special trilogy of birthday parties to mark what’s a very special golden anniversary for the enduring and endearing MGB.

The celebrations for the world famous ‘B’ open with MGLive! in June and conclude with a static showcase gathering at Blenheim Palace in September. In between comes this year’s all-action, three-day Silverstone Classic, staged at the home of the British Formula 1 Grand Prix from 20-22 July. All MGB owners attending these three special trilogy events will be presented with a unique commemorative rally plaque exclusive to the individual festivity.

As well as featuring the very best of historic racing plus live music from classic rock bands, the Silverstone Classic is renowned for its huge car club displays often highlighting significant milestones in the history of iconic marques. Last year’s Classic marked the 50th anniversary of another truly great British sportscar when more than 1000 E-type Jaguars helped to establish a new Guinness World Record. Now the focus will switch to the much-loved MGB, first launched to the public at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1962.

“We are very proud to welcome the MGB50 celebration to the Silverstone Classic,” said event director Nick Wigley. “The ‘B’ is at the heart of the classic car movement in the UK and, as part of this trilogy of special events, we look forward to giving owners a great rocking and racing experience. This is a fantastic era for celebrating golden milestones in the British sportscar industry – last year the Silverstone Classic honoured the 50th birthday of the E-type with a Guinness World Record; this year we will be paying homage to 50 years of the remarkable MGB.”

In total more than half a million MGBs were built between 1962 and 1980 in Abingdon – home of the illustrious MG factory situated just down the road from Silverstone to the south of Oxford. From the original Mark I roadster, through to the elegant MGB GT and the fearsome GT V8, the evergreen MGB has endeared itself as one of the most affordable and adored models whether as a first sportscar, desirable convertible, potent coupé or restoration project. The ‘B’ also enjoyed some notable racing and rallying successes during the Sixties with victories, either outright or in class, in a number of major endurance sportscar events (Brands Hatch, Nurburgring, Sebring, Targa Florio, Spa-Francorchamps) as well as the Monte Carlo Rally.

With its rich mix of on-track competition and off-track entertainment, the Silverstone Classic will provide the perfect backdrop for the MGB50 with more than 800 historic race cars in race action and 7,000 classic cars on display across the weekend. Adding to the non-stop party atmosphere there will be flat out family fun for everyone with live music from Mike & The Mechanics and Adam Ant in the evenings plus a free fun fair, retail village, air displays, demos and the new AA World feature with its own wealth of attractions. So, whether coming for the day or taking advantage of the many camping options to enjoy the full three-day festival, MGB owners will have a truly memorable 50th birthday celebration.

“It’s shaping up to be a tremendous year for the B,” confirmed MG Car Club General Manager Julian White. “Each of the three events offers MGB owners something different and I know many enthusiasts will be keen to attend all three celebrations. The MG Car Club is based in Abingdon, the spiritual home of the marque, so we know first-hand how much the MGB means to people. So it’s only natural we have big plans for the MGB50 anniversary.”

MGB50 Chairman John Watson added: “The two main MG Clubs are working together to enjoy 12 months of MGB celebrations to mark the 50 years of ‘The Great British Sports Car’.”

Full details of the 2012 Silverstone Classic powered by the AA – including information on ‘Early Bird’ ticket offers and a comprehensive selection of on-site camping facilities – are available via the event’s official www.silverstoneclassic.com website.

Source: Silverstone

Forthcoming in 2012! Memories from MG’s Abingdon Design Office - including the birth of the MGB by Don Haytor.
The story of MG Design & Development department, by MG’s Chief Engineer, Don Hayter, this book covers models and prototypes from 1956 to the close of the factory in 1980. Featuring behind the scenes anecdotes and personal accounts MG in its heyday.

Click here for more info about the book!

LE MANS PANORAMIC SLIDESHOW APPETISER

We've put together a slideshow on our website to show some of the awesome images from Le Mans Panormaic by Gavin David Ireland.

Click image to view slideshow

Coming soon from Veloce!

Le Mans Panoramic
By Gavin Ireland.
The Le Mans 24 Hours is the ultimate endurance race, and a classic feature of the motorsport calendar. This book captures the sheer scale and drama of this legendary race as never before, using specialist panoramic photography to give an unprecedented wide angle view of how the race is entered, watched, won, and lost. It is a timeless tribute to the Le Mans 24 Hours.

More info.

DRIVE A RALLY CAR AT RACE RETRO 2012!

Visitors to Race Retro are to be given the chance to drive a rally car, thanks to HERO, The Historic Endurance Rallying organisation. For just £20, visitors to the event, which takes place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th February, will be given the chance ‘arrive and drive’ one of HERO’s rally prepared cars, put it through its paces and get a feel for rally driving on a purpose built course adjacent to the Live Rally Stage.

Hero’s ‘arrive and drive’ fleet consists of classic vehicles that have undergone extensive restoration and are maintained daily by a team of in house mechanics. Each car is prepared to meet the requirements of endurance rallying as they can be hired for use at events all over the world. Visitors can either book on the day or contact enquiries@heroevents.eu to reserve a time slot that fits in with the rest of their time at the show.

In the halls, Hero will not only have the extremely rare low-drag lightweight 1964 Jaguar E-Type Lindner Nocker on display, but will also reveal the Hero Village featuring key partners such as CES and Autosessive, Classic Motor Cars Limited, Bob Watson Engineering, bodywork specialist C&N Customs and Puzzle Ltd. These companies will be offering exclusive show offers throughout the weekend.

There will be the usual selection of competition cars and clubs – the backbone of the sport – making Race Retro the place to be for anything to do with classic motor sport. Looking to invest in a piece of racing history? Visit Silverstone Auctions where you will find cars, bikes and memorabilia on offer.

As well as an array or cars and motorcycles, scour the autojumble for that elusive part or spare or visit the hundreds of traders offering everything from helmets and racewear to stunning artwork, rare books and signed motorsport memorabilia.

Adult ticket prices are £20 when booking in advance, £25 on the gate. Children’s tickets are £5 on Friday or Saturday and free on Sunday. Parking is also free throughout and for 2012, the parking areas have been moved to hard surface areas within close proximity to the halls. The show is open from 9.30am each day and closes at 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday. To book tickets and for the latest updates, visit www.raceretro.com.

(i)PADDING YOUR LIBRARY - MAZDA MX-5 APP

Mazda MX-5 Miata app is featured in the February 2012 edition of Automobile magazine!

Were you lucky enough to receive an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch this Christmas? Well, if you're into your motoring, too, here's some apps that may be right up your street.

9 NEW eBOOKS ADDED FOR KINDLE & iBOOKS

Motor Racing at Goodwood in the Sixties (Those Were The Days ... series) by Tony Gardiner
Kindle | iBook

British Police Cars (Those Were The Days ... series) by Nick Walker
Kindle | iBook

British Lorries of the 1960s (Those Were The Days ... series) by Malcolm Bobbitt
Kindle | iBook

Porsche 914 & 914-6 - The Definitive History of the Road & Competition Cars by Brian Long
Kindle | iBook

Art Deco & British Car Design - The Airline Cars of the 1930s by Barrie Down
Kindle | iBook

Taxi! - The Story of the London Cab by Malcolm Bobbitt
Kindle | iBook

Ferrari 312P & 312PB (WSC Giants) by Peter Collins and Ed McDonough
Kindle | iBook

Caring for your scooter - How to maintain & service your 49cc to 125cc twist & go scooter by Malcolm Bobbitt
Kindle | iBook

How your car works - Your guide to the components & systems of modern cars, including hybrid & electric vehicles by Arvid Linde
Kindle | iBook

Visit the eBooks section of the Veloce site.

More eBooks coming soon ... stay tuned.

LOTUS TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE AS THE CHOSEN MARQUE AT THE 2012 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

A full six months ahead of next summer’s Festival of Speed (28 June - 1 July 2012), Goodwood is excited to reveal that it will be honouring the pioneering Lotus marque with the main ‘Central Feature’ installation, displayed prominently outside Goodwood House.

Goodwood will celebrate this much-loved British brand at an exciting time in the marque’s history, as Lotus is currently two years into a dynamic five year brand reinvigoration plan with the goal of returning the marque to its original status alongside other prestigious sports car manufacturers. The plan includes an entire new range, the first of which will be the return of the iconic Esprit in 2013.

It’s not all about looking to the future for Lotus though, a big part of the brand is its heritage and Lotus will enjoy a vast array of significant anniversaries in 2012, including 60 years since the first Lotus company was founded by Colin Chapman in 1952, four years after the incomparable engineer had built his first vehicle – the Mark 1 trials car – in an old stable behind his parent’s Railway Hotel in Hornsey, North London.

Next year also sees the 50th anniversary of the ground-breaking Lotus Elan sportscar, 40 years since the iconic Esprit supercar concept was first revealed by Giugiaro, 35 years since the innovative Lotus 78 ground effect Formula 1 car competed, and 20 years since cyclist Chris Boardman won a gold medal for Britain in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, riding the revolutionary Type 108 bicycle developed by Lotus.

The enviable global reputation that Lotus enjoys today grew out of Chapman’s unparalleled technical ingenuity to dominate all levels of motor sport, from club racing to Formula 1, to create a glorious and enduring legacy. To date Lotus has gone on to win 13 Formula 1 World Championships (six drivers, and seven constructers titles), and a spectacular collection of these victorious F1 cars will be at Goodwood in the summer, along with an impressive selection of Lotus Indycars, saloons, sports and road cars, all forming a key attraction at the 2012 Festival of Speed. A wealth of current and ex-works Lotus drivers are also expected to appear at Goodwood.

Full details of the Lotus vehicle and driver line-up, along with further news about the main Lotus Central Feature installation, will be revealed over the coming months.

Source: Goodwood

Lotus 49 - The Story of a Legend
By Michael Oliver

The Lotus 49 was one of the most evocative & successful Formula One cars of its era, & the first to use the Cosworth DFV V8 engine. Here is the definitive story from inception to the fate of the cars today. Includes a racing record & individual chassis histories. A high quality artpaper production. A highly acclaimed book.

Click here for more info about the book!