Sports Car Digest - The Sports, Racing and Vintage Car Journal
Sports Car Digest focuses on Classic Car Auctions, Concours d’Elegance, Vintage Car Racing, Road Rallies and other historic automotive events.
With over 50 years in motorsports – as a driver and team owner – American A. J. Foyt’s remarkable career has seen him make his mark nationally and abroad in at least four countries: Canada, Great Britain, France and New Zealand. His race record includes: winning the Indianapolis 500 four times in 35 consecutive tries; the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1967); and the Rolex 24 At Daytona (1983, … [Read more...]
Jim Rathmann, winner of both the 1960 Indianapolis 500 and the international 500-mile "Race of Two Worlds" in 1958 at Monza, Italy, died Wednesday, November 23, 2011. Rathmann passed away in a hospice in Melbourne, Florida, nine days after suffering a seizure at his home. He was 83.Rathmann, who was inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007, … [Read more...]
Noted Ferrari coachbuilder Sergio Scaglietti passed away November 20, 2011 at 91 years of age.Scaglietti gained Enzo Ferrari's trust and respect both through his bodywork and design skills and for providing a retreat for Dino Ferrari as a youth. Scaglietti is credited with the "headrest" bump present on most racing Ferraris of the 1950s and 1960s, a design at first despised by Enzo but … [Read more...]
Report by Art Evans and photos as notedOn the night of November 10, 2011 a Tribute to Phil Hill was held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The occasion — organized by Bruce Meyer’s Checkered Flag 200 group that supports the museum — celebrated the 50th anniversary of Phil becoming America’s first Formula One World Driving Champion. In addition to the festivities, … [Read more...]
Derek Bell celebrated his 70th birthday on 31 October 2011. Born in Pinner, Middlesex, Great Britain in 1941, Bell is considered to be one of the most versatile and popular racing drivers of his time.Derek Bell began his racing career with Lotus in 1964. In Formula 1 he then took his place on the starting grid for Ferrari in 1969. … [Read more...]
Interview by Will Silk and photos from Chuck JonesThe name Chuck Jones is one that perhaps failed to capture the notoriety in racing that other car owners and managers have enjoyed in the past, but Chuck’s amazing story is one well worth telling. Chuck Jones was raised in Southern California in the 1940s and came of age in the immortal post war era of hot rods and specials. Jones set his … [Read more...]
Juan Manuel Fangio (June 24, 1911 – July 17, 1995) was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing. He won five Formula One World Driver's Championships — a record which stood for 46 years until eventually beaten by Michael Schumacher — with four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati), a feat that has not been repeated … [Read more...]
By Art EvansI was saddened to learn that Pete Lovely died on May 16, 2011. He was a wonderful friend and a great competitor. I understand that he passed on peacefully with his two daughters at his side. Pete’s beloved wife, Nevele, died in 2008. Some friends remarked to me that he never really recovered from her loss.We knew him as “Pete.” (Not Peter!) When he was born, his thin … [Read more...]
By Paolo D’Alessio and edited by Louis GalanosGianpiero Moretti is the last real “gentleman driver” of our times. During his 37-year career he took part in hundreds of races and drove over 40 different types of cars creating a long-lasting bond between himself and Porsche as well as Ferrari with whom he lived some unforgettable moments of his career as racing driver and businessman. … [Read more...]
Interview by Will Silk and photos courtesy of Forgotten FiberglassChuck Tatum was what you could say “at the right place, at the right time” by living in California in the early 1950s. It was the golden days of hot rodding, and there were no rules in regards to what or how you built your machine.Coming out of the Second World War with a Bronze Star for his actions in the Battle for … [Read more...]
Interview and photos (unless noted) by Dennis GrayMartin Swig is a San Francisco Bay Area-based vintage racer, car collector and founder of the California Mille vintage car rally. A graduate of Stanford University, Swig was a multi-franchise new car dealer in San Francisco for 40 years.In addition to founding the storied California Mille in the early ’90s, Martin has been vintage racing … [Read more...]
By Cary EstesThe movie character Michael Corleone once famously said of being in the mob, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”Brian Redman has had similar feelings about auto racing. Numerous times over the years, Redman told himself that he was retired from the sport, particularly after each of his three serious racing accidents.And every time, the lure of fast … [Read more...]
Interview and photos by Dennis GraySteve Davis of Carmel, California spends many weekends at the helm of a Eagle Mk 5 participating in the competitive Formula 5000 Revival Race Series. Davis is a repeat F5000 Revival Series Champion, having won the championship in the inaugural 2008 season, in addition to being the 2010 champion.Steve sat down to discuss his Eagle Mk.5, his Formula-5000 … [Read more...]
Interview and photos by Dennis Gray (unless noted)On Tuesday between the Pre-Reunion and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Cris Vandagriff, Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) President, agreed to sit down for an interview with Sports Car Digest. I knew a little about Cris, mainly that he had grown up around his father’s import car dealership, Hollywood Sports Cars. He knew and … [Read more...]
Today would have marked the 100th birthday of Fritz “Huschke“ von Hanstein, one of the greatest personalities in the company history of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart. As Press Director, racing manager, and a racing driver, from 1952 to 1974 Huschke von Hanstein helped fashion the unique image of the brand name Porsche. As Sports President of the AvD, the German Automobile Club, … [Read more...]
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