THE BRITISH AT INDIANAPOLIS

It was an eventful weekend for the Brits at the 2010 Indianapolis 500. With four British drivers finishing in the top seven of the final standings, including winner for the second time, Dario Franchitti.

Dario Franchitti now becomes the 17th driver to win Indy 500 more than once, with his second official win, the first coming in 2007. Dario hails from Bathgate, West Lothian Scotland but currently resides in Tennessee. Second place was taken by Dan Wheldon, followed in third by Alex Lloyd.



We're delighted to announce that Dario has written the foreword for forthcoming Veloce book The British at Indianapolis by Ian Wagstaff.

A history of the British influence on the Indianapolis 500, including not only the drivers and cars, but the many others – mechanics, designers, and officials – who have been involved. The story is set out in a series of stand-alone chapters, with a wide variety of informative sidebars, and goes back 100 years to the early days of the race, through the British-led, rear-engined revolution of the 1960s to the present day. More info.

The fantastic achievement of British drivers at this year's Indy 500 was somewhat overshadowed in the media by Mike Conway's spectacular crash. All at Veloce wish Mike a speedy recovery.

VW BEETLE EBG IPHONE APP DEMO VIDEO

Check out this quick run-through of the VW Beetle - The Essential Buyer's Guide iPhone app!



AVAILABLE NOW through the iTunes App Store. Price: £2.39 UK / $3.99 US.

'MR BIG HEALEY' IN STOCK AND BOOK SIGNING

New! 'Mr Big Healey' – The Official Biography of John Chatham by Norman Burr is out now!

We're delighted to announce that John Chatham will be available to sign copies of the book at MG Live 2010 on both Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of June at Silverstone.

Thanks to the Austin Healey Club UK for organising the signing.





Leaping in at the start of a driving test in the early 1960s

GRAHAM ROBSON AND GUESTS

Part 1: Graham Robson talks to Rod Grainger, Paddy Hopkirk, Gavin Thompson, Patrick Walker, Brian Culcheth, and Bill Meade at the 40th anniversary of The Daily Mirror 1970 World Cup Rally held at Dagenham Motors showroom, Alperton, Wembley, London 20/4/2010.



Part 2: With Tony Mason, Paul Easter, Bill Barnett, Alan Grainge, Mike Scarlett and Alan Zafer.

The Daily Mirror World Cup Rally 40 – The World’s Toughest Rally in Retrospect by Graham Robson.
Continuing for six weeks, and covering 16,000 miles from London to Mexico City via some of the most varying, tortuous and difficult terrain on three continents, the 1970 World Cup Rally was a unique high-speed event, attracting many serious works teams such as Ford and British Leyland.
Despite the tremendous amounts of money spent choosing and developing new cars, completing months-long route surveys, and analysing every detail of diets, oxygen provision, and the number of crew members, out of an entry of more than 100 cars, only 23 cars made it to the finish.
It was then, and remains now, the toughest rally of all time. More info.

VW BUS APP RECEIVES 5-STAR REVIEWS

VW Bus – The Essential Buyer's Guide iPhone App is reviewed in the App store.

Well-researched and well-written - ★★★★★

by HerbieSyufy - Version 1.0 - 10 April 2010 (US App store)

Someone obviously put a lot of care and thought into this app. My wife and I used it before buying our first VW bus. Now we have TWO buses!

Great app and a must for all potential VW camper owners - ★★★★★

by LardElvis - Version 1.0 - 25 March 2010 (UK App store)

If you are in the market for a VW van or just have a general interest in these vehicles then this is the app for you. I bought it as I am intending on buying a camper (yearning back to my youth before the kids arrived!) and I must say that Ken and Richard really know their stuff. The app is packed with lots of really useful information -everything from how much it is likely to cost and run a bus through to things to look out for when buying. If only i had this first time around and i wouldn't have had to replace the engine! There are several videos (actually still pictures with commentaries) but these too are packed full of information and great photographs and are delivered with both humour and authority. Okay, it does not contain as much information as the book, but as something you can just pick up and read through on a long train journey or just to look at the pictures and dream, it is good value for money. Well done guys. Now do you know where i can get a really cheap VW camper.....?

BLUEBIRD CN7 - DONALD STEVENS INTERVIEW

Click here for more info about the book.

50 YEARS OF INTERMECCANICA HISTORY VIDEO

Check out parts 1 to 4 of this fantastic series of YouTube videos of Paula Reisner talking about Intermeccanica.






New! Intermeccanica – The Story of the Prancing Bull
By Andrew McCredie and Paula Reisner

From modest beginnings based in the automotive mecca of Turin, Italy throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, Intermeccanica conceived, designed and produced a dozen different models that shook the motoring world and went on to find homes in museums and collections from Europe to the United States to Japan. Most notable of these models are the Apollo, the Italia and the Indra.
From there it was on to California, where Reisner revolutionised the Porsche replicar market with his groundbreaking fibreglass Speedster design, followed by the Roadster RS, which the company continues to produce at its Vancouver, BC, Canada headquarters.
Along the way, Reisner and Intermeccanica dealt with, and in one case sued, the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, all the while maintaining an independent streak and maverick spirit that would come to define the man and his company. More info.

ROY SMITH INTERVIEW

Alpine & Renault – The Sports Prototypes – Volume 1: 1963-1969
By Roy Smith.
Sports prototype racing is about endurance, for the drivers, for the teams and for the companies involved. In this story we see the effort, the blood, the sweat and the tears, reputations won and lost, life and also death. The cars, some of the most evocative ever seen, are described in detail. We see stunningly beautiful, creative, slippery aerodynamic designs that allowed Alpine to take many class wins and outright victories in championship racing, from 1963 to 1969. You will feel the passion and dedication for racing from interviews with the men involved, illustrated with dramatic period photographs. More info.

Alpine & Renault – The Sports Prototypes – Volume 2: 1973-1978
By Roy Smith.
Sports prototype racing is about endurance – for the drivers, for the teams, and for the companies involved. Under the new management at Renault, and with assistance from Elf, the state-owned French oil company, Alpine made a remarkable return to sports car racing, vividly described here along with the reputations that were won and lost. More info.

GRAHAM ROBSON INTERVIEW

The Daily Mirror World Cup Rally 40 – The World’s Toughest Rally in Retrospect
by Graham Robson.
Continuing for six weeks, and covering 16,000 miles from London to Mexico City via some of the most varying, tortuous and difficult terrain on three continents, the 1970 World Cup Rally was a unique high-speed event, attracting many serious works teams such as Ford and British Leyland.
Despite the tremendous amounts of money spent choosing and developing new cars, completing months-long route surveys, and analysing every detail of diets, oxygen provision, and the number of crew members, out of an entry of more than 100 cars, only 23 cars made it to the finish.
It was then, and remains now, the toughest rally of all time. More info.

PART OF THE TOLEMAN STORY COMES TO LIFE! SENNA'S MOVING MASTERPIECE AT MONACO

The Toleman Story – Last Romantics in Formula 1
By Christopher Hilton.
• The story of Toleman told for the first time
• The last little team to be big in Formula 1
• New insights to Ayrton Senna’s Grand Prix debut
• Exclusive interviews with leading team personnel
• Derek Warwick’s memories
• Secrets of engine-maker Brian Hart
• Fascinating, previously untold stories about the team’s rise
• Never published before pictures reveal what life with the team was really like
• Full team statistics

This was the team that took Ayrton Senna into Formula 1, to which he responded by creating a masterpiece of movement at Monaco. It is still talked about. (see themagicayrtonsenna's tribute video below).




Click here for more info about the book.

EDWARD TURNER BLUE PLAQUE UNVEILING VIDEO

Speeches by Tony Benn and John Rosamond.
Thanks to Falak Waheed for sending us the video clips.

THE ENDURING CULT OF THE CAFÉ RACER, IN ALL ITS TON-UP GLORY!

The Café Racer Phenomenon (Those were the days … series)
By Alastair Walker

The Café Racer is one of the most enduring styles of motorcycle ever created, encapsulating the rebellious spirit of the '50s. This new book is a look back at the glory days of the Café Racer, from Friday night dices on London's North Circular road, through the street specials craze of the Seventies, to the modern day revival.
The Café Racer Phenomenon, a new book in Veloce Publishing's Those were the days … series features a huge, global Café Racer community directory alongside a unique mix of personal memories, previously unpublished photos, iconic machines and chassis builders in profile. Wonderfully evocative reading for any ‘ton-up’ rider of past or present.
The Café Racer machine captures the very essence of motorcycling, with its stripped-to-the-bone styling and a timeless blend of cat-quick chassis, matched to a barn-storming engine.
From its roots in the ’59 Club, home-brewed specials and the creation of the Triton by Dave Degens, the Café Racer became the must-have Rockers’ motorbike. It then became the template for a new generation of fast road riders in the 1970s, with the rise of Dunstall, Rickman, Seeley and many more bespoke bike builders.
The big factories jumped on the bandwagon too. Machines like the Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk I, Ducati 900SS and the MV Agusta 750S all captured the spirit of the Café Racer. Then the slick, super fast, Japanese sport bikes of the 80s came along, and looked set to consign the Café Racer special to the history books.
But a revival had to happen. The Ace Café London re-opened, bike builders as diverse as Wakan, Fred Krugger, Nick Gale and Roland Sands all began to create lean, back-to-basics motorcycles, but with their own unique twist on Café Racer heritage. From the Buell 1125 CR to the Guzzi V7 Sport, mainstream modern bikes have also re-discovered their street racing soul.

The 96-page paperback book is available now from bookshops or from www.veloce.co.uk.

MICHAEL OLIVER INTERVIEW - TALES FROM THE TOOLBOX

Tales from the Toolbox – A collection of behind-the-scenes tales from Grand Prix mechanics
By Michael Oliver.
Foreword by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE
A unique collection of behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes as told, in their own words, by former Grand Prix mechanics who have worked at the top level of the sport during the past 50 years.
More info.

THE BONNEVILLE CELEBRATION MONTAGE VIDEO

John Rosamond (Author of Save the Triumph Bonneville! The inside story of the Meriden Workers Co-op) Book Launch & Signing.

Also includes the Sunday morning ride out to Meriden and the Sunday afternoon - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster flyover. Click here for more info about the book.

INTERVIEW WITH HUGHIE HANCOX

Reprinted 2009! Tales of Triumph Motorcycles and the Meriden Factory by Hughie Hancox.
A delightful and often humorous account of life with the Triumph motorcycle company in its hayday. Hughie Hancox started work with the Triumph Engineering Company (manufacturer of Triumph motorcycles) in 1954 and, apart from a short break for national service, stayed with the company until its closed in 1974. In his time with Triumph, Hughie worked in the Experimental, Service, Product Road Test, Toolroom, Final Production Assembly and Service Repair Shop departments before joining the staff in the Service Office. He also served as a Technical Writer/Advisor/Customer Relations "Trouble Shooter." Even his National Service was spent with the "White Helmets" motorcycle display team! Here, Hughie tells the story of his life in the famous Meriden factory and of his many adventures with Triumph motorcycles and Triumph people and, by doing so, records the fascinating inside story of one of Britain's greatest motorcycle marques.
Click here for more info about the book.

DAVID HEMMINGS INTERVIEW

David Hemmings - Porsche 928 Marque expert answers my questions at The Porsche Club GB National Event 2009 at Blenheim Palace.



Porsche 928 - The Essential Buyer's Guide by David Hemmings.
Don't buy a car without this book!
Expert advice from a marque expert.
Unique points scoring system to evaluate cars after inspection.
Walk away or stay? - quick initial evaluation of a car.
How to check the car's authenticity.
Which models are best.
The implications of restoration.
Is it the right car for you? - will it fit your garage, will you fit in the car?
Running cost details.
Detailed specifications.
Click here for more info about the book.

PETER COLLINS INTERVIEW

I caught up with Peter Collins - Author of classic Veloce books - Lancia 037 - The development and rally history of a world champion & Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 - The development and racing history.



I also asked him about his two exciting new books - British Touring Car Racing – The crowd’s favourite – late 1960s to 1990 (Those were the days series) & Ferrari 312P & 312PB (WSC Giants series).

JAMES HALE INTERVIEW (PART 2) - DUNE BUGGY BOOKS

JAMES HALE INTERVIEW (PART 1)

DODGE CHALLENGER IN VANISHING POINT

A Dodge Challenger R/T was famously used in Vanishing Point - the 1971 action-road movie starring Barry Newman.



New! Dodge Challenger & Plymouth Barracuda – Chrysler's Potent Pony Cars, a brand new book by Dodge specialist Peter Grist is an in-depth look at the highly collectable and much sought after cars that captured the imagination in the 1960s and 1970s when they featured as stars of both the big screen and drag strip.

This new book follows a chronological journey through the development of pony cars from the 1960 Valiant onwards. Fascinating design concepts and evolution are incorporated, featuring all sub-series and models. The book boasts 375 mainly colour pictures, including fresh new photos of original vehicles and rarely seen archive pictures and period adverts.

Click here for more info about the book.