History Auto racing 1894-1942

Sometimes it only takes turning a page to get an answer, here is the Bugatti #26 in the 1915 INDY 500, it carried the number 34 in 1914. Bob

 

Bob, I had a feeling that Bug would catch your eye.

 

Here it is again on a board speedway. Same car with a different number or did two come over? Thirty years ago the rumor was it never went back to France, it may be in a barn some were. Bob

 

Very nice photograph Sir!

 

I just shot the cover of the American Bugatti Register, it is a good photo of the board track speedway surface, wonder if they used 2x4's or 2x6's on end? Bob

 

In a preview of the 1929 Indy 500, I came across the following words:
"Better control at high speed is brought about by developments in frame design. The W. S. White entry, previously referred to, has a frame made of two sections of 16-gage steel—about the thickness of a fender—surrounding a wooden inner frame. It will be remembered that this design, executed in duralumin, has characterized the Duesenberg racers of the last four years."
Not certain, but this could refer to the #32 car driven by Babe Stapp, which was a "Duesenberg-Miller", presumably a Miller engine in a Duesenberg chassis.
Can anyone add to the above description? I can think of several quite different ways of interpreting those words, so any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Dunno.

But from a mechanical engineering standpoint it may have been wise to use aluminum straps along the top and bottom of the wooden frame, where the maximum stresses would occur on bending and twisting, maybe with a wrap-around to capture the sides of the wood a bit.

 

The concept isn't new some production cars had wood reinforced frames. Bob

 

La Mans

 

La Mans

 

Thanks guys.
Yes I can see how metal (steel or duralumin) at strategic places could improve the strength, stiffness and durability of a wood frame.
Just that I had thought that these methods were obsolete, probably before the First World War.
The fact that Duesenberg built frames this way during the mid to late 20s shows I was wrong. Did anyone else?
Were all their racing frames of these materials, or only a few? What about their production cars?

 

...when HVAC duct installers turn to building race car bodies.

 

I believe that is a French Voisen, he was an airplane designer turned car designer. Note the plate number is the same but race numbers differ, guess it is the same car. Bob

 

The silver one is indeed a Voisin 'Laboratoire'. However, the tank-bodied car is a 1925 Chenard & Walcker Z1.

 

Thank you Vitesse!

 

As we rolled up the garages at Sear's Point (Sonoma Raceway) for the "Celebration of Life" of the late Peter Giddings; all of the great man's race cars were set out in a line. To my amazement this Type 158 "Alfetta" was at the head of the line. I had told Peter several times had he a Type 158 or 159, "There'd be No Nonsense!" He had held back (to most of us) the he'd acquired same some years ago; and was secretly having it restored! I don't know where it origins were! Peter never was able to drive it!

During the ceremony all of the cars were taken to the track. The Tipo 158 has a beautiful "Song"!

 

Old Dawg, This is very sad news, the hobby has lost a wonderful collector and driver, he will be truly missed. I remember when he and his wife first arrived in the USA with the restored Lyon Bugatti Type 35 one of the first built. It was great seeing him run the Alfa around Lime Rock. A list of the cars he owned would be a long one with about every notable race car on it. Prayers a condolences going out to his family and friends. Bob

 

I have fond memories of seeing the Alfa Historic team at Goodwood. The astonishing sound of an Alfetta being fired up with what looked like an original 1930s external starter motor in a red-painted wooden box, followed by the engine being tuned 'by ear'.

 

A coupe of pics of the 1913 Delage taken in 1915, and the Delage at the IMS museum...

According to newspapers reports, the machine in which John DePalma competed with at Indy in 1915, and which Louis Chevrolet drove in at the Chicago race a month later, was in fact the winning Indy machine of 1914 (albeit with a smaller 300 CID engine). Edgar Roy located the museum car sometime around 1960, an it is a stunning piece of machinery.

Is the "Blue Demon" in the museum the real deal, or are there questions about provenance?

 

I was told that gizmo on the upper left was a lap counter, and Ed Roy found it in France. Turns out it was some type of billiards counting device, I'll check that out now that we have computers. Bob

 

That didn't take long at all, that story is at least 45 years old!

 

Thanks Bob. I guess all that is missing is the blue chalk.

 

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Written by Guillermo Sanchez https://www.facebook.com/bonvivant.art

Last Monday 7th I had the honor of being invited by the Club de Automóviles Sport to offer a talk on the return of the Alesso to Argentina. Presented in 1953, with its awesome engine of twelve opposed cylinders of 7053.95 cm3 and multitubular chassis, it was probably the boldest creation of the Argentine Mecánica Nacional Fuerza Libre category. Thank you very much CAS!

https://journal.classiccars.com/2017/10/30/dramatic-argentine-racer-ties-fangio-going-auction/

http://vaderetro.com.ar/alesso-el-quijote-de-la-pampa-gringa



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The story of the revival of one of the 1927 Delage straight-8 GP cars for Richard Seaman to drive in Voiturette races in 1936 is well known, but there were other similar cases for which not a lot of info seems to be available.
One such was the 1925 Delage V12 GP car, which was rebuilt/updated by the owners, the Conan Doyle brothers, in 1937 for a similar purpose. "Motor Sport" reported on the conversion in some detail that same year, but the subsequent racing record of the car seems somewhat obscure.
Anyone have any information that might be relevant? Thanks in advance.

 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.I would like to know whose shop this was."Racing Bodies Built to Order" From the image collection Greg Mross.

 

That is one cool image BJB. There must have been precious few auto repair places that could do advanced metalworking like that.

What make of car? Not Packard; maybe Rockne or Essex?

 

I think it's a Buick.

 

Contrary to the prejudice of Chicagoans,Milwaukee was an happening place in a lot of ways.It's just not as big as Chicago.