Two legs on gravel , the pairing with the Rally d’Italia-Sardegna and the debut of the Group B cars at their first event in over twenty years, offer a fascinating blend of racing, sports culture and show. Forty crews are entered, with some of the best drivers and a strong foreign representative.

The engines are about to be started at the 2010 Rally del Corallo. At the organisation committee, P.E.S. - Promozione Eventi Sportivi but also at the Automobile Club Sassari, satisfaction and excitement go hand in hand, for the remarkable participation to the event, this year more than ever rich of special features which confirm its leading position on an international level for what concerns historic rallyes.

Scheduled from 4th to 6th of June, the Rallly del Corallo has seen the renewed confirmation as a round of both the European Historic Rally Championship and of the Italian Championship, making it one of the most important events of Sardinia, as welll as of Italian and international motorsports.
It will be the fourth round of both series, and promises a tough fight which will be enhanced by the island's famous gravel roads.

The event is getting closer, and entering the week when the engines will be started, it will be unveiled to the authorities, the press and all the fans tomorrow, June 1st in a press conference which will be held at 10,30 at the “Quarté Sayal”- lungomare Giuseppe Garibaldi in Alghero.

The organisers are proud to announce that the institutions maintain a strong interest in the event for 2010: the cooperation is very satisfactory with the Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, the Province of Sassari and the Municipality of Alghero, the CSassari Chamber of Commerce and the CONI Sassari province committee, i.e. those who have always followed attentively the event in the past year, helping its technical and promotional growth.

 

1955 Biscayne factory photo at the 1955 Motorama
See other 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne Motorama concept car Photos

Today we wanted to share with you the incredible story on the final phase of restoration on the 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne Motorama concept car that will be shown at the 2010 Meadow Brook Concours.

The 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne began life as a super star to showcase the new Chevy 265 cubic inch V-8 engine and was featured at the 1955 Motorama where it wowed the world with its futuristic design and styling cues. It would influence future General Motors design styling cues for years to come. The most obvious is of course the rear end which at a time American cars were just getting poised for outrageous tail fins the Biscayne jumped 5 years ahead and showcased the conservative yet sporty '60s styling theme incorporated into the first Corvair. In a lesser way it also influenced the '58 full size Chevys, with its separation of the taillight scallops. Then we have the side scoop that became a Corvette hallmark in '56 (turned around) and lasting thru '62. The leading edge of the front fender was an inspiration to the front fender on Bill Mitchell stunning '63 Riviera. The windshield design, in a more conservative version was used across the board on all of the '59 and '60 GM cars. The Biscayne’s wheel cover design was copied for Chevrolets new for 1957 14-inch wheel covers. The 4 door hardtop body configuring with center opening doors minus the "B" pillar was further engineered for the up coming '57 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. Even the interiors door bolsters showed up in a production version, on the '59 Impalas interior. Actually in a very abstract way the spears, leading to the headlights had some influence on the design of the ever popular '57 Chevrolets hood. The dashboard instrument cluster was picked up for the '58 Chevrolets. The rear bumper ensemble was used untouched on the '61/'62 and with little modification thru '67 Corvette. Pretty amazing how it had influences well into the '60s

In 1958 the fame of the 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne was soon to end its short run at stardom when it was condemned to be cut up and crushed at Warhoops Junkyard in Sterling Heights, MI. Luckily for the Biscayne the GM executive who had been burdened with the task to ensure that the Biscayne was cut and crushed was in a hurry to get home to celebrate the Christmas holiday with his family and he decided not stay to watch the final blows that would forever seal the fate of the Biscayne to mere scrap. The conscience of Harry Warholak, Sr., the owner of Warhoops, would not allow him to finish the job and the Biscayne was scattered in pieces around the junkyard where it lay neglected for almost a quarter of a century.

 

See other 3rd Annual Classic Invitational Auto Show Photos

The 3rd Annual Classic Invitational Auto Show at the Kemp Auto Museum has been a roaring success! More than 500 people came out to the Kemp Auto Museum on Sunday, May 23rd to see the 50 featured rare and classic automobiles at the Museum's 3rd Annual Classic Invitation Auto Show.

This special exhibition represented millions of dollars of extremely rare automobiles from the private collections across the St. Louis area. Among the extremely rare cars on display from private collectors were a 1928 Cunningham, the only one in the world and a recent winner at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours; a very rare 1931 Cadillac Convertible V16; and a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, one of only 3 in the US.

Proceeds from event were donated to Ranken Jordan, a Pediatric Specialty Hospital.

 

See other Motor Racing Legends Pre-War Sports Car Series 2010 Photos

The Motor Racing Legends Pre-War Sports Car Series race at the HSCC International meeting on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on 16 May enjoyed a little extra spice when, for the first time in the series’ history, a special ‘invitation’ class saw selected, early post-War sports cars competing against the pre-War entries.

This new class was for cars built before 1953 – and with performance broadly in line with the pre-War machines – but the post-War weren’t eligible for podium positions. So it was that Tony Wood’s RGS Atalanta crossed the finish line first, but it was the second-placed Alta that was declared the winner – and saw Gareth Burnett taking the top step of the podium. A highly deserved victory, given that he’d conquered all but one of the post-War cars.

Third over the line was another post-War car – the Allard J2 of Malcolm Verey – but second and third place in the Pre-War race were awarded to the Talbot 105 of Alex Ames, and the amazing, 1928 three-wheeler Morgan Super Aero of Sue Darbyshire, with its tiny, 1260cc engine. Both were also class winners. When Darbyshire was pulled aside at the end of the race to take her place on the podium, she had no idea she’d finished third – and, assuming some infringement of the rules, asked “What’s the matter?”

 

See other Stirling Moss Trophy Race 2010 Photos

The first race in the new-for-2010 Stirling Moss Trophy took place at the HSCC International meeting on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on 16 May, and saw a fantastically high-calibre grid of 37 cars line up for the start. The only disappointment was that Sir Stirling himself was unable to race, as he’s not yet fully recovered from his recent accident. When invited to come and simply spectate, Stirling replied, “The thought of being there and not driving is as bad as going to a dance and not hoping to pick someone up.”

On the day, it was Alan and Jason Minshaw in their Maserati T61 ‘Birdcage’ who won the 50-minute race for genuine, pre-1961 sportscars and sports-racers. The father and son team had much to celebrate: not only a win, but Alan’s 75th birthday the following day.

Intense competition throughout the race saw the lead change many times. Jamie McIntyre started his Lister Chevrolet from pole, but received a 10-second penalty for ‘jumping’ the rolling start. This allowed Graham Dodd’s Cooper Monaco to take the lead for a brief period, only to drop back – and retire on lap five. From lap three, it was Peter Horsman’s Lotus 17 that headed the pack, a lead he maintained right up till his pit-stop.

New rules introduced by Motor Racing Legends for the pit-stops had a significant effect on the running. While two-driver entries were free to stop as briefly as possible, single-driver cars were required to pit for a full minute.