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    mercredi 4 novembre 2015

    An eclectic offering at Artcurial’s last classic car auction of 2015


    Artcurial’s final classic car auction of the year takes place on 1 November 2015, and comprises a typically eclectic collection of 71 automobiles, of which we’ve chosen our 10 favourites…
    A quick glance at the catalogue for Artcurial’s Automobiles sur les Champs 9 sale is enough to whet the appetite of enthusiasts from across the classic car spectrum. A trio of Ferrari Berlinetta Boxers – a 365 GT4 BB512 BB, and a 512 BBi – will be offered, each resplendent in Rosso, as well as a stunning matching-numbers 365 GTC/4, estimated at 320,000-380,000 euros.
    At a more affordable price, we love both the adorable Fiat 500 estate (6,000-8,000 euros), and the left-field Aston Martin Lagonda prototype (45,000-65,000 euros). Those looking for an historic car in which to compete all year round should consider the ultra-cool Citroën DS 20 ‘rallye’(27,000-32,000 euros), while the extremely rare Maserati Shamal (50,000-70,000 euros) andBMW Z8 (150,000-200,000 euros) should appeal to enthusiasts of more modern classics. You can find the full catalogue for Artcurial’s Automobiles sur les Champs 9 sale, taking place in Paris on 1 November, listed in the Classic Driver Market. These are our 10 favourites. 

    Our 10 favourites from Artcurial Automobiles sur les Champs 9 

    USD 528 816 - 605 935
    USD 220 340 - 275 425
    USD 165 255 - 220 340
    USD 49 577 - 66 102
    USD 29 746 - 35 254

    Triumph MOJAVE 900 Customer by WalzWerk-Racing















    Gasoline and Magic: How amateurs documented racing history


    Carlos Pace with a friend and the Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT45 at the British Grand Prix in Brands Hatch, 1976.
    For every professional photographer at a motorsport event, there are many more amateurs lining the track. But that’s not to say they can’t take photos, as this new book featuring hundreds of never-before-seen pictures from the golden eras of motorsport demonstrates...
    “Motorsport, in particular Formula 1, never stands still,” writes Anthony Carter, in the foreword of this sumptuous new book titled Gasoline and Magic. And he’s got a point. While donning the rose-tinted glasses and dwelling on the halcyon days might evoke some good old-fashioned nostalgia, we mustn’t forget that motorsport has moved on enormously, not least in terms of safety, and for that we must be thankful. Looking back, however, it’s all too easy to reminisce about the charm, romance and atmosphere of days gone by, particularly when contrasted with today’s corporate machine. 
    Gasoline and Magic comprises photographs from the archives of Thomas Horat, a Swiss filmmaker and collector who spent years compiling and labelling thousands of amateur photographs from collections across the globe. Of those chosen to feature in this book, most have never been published before, and collectively they tell the story of the evolution of motor racing from the 1950s, with such heroes as González and Moss, through to the turbocharged chaos of the 1980s. While the amateurism is tangible, thought has clearly gone into the composition of these photos, and the result is profoundly fascinating.
    This was a time when motorsport was more than just sport – it was fashion and art; it was popular culture. The men charged with driving the perilous machines were more than robots, keen to refrain from divulging their true personalities. They were characters, each with their own distinct personality, be it the unadulterated coolness of Paul Newman, James Hunt’s carefree abandon, or Gilles Villeneuve’s coyness outside the car but ruthlessness when he was in it. Many were renegades, in the game as much for the enjoyment and the social side (and the women?) as for the money. 
    For Nico Hülkenberg to have won Le Mans on his weekend off Formula 1 duties earlier this year might seem unusual today, but this was the done thing in the 1950s and 1960s. Just look at Jim Clark’s epic career, in which he raced in almost every discipline of motorsport concurrently, be it rallying, sports cars, Indy Cars, or Formula 1. 
    Gone are the days of access-all-areas, and of being able to view the sport seemingly from inside the bubble, as these intimate photos demonstrate. Carter’s anecdotes about his experiences on the motorsport circuit are fantastic, too, and seem far-fetched in today’s world of hospitality suites and sponsor appearances. Like the time he happened on the Matra Formula 1 garages while exploring the small villages surrounding Rouen in 1968. Naturally, he hung around, and his patience was rewarded when Jean-Pierre Beltoise strutted in, fired up the sonorous V12, and proceeded to drive the several kilometres to the circuit on the public roads. Or when he bumped into a sharply suited Juan Manuel Fangio at the Nürburgring not once but twice after he’d won the German Grand Prix – “I felt like I knew this man!” he says. And when was the last time you saw a shirtless man in flip-flops painting the start-finish line onto the track an hour or two before a Grand Prix? 
    It’s small wonder, then, that the imagery in Gasoline & Magic provides a fascinating insight into both how motorsport was, and how it has changed, almost beyond recognition. In addition to the book, Horat is presenting a selection of his archive photos at a dedicated exhibition called “Vrooooaaammm”, taking place at the Museum im Bellpark in Kriens, Switzerland, until 8 November 2015. We often wish we could go back, albeit for just a few hours on a Sunday afternoon...
    'Gasoline and Magic' by Hilar Stadler and Martin Stollenwerk has been published by Edition Patrick Frey and can be ordered for 68 Swiss francs in the publishing house's webstore.
    Were you also at the Nürburgring, Brands Hatch or Silverstone in the 1950s, '60s, '70s or '80s, along with your camera? Send us your personal snapshots from the golden eras of motorsport, together with a short description, your name and address, to contact@classicdriver.com (with the subject ‘Gasoline and Magic’) and you could win one of three copies of ‘Gasoline and Magic’. The best images will be published on Classic Driver.

    California Moto Culture: Part Three of the ​LA​ Triptych


    contre sens .......


    mardi 3 novembre 2015

    MOTO GP ; Tous les chiffres avant le ValenciaGP / ValenciaGP in numbers


    motogp.com vous propose les statistiques les plus intéressantes avant la dernière manche de la saison 2015.
                 #ValenciaGP in numbers
        •    Le Circuit Ricardo Tormo accueille le Grand Prix de Valence pour la 17e fois depuis 1999.
        •    C’est la 14e fois d’affilée que Valence accueille la dernière manche de la saison. Aucun autre circuit n’a été plus souvent utilisé pour l’épreuve de clôture.    
        •    Le Circuit de Valence porte le nom du coureur espagnol Ricardo Tormo, vainqueur du titre mondial en 50cc en 1978 et 1981, de 15 Grands Prix en 50cc et de 4 autres en 125cc. Sa carrière prit fin en 1984 suite à une blessure causée par une chute survenue lors d’un test. Tormo succomba à une leucémie en 1998.
        •    Dani Pedrosa est le pilote qui a le meilleur palmarès à Valence et y compte six victoires : trois en MotoGP™, deux en 250cc et une en 125cc. Le seul autre pilote à avoir plus de deux victoires à Valence est Casey Stoner (1 x 125cc, 2 x MotoGP™).
        •    Les pilotes suivants se sont imposés à Valence à deux reprises : Valentino Rossi (2 x MotoGP™), Maverick Viñales (1 x 125cc, 1 x Moto3™), Mika Kallio (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc), Jorge Lorenzo (2 x MotoGP™); Marc Márquez (1 x Moto2™, 1 x MotoGP™) et Héctor Barberá (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc).
        •    L’épreuve de la catégorie reine a été remportée par un Espagnol à sept reprises : Sete Gibernau s’était imposé en 500cc sur Suzuki en 2001, Dani Pedrosa en MotoGP en 2007, 2009 et 2012, Jorge Lorenzo en 2010 et 2013 puis Marc Márquez l’an dernier.
        •    Depuis l’introduction de la formule MotoGP™ 4-temps en 2002, Honda est la marque qui a eu le plus de succès à Valence et y a remporté huit victoires, contre trois pour Yamaha et deux pour Ducati.
        •    La quatrième place d’Andrea Dovizioso l’an dernier est le meilleur résultat d’un pilote Ducati à Valence depuis la seconde place de Casey Stoner en 2010.
        •    Suzuki n’est monté sur le podium de Valence qu’une seule fois durant l’ère MotoGP™, avec John Hopkins, en 2007.
        •    L’an dernier, Marc Márquez avait remporté l’épreuve après s’être qualifié en cinquième position. C’était la première victoire en MotoGP™ à Valence d’un pilote qui ne s’était pas qualifié en première ligne.
        •    Seuls deux pilotes ont participé à chacun des seize Grands Prix ayant eu lieu à Valence : Valentino Rossi et Randy de Puniet.
                     How Rossi or Lorenzo can become champion
    Get yourself into the mood for the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana with these number related facts.
    343 – Johann Zarco has already attained a total of 343 points in the Moto2™ world championship this year and if he finishes in 12th place or better in Valencia he will set a new record highest points total in the intermediate-class of grand prix racing, a record that is currently held by Tito Rabat who scored 346 points when winning the Moto2™ world title last year.
    100 – The win by Dani Pedrosa in Malaysia was the 100th win for Spanish riders in MotoGP™ (Jorge Lorenzo – 39, Dani Pedrosa – 28, Marc Marquez – 24, Sete Gibernau – 8, Toni Elias – 1) since it became the premier-class of grand prix racing in 2002. Spain are the nation with the most wins in the MotoGP™ class - the number of victories for other nations are: Italy – 91, Australia – 40, USA – 4, Brazil – 3, Japan - 3
                    Marquez Blog: It’s now time for us to focus on Valencia
    100 – Yonny Hernandez is scheduled to make his 100th grand prix start in Valencia. Hernandez made 31 starts in the Moto2™ class before moving up to MotoGP™ in 2012 and is scheduled to make his 69th start in the premier-class in Valencia.
    99 – Dani Pedrosa’s win in Malaysia was his 99th podium finish in the MotoGP™ class. Another top three finish will make him just the second rider, along with Valentino Rossi, to reach the milestone of 100 podium finishes in the premier-class.
    96 – Jorge Lorenzo’s second place finish in Malaysia was the 96th time he has stood on the podium in the MotoGP™ class – one more premier-class podium finish than five-time 500cc world champion Mick Doohan. Only Pedrosa and Rossi have stood on the podium more times than Lorenzo in the premier-class.
    51 – At Sepang Dani Pedrosa stood on the top step of a grand prix podium for the 51st time, just one less grand prix win than seven-time world champion Phil Read.
    17 – Both Valentino Rossi and Bradley Smith have scored points in all seventeen MotoGP™ races so far in 2015. Another top fifteen finish for either rider in Valencia and they will equal the record for most point scoring finishes in a season in the MotoGP™ class currently jointly held by Casey Stoner (2007), Valentino Rossi (2008) and Jorge Lorenzo (2010).
    7 – At the Malaysian Grand Prix Dani Pedrosa became the seventh different rider to start on pole in the MotoGP™ class in 2015. This is the greatest number of different riders on pole in MotoGP™ since 2006.
    7 – The seven-point advantage that Valentino Rossi has over Jorge Lorenzo is the smallest margin between the top two riders when arriving at the final race of the year since 1992 (see above for further details).
    6.726 Seconds - The first fifteen riders across the line in the Moto3™ race last year at Valencia were covered by just 6.726 seconds.
    2 – Only two riders have overturned a points deficit in the final race of the year to become premier-class world champion; Wayne Rainey in 1992 and Nicky Hayden in 2006.
    1 - Valencia is the only circuit on the current grand prix schedule that Kalex have not had a Moto2™ victory.
                          Smith: “We just kept on trying to improve step by step”

    ERC, Valais : Lukyanuk sur tapis vert / penalty hands Lukyanuk victory


    Le Russe Alexey Lukyanuk (Ford Fiesta R5) a été déclaré vainqueur du Rallye International du Valais, dernière manche du Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA, après une pénalité de deux minutes infligée à Craig Breen (2e, Peugeot/Michelin) à l’issue du rallye. Olivier Burri (Citroën) complète le podium. 
    Au volant de sa Peugeot 208 T16, l’Irlandais Craig Breen avait remporté 10 des 17 spéciales, mené l’épreuve de bout en bout et franchi la ligne d’arrivée en vainqueur avec 39s4 d’avance sur Lukyanuk.
    Mais le pilote de la Peugeot Rally Academy a écopé de deux minutes de pénalité pour avoir dépassé son quota de pneumatiques alloué pour l’épreuve. Faute d’une 4e victoire cette saison, Breen doit se contenter de la 2e place, qui lui assure le titre de vice-champion d’Europe 2015.
    Alexey Lukyanuk a donc hérité de la victoire sur tapis vert, sa seconde cette saison après le Rally Estonia en juillet dernier. Le Russe termine sur le podium du championnat. Octuple vainqueur du Rallye du Valais, le Suisse Olivier Burri (Citroën DS3 RRC) est monté une nouvelle fois sur le podium à Martigny malgré des soucis de freins et un tête-à-queue.
    Pour sa première expérience au volant d’une R5, une Peugeot 208 T16 aux couleurs de Michelin, le Champion d’Europe Junior Emil Bergqvist (21 ans) a crevé l’écran en prenant la 4e place finale devant le Suisse Florian Gonon (Peugeot 207 S2000).
    Favori pour la victoire, le Français Bryan Bouffier (Peugeot 208 T16) est sorti de la route dans l’ES1. Le Suisse Jonathan Hirschi (Peugeot) est lui aussi sorti de la route (ES13). Assuré du titre en R-GT Cup 2015 après le Tour de Corse, François Delecour (Porsche/Michelin) était 6e avant d’abandonner (fuite d’eau).
    Avec trois victoires cette année (ex aequo avec Breen), le Polonais Kajetan Kajetanowicz a été sacré Champion d’Europe FIA 2015 à l’issue du Rallye de l’Acropole et n’était pas au départ de la dernière manche. Le Hongrois David Botka est champion en catégorie ERC2. Emil Bergqvist a décroché les titres ERC3 et Juniors, et Ekaterina Stratieva conserve son titre de championne d’Europe des Rallyes.
    Alexey Lukyanuk (Ford Fiesta R5) is the official winner of the Rallye International du Valais, final round of the 2015 FIA European Rally Championship. The Russian owes his victory to a post-finish penalty handed to Craig Breen (2nd, Peugeot/Michelin). Olivier Burri (Citroën) was third. 
    Irishman Craig Breen (Peugeot 208 T16) won 10 of the Rallye du Valais’ 17 stages and led from start to finish to beat Lukyanik over the line by a margin of 39.4 seconds.
    However, the Peugeot Rally Academy was handed a two-minute penalty after the finish for exceeding his authorised tyre allocation for the rally. The fault deprived the Irishman of his fourth victory this season, but second place made sure of 2015 ERC runner-up honours.
    Lukyanuk consequently notched up his second success of the year after July’s Rally Estonia and takes this season’s bronze medal. Switzerland’s eight-time Rallye du Valais winner Olivier Burri (Citroën DS3 RRC) overcame a brakes problem and a spin to finish third in Martigny.
    The 2015 Junior-ERC champion Emil Bergqvist, 21, contested the event in a Michelin-equipped Peugeot 208 T16 and celebrated his first outing in an R5 car with fourth overall, ahead of local driver Florian Gonon (Peugeot 207 S2000).
    The pre-start favourite Bryan Bouffier (Peugeot 208 T16) crashed out on SS1, Switzerland’s Jonathan Hirschi (Peugeot) went off on SS13, while the 2015 R-GT Cup winner François Delecour (Porsche/Michelin) was sixth before being eliminated by a water leak.
    Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz (three wins this year, level with Breen) wrapped up the ERC Drivers’ title in Greece and did not travel to Switzerland.
    Hungarian David Botka is this year’s ERC2 champion, Bergqvist picked up the ERC3 trophy in addition to his Junior crown and Ekaterina Stratieva was the year’s best Lady driver.

    Lords of the Atlas - Mexican 1000

    Team ICON RAIDEN hammers two Triumph Tiger 800xc's across 1000 miles of Mexican desert in the NORRA Mexican 1000. 


    We almost forgot about this BMW from ‘Back to the Future’


    The time-travelling DeLorean might have been the star of ‘Back to the Future II’, but the eagle-eyed among you would have spotted a number of other futuristic vehicles, including this BMW 635CSi…
    If you’ve seen the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy, you'll know that when Marty McFly and Doc Brown landed in the year 2015 (on the 21 October, no less), the world had fundamentally changed from the one they had left behind in 1985. Cars had learned to fly, young people were surfing through the air on hoverboards wearing a bizarre mix of clothing, shoelaces were tying themselves, and ‘Jaws 19’ was showing at the cinema. Even classic cars were still being built, albeit in heavily modified form. 
    This 1976 BMW 635CSi convertible starred in the film, belonging to Griff Tannen, the malicious grandson of Marty McFly’s adversary Biff Tannen. Thanks to the far-fetched technology of ‘the future’ – ahem, a forklift – the car could fly. Having languished in a number of collections over the years, it was recently bought by ‘Back to the Future’ fan and collector Jeff Chabotte, and extensively restored. It’s now ready for another rendezvous with McFly. 

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