A twist of fate: The 1949 Indian Scout by Analog Motorcycles

The majority of our favourite custom bikes are based on 60s or 70s machines – but while Analog Motorcycles founder Tony Prust was searching for one such donor, he stumbled across a 1949 Indian Scout…

“A friend and I headed north to take a look at a Kawasaki W1,” Prust told Bike Exif. “While we were there, we saw a rolling chassis and a pile of parts sitting on a bench in the corner. It was a 1949 Indian Scout with a title that the owner had had for 17 years.” After convincing the owner to part company with the bike (or parts thereof), Prust put the project’s wheels into motion, quite literally.

Golden-era inspiration

It was decided to give the bike a distinctive 60s/70s appearance, one based on the racers of the era. The original engine was rebuilt, enlarged to 500cc, and shoehorned into a Trackmaster-style frame. Then came a set of hand-formed aluminium panels, left partially in their raw state but with large sections painted, pin-striped and gold-leafed.

Bend credits

Completing the look was a variety of details – our favourite being the hand-formed brass covers for the LED head- and tail-lights, which mean the Scout can remain street-legal while retaining that race-inspired appearance. We must doff our hats (or perhaps helmets?) to Prust, although Lady Luck is surely due a little credit, too?

Photos/Video: Whiplash Racing Media for Analog Motorcycles

You can find several Indian motorcycles for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

LANCIA STRATOS

The Lancia Stratos, or more correctly, the Lancia Stratos HF (HF standing for High Fidelity) is a car developed by Italian design house Bertone for their fellow Italians over at Lancia. It was to be the first car developed from scratch for the World Rally Championship – specifically for the hotly contested Group 4 class, which would go on to become Group B in 1983.

Lancia offered the Stratos in two major versions – the Stratos HF and the Stratos HF Stradale, the former was the stripped-back rally car and the latter was specifically modified for road use (in fact stradale is Italian for road) by slightly detuning the engine and adding some rudimentary items for increased comfort and convenience. That said, the Stratos was never intended as a grand tourer and attempting to use it as one would almost certainly end up with the driver in a physiotherapist’s waiting room.

Both versions of the Stratos were fitted with the 2,418cc DOHC Dino V6 engine, with triple Weber carburettors, a 5-speed manual transmission, 4-wheel independent suspension, and race-spec ventilated disc brakes on all four corners.

The windscreen was designed to curve around the driver (and co-driver) to offer an almost 180 degree field of view, this was especially useful on rally stages where the car spent most of its time sideways with the driver looking out of his own side window to see where he was going.

As a purpose-built rally car the Lancia Stratos HF was an extraordinary success, it started racing in Group 4 in 1974 after being homologated (requiring a production run of 500 units, later reduced to 400) and handily won the World Championship. It then won again in 1975 and 1976, and would likely have gone on to win more had it not been replaced by the Fiat 131 Abarth – a controversial decision by the Fiat Group.

By the time production was ceased, Lancia had built approximately 490 units and the survivors are now worth a small fortune. The green Stratos HF Stradale you see here is due to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s at the Villa Erba on the 23rd of May 2015 and it’s already generating quite a lot of interest.

If you’d like to read more or register to big you can click here.

via SILODROME

Photo Credits: Tom Wood ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

A birthday road trip with a pair of McLaren F1 GTRs

To celebrate 20 years since the debut of the McLaren F1 GTR – which won Le Mans on its maiden outing – no fewer than 16 examples were summoned to the 73 Goodwood Members’ Meeting for a (very noisy) demonstration parade. We joined two of the Gulf cars on their birthday road trip…

Hitching a ride

The two cars in question (a navy short-tail and a powder-blue long-tail) form part of the astonishing,Gulf-themed ROFGO collection we visited a couple of years ago. Stored at the headquarters of Classic Driver dealer Duncan Hamilton, the duo must be trailered down to Goodwood as neither is road legal – and since we were heading down to Lord March’s estate anyway, we thought this was as good a ride to hitch as any.

Millimetres to spare

It doesn’t take long to winch the cars onto the trailers, although there are some nervous faces as the ground-hugging front splitters edge over their respective ramps with just millimetres to spare. Once the cars have been loaded up and fastened down, the costly convoy navigates the narrow hedgerows surrounding the Hamilton hideaway, and makes tracks for Goodwood.

Family gathering

On arrival, the rendezvous was just as impressive as you might expect, and then some. Not only were the duo’s sister cars on the scene, but also the 1995 Le Mans-winning Ueno Clinic-liveried machine, and the Harrods car that was driven to third in the same race by Derek Bell – who was reunited with his faithful steed for the parade laps. Stuart Hall and Jamie Campbell-Walter took the reins of the ROFGO cars, a pairing whose joint CV includes a Works drive for Aston Martin at Le Mans in 2013.

Exercised machines

For many, the McLaren F1 parade was one of the stand-out highlights of the 73rd Members’ Meeting. The intervals between the release of each car meant the wails of the bulletproof BMW V12s could be heard at all points of the circuit simultaneously. Perhaps the best viewpoint was from the chicane exit, where the monstrous power and torque was tangible – not only audibly, but also by the way the seasoned drivers would wait until the car was perfectly straight before firing it towards the horizon, or risk a heart-stopping moment of oversteer that only the most experienced wheelmen could hope to gather.

Hometime

After two days of crowd-pleasing exercise (and a few nights catching up with their siblings), the F1 GTRs must return home. Thankfully, Goodwood isn’t the only event hosting a party for them this year...

Photos: Tim Brown for Classic Driver

Must-stay grand hotels on the Mediterranean coastline

For many decades, the famous grand hotels of the Côte d'Azur have played host to billionaires, royalty, and Hollywood’s elite. We delve into the history behind three of the most famous destinations…

The Carlton, Cannes

It’s difficult to think of a more glamorous and tradition-steeped destination than the Carlton Hotel in Cannes. Since it opened in 1911, countless stars and starlets have populated the rooms of the Croisette’s most eminent grand hotel – especially during the Cannes Film Festival. Sir Alfred Hitchcock filmed ‘To Catch a Thief’ there with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly – and while the latter was staying there during the 1955 Festival, she met her husband-to-be, Prince Rainer III of Monaco. However, the 343-room hotel has also had some not-so-welcome visitors in its time: jewel thieves have performed raids on several occasions, most recently in 2013, when an estimated $136 million-worth of gems were taken. Ouch.

When the hotel was opened in the early 20th Century, the lead architect let slip that the domes on the seaward towers of the hotel were inspired by the cleavage of Caroline ‘La Belle’ Otero, the French Riviera’s most famous courtesan at the time. She was also the namesake of the seventh-floor dining room.

Hôtel de Paris, Monaco

Opened in 1863, the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco became famous not only for its close proximity to the Casino, but also for its stunning view from the Garnier Suite, which overlooks Casino Square – and also provides the best view from which to watch the Monaco Grand Prix. Every year, its champagne-toting guests casually observe F1 cars navigating the iconic ‘Grand Hotel Hairpin’ on their way down to Portier. But that’s not to say hoteliers miss out on glamour during the other 51 weeks of the year. Princess Grace of Monaco held legendary parties; Errol Flynn’s wedding celebrations included a 77lb cake reported to cost 50,000 francs – and Sir Winston Churchill spent all winter in a six-room suite, which he shared with his Parrot Charlie.

The Hôtel de Paris is currently being renovated, with a large number of its old furnishings being sold off by Artcurial earlier this year. In the auction catalogue was a wonderful anecdote from Sir Roger Moore: the morning after one of many late nights spent at the hotel bar, he was enjoying breakfast with Frank and Barbara Sinatra. The resident pianist began playing ‘Strangers in the Night’; Sinatra’s light-hearted response was: “I don’t sing your songs, please don’t sing mine.”

Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes

Completed in 1863, the property at Cap d'Antibes is still known by many as ‘Villa Soleil’. Jean Hippolyte Auguste Delaunay de Villemessant, the founder of the French newspaper ‘Le Figaro’, planned the manor as a private residence and retreat for writers, funded with the help of Russian aristocrats. Success was only short-lived, but in 1970 it was converted into a hotel. The Hotel du Cap became a meeting place of high society: well-known guests included Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Marlene Dietrich and Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald – the hotel is immortalised in his novel ‘Tender is the Night’. In particular, the salt-water pool on the seafront became very famous; 21-year-old John F. Kennedy swam in it during his summer vacation, while Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton preferred to spend the majority of their honeymoon locked in their room. In 2006, it was re-named the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc where, incidentally, no credit cards were accepted – you had to transfer the accommodation costs in advance.

Photos: Getty / Rex

Snapshot, 1952: I don’t drink coffee, I take tea, my dear...

It’s Easter Monday 1952 and, to the surprise of the spectators, young Englishman Mike Hawthorn has just beaten last year’s World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio in Goodwood’s Chichester Cup. However, Hawthorn’s countrymen Stirling Moss and Geoff Duke are too preoccupied to notice…

At the time, Duke was actually contracted as a factory rider for Norton Motorcycles. However, Goodwood’s Easter meeting saw him take to four wheels in anger for the first time, piloting an Aston Martin DB3 – the car he was later enlisted to drive for the Works team, as it happens. Here, we see him sharing tea with Stirling Moss, with whom he is about to compete in the much-anticipated Easter Handicap race. After being given a 25-second head-start, Duke pips Moss’s Jaguar XK120 to the post, placing a respectable third overall. Perhaps his pre-showdown brew was actually a double espresso?

Photo by Ronald Startup/Picture Post/Getty Images

Circuit of Ireland Rally (ERC): Easter fun!

The FIA European Rally Championship continues with this weekend’s Ulster-based Circuit of Ireland Rally. Irishman Craig Breen (Peugeot 208/Michelin) stands out as favourite for this notoriously tough event.

The event was not run in 2013 due to poor weather, but the 2012 and 2014 Circuit of Ireland winners – Juho Hänninen and Esapekka Lappi – both went on to claim the European title at the end of the season. Famous drivers from the past who have won this rally, which dates back to 1931, based on the concept of the Rallye Monte-Carlo, include Paddy Hopkirk, Roger Clark, Jimmy McRae, Pentii Airikkala and Colin McRae.

This year, Irishman Craig Breen starts as favourite in the Peugeot Rally Academy 208 T16/Michelin and the French team has entered a similar R5 car for Frenchman Charles Martin. Meanwhile, a big draw this year will be British actor Idris Elba (Nelson Mandela in Long Walk to Freedom) in a Ford Fiesta R1.

The entry list for round three of the 2015 FIA ERC (the first on asphalt) features 20 or so R5 and S2000 cars. Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowizc (Fiesta R5), the provisional championship leader, will be out to beat the British and Irish specialists, while Frenchman Robert Consani, who is equal second in the standings with Breen, will appear for the first time in his new Citroën DS3 R5.

The Junior class has attracted a record 19 drivers. The pressure will be on the shoulders of Manchester-bred Chris Ingram (Peugeot 208 R2) after the early domination of the category by Nordics Emil Bergqvist (Opel) and Steve Rokland (Peugeot).

The Circuit of Ireland stages are notoriously fast, bumpy, narrow and treacherous, while wet weather invariable makes the challenge more difficult still. To cover the range of possible conditions, Michelin’s partners will be able to choose from a selection of catalogue asphalt tyres.

The Qualifying Stage will take place early Thursday afternoon ahead of the ceremonial start in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. Friday’s menu includes eight stages, with 10 more on Saturday, including two attempts at ‘McGaffins Corner’ (26.02km), before the finish the same evening.

Pianiste ....

Pyrenees - A December Motorcycle Trip

Pyrenees - A December Motorcycle Trip from Dirk Schaefer on Vimeo.

Alt. Bikers - notes from the new wave

The annexation of the most vibrant motorcycle sub-culture in decades didn’t take long. In Edition 002 Influx takes a look at the Alt Bike culture.

Documentaire Royal Enfield

Réalisation Max Jouan pour Viva Production

The Pigeon Kings of Brooklyn

By CHASE PELLERIN 

In 2012, Narratively was founded to share untold human stories from the hidden corners of the world’s biggest cities. Since then they have uncovered passionate individuals and unbelievable narratives that fill in the perspectives of society that mainstream media fails to embrace. Their latest video, “Pigeon Kings of Brooklyn”, documents three men (who go by 2Tone, Goodwin and Super 13) in Brooklyn who have dedicated a large portion of their life tending to flocks of purebred pigeons.

“The name of the game, basically is…trying to get the next man’s birds or the stray pigeons flying around”, explained 2Tone. Each day these men climb to the roof of their respected coops and feed or fly their flock of over 300 birds. With each release, aunique aerial display is provided that tests the guidance and trust of each handler. “If the do [come back] then you have a true pigeon that will never break your heart.”

“The more you fly the pigeons”, says Goodwin, “the smarter they get…the best ones don’t give in, they [always] look for home.” For these men, this relationship is deeper than just a hobby. “It’s hard to describe when you’re not born into that life”, says 2Tone. “It’s like a religion.”

via GEARPATROL