Ferrari: Victory by Design. Absolutely Must See Video by Alain de Cadenet.

A truly wonderful documentary. Thanks for posting the link!

 

Still my favourite. His other brand DVDs are great too, Alfa and Maserati in particular. But I don't understand why he never made one about Bugatti. A true shame, IMHO.


Onno

 

buy the whole set, you won't be disappointed ...one of the most "intimate POV" series on classics cars ever! ...and they're not expensive either

 

De Dad true knows what he is talking about! This is the difference to so many TV-hosts which have no culue at all and can not even drive those cars!

Next big plus is, that all sequences have a great atmosphere and the scenery looks much like the 50s.

The UK-guyzzz (like Mick Walsh from C&SC) all know that the correct helmet is -almost- 50% of the visual aspect.

Its much better to see an old race car leaving the dust behind than driving on a modern (!) road or circuit.

 

So true, Walter!


Onno

 

Does anyone know what's car sitting in the background as the '57 F2 FIA rules that brought about the 246S? It first appears at 20:07.

 

If you're talking about the green one, it's a Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica (which is not a replica but a client version of the Le Mans car built by the Frazer Nash factory, if I'm not mistaken).


Onno

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks for posting the link to that video. His smile in the closing frames says it all really. Fantastic.

 

I've often wished that I could have Alain de Cadenet's job! I would even be willing to do the occasional announcing stint at one of the muscle car auctions.

 

agreed ....and alan does give it some throttle in the vids, which i love to hear ....i also like that they have not added any sound track to the vids, it's pure & simple ...you can hear the fuel pumps prime, you can hear the started noise, and the engine catch, firing up, revving under load, and the run-off as he coasts to a stop ...wonderful work indeed!

 

Jaguar and Aston Martin dvds are good, too, Onno (as well as Porsche, which is actually the one that started the series). Lotus and Ford....not so much, IMO.

See you at Revival!

Jack

 

Super video. Thank you for posting.

 

and part of my favorite out-take ever . .. .

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cECmbme_UKs[/ame]

 

I can do that!

That is a classic!

 

And he loves girlzzzzzzzzzz.....!!!..:

 

Alain is a great guy and was a great racing driver having entered a number of times in self financed cars at LeMans. If you ever have a chance to chat to him he has a huge number of great car and racing stories to tell and is very easy to speak too.

 

A true Renaissance Man!

 

I agree that Alain De Cadenet's "Victory By Design" is wonderful.

Alain has a unique ability to convery the experience of driving iconic cars, and he's terrific in providing the history and context of their creation. It reminds one of Phil Hill's "A Driving Life," and Phil's description of driving many examples from the Golden Age of Racing.

I was so pumped by Alain's videos that I actually acosted him on the lawn at Pebble Beach. He was with his wife and young child, and I went up to him, shaking my finger in his face, and said, "You're the best motor racing journalist, and Victory By Design is great!" Although he seemed somewhat taken aback, he responded, "Pump up the volume next time you watch them." A conversation followed, including his insightful observations on the racing cars on display at the Concours.

I've run into Alain several times since, and he's always gracious and generous with his time. A couple of years ago, he gave me a twenty-minute tour of the Auto Union Grand Prix car at the Bonhams auction during Monterey Car Week. Completely fascinating.

For the true gear-heads out there, the British DVD series, "A Gentleman's Motor Racing Diary" offers hours of amateur film of motor racing in the 1950s "as told and filmed by a man who was at its very heart - John Tate."

Also worth reading is the long-awaited autobiography of Tony Brooks, "Poetry In Motion" which provides in depth recollections of motor racing at the highest levels. Tony Brooks was on the Ferrari F-1 team and the Aston Martin Sports Racing Car team, and came second to Jack Brabham in the World Championship in 1959.

See attached note of appreciation from Stirling Moss.

And Bryan is right that the video of Alain ducking a low flying Spitfire is amazing.
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Agreed. A great series. Have the Ferrari segment on my ipod. A fabulous selection of cars.

GT

 

Thanks for posting the video.
I orderd directly the original DVD.

I will get it, this week I hope.


Gr.
Xander

 

Great stories, pacpaldoc - it's a real privilege to meet these people.


Onno

 

You made my day. De Cadenet is a master and it is a true joy watching him in all those iconic models. I like how he chose the 275 Master of them all in the end. As a 275 fanatic and lover, of course this was to my liking. Well done De Cadenet....!