News and videos from FIVA members around the world
Stories are not necessarily the views of FIVA but offer a tantalising glimpse into the wildly varied world of historic vehicles
Brush Cars and Cowra Rally in Australia
Brush cars were manufactured in America, by Alanson P Brush, from 1907 to 1912. They were small, lightly made, runabout cars, but incorporated many novel ideas, including: a single cylinder counter rotating internal combustion engine, beautifully made 2 speed transmission, suspension by four coil springs and friction dampers, self-energising rear brakes in both forward and reverse direction, variable ratio steering, wooden chassis rails and hickory wooden axles. They were [...]
70th Anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix
On a sunny Sunday morning in March, the 4th annual Historic Vehicles Event took place, coinciding with the 70th Anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix. To mark the occasion, 70 cars and 70 motorcycles participated in the event. While there was only one motorcycle that was over 28 years old—an Ultra Classic manufactured in 1995—many of the cars were over 30 years old, and all the owners put in [...]
EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICES AMONG OUR MEMBERS
Our member, Mille Miglia Museum in Brescia in collaboration with Lopresto, set up an exhibition last summer dedicated to the restoration and conservation of automotive heritage, illustrating through four unique cars different situations in which a historic car can be found. The exhibition started with a discovery, the Fiat 1500 Cabriolet of 1939, whose rusty bodywork shows the signs of time with a very special charm, passing to the [...]
FHVI ITC HOTELS HISTORIC VEHICLE DRIVE 2023
There are very few things that can make my family and me drag ourselves out of bed on a Sunday morning. However, 29th January 2023 was one of the early morning starts we were all really excited about, our 3 year old included for whom it was also the first ever vintage car rally! Talking of firsts, there were more than just one – my father could join us [...]
1886-1906: From the horseless carriage to the automobile – A Free PDF book
We are extremely grateful to Prof. Lorenzo Morello, Chairman of the Culture Commission of ASI, our Italian ANF, for sharing with us the precious booklet he wrote, “1886-1906 From the horseless carriage to the automobile”. The material presented here was originally the basis of a programme of lectures given at a number of Italian universities between 2015 and 2017 and covers the twenty years from 1886 to 1906 which [...]
Elisabeth Junek
16 November 1900 – 5 January 1994 Elisabeth Junek (née Pospíšilová), the most successful and famous lady racing driver of the Twenties, was born on 16 November 1900 in Olomouc, in what is now the Czech Republic. In 1920, she and her brother Stanislav spent time in France, where Elisabeth drove a car for the first time. In 1922, she returned to Prague and in June that year married [...]
Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride
Hong Kong The “Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride” (DGR) took place around the World on Sunday 23rd May 2021, celebrating the 10th Anniversary of this Charitable Event. The idea behind this gathering is to promote men’s mental and physical health. The Hong Kong group gathered at 9.30am on the south side of Hong Kong island beside ‘Ocean Park’. A one-hour ride had been pre-planned taking the 80 Riders, with classic [...]
Historic vehicles back on the road – slowly and carefully
“The historic vehicle world is at last coming back to life in some places,” says Tiddo Bresters, president of FIVA (the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens or international federation of historic vehicles). “Where Covid is under control, enthusiasts are getting out on the road, expressing the wish that life will steadily return to normal.” In Kolkata (Calcutta), India, the Classic Drivers Club enjoyed “anecdotes, banter and wonderful weather” in January, with [...]
SEAT’s 70th Anniversary
A history of the Spanish branch of VW History of vehicles that changed the flow of development and culture in a country! FIVA Culture Commission and FIVA Youth group present the story of Seat Click here to read the full article:Seat-70-aniversario-vicente-sevillano Text and pictures by: Vicente Sevillano Guerrero, member of THE FIVA YOUTH WORKING GROUP and SEAT
A (very) full life
Life and adventures of ‘Paddy’ Naismith, actress, race and rally driver, pilot, air hostess… Eirane Redmond ‘Paddy’ Naismith was born in London in 1908, the daughter of a traveling car tyre salesman and a renowned clairvoyant (or “psychological expert”). In her teens, she began stage acting and later joined a touring company performing musical comedies. In July 1928 she took part in the Junior Car Club’s Bournemouth Concours [...]
A (very) full life – 2
Life and adventures of ‘Paddy’ Naismith, actress, race and rally driver, pilot, air hostess… In the second half of Paddy Naismith’s life story, we find out how she became a pioneering aviator and the champion of servicemen disfigured during WW2. We pick up the story of Paddy Naismith in 1933 as she pushes her car through the paddock at Brooklands during the Whitsun meeting on 5 June. She [...]
The 2020 FEVA Virtual Automotive Heritage Days
From Spanish Federation of Antique Vehicles (FEVA), the FIVA ANF in Spain have not given up holding the traditional and consolidated Automotive Heritage Days, although the socio-health situation caused by Covid 19 has forced to propose an alternative system, very different from the usual one. Since the beginning of the pandemic, FEVA’s Board of Directors has opted for the utmost caution, and for this reason it has discouraged any [...]
THE IRISH 1903 GORDON BENNETT CUP RACE
Commemorated annually by the IVVCC International Gordon Bennett Rally The Gordon Bennett Cup Race, held annually from 1900 to 1905, paved the way for modern Grand Prix racing. In 1906, the year after the last Gordon Bennett Cup Race, the first Grand Prix motor racing event was held in France at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans. The 1902 Gordon Bennett Cup Race, held in France, was [...]
THE FIRST FEMALE MEMBER
OF THE GERMAN MOTORCYCLISTS’ ASSOCIATION (D.M.V.) History of vehicles that changed the flow of development and culture in a country! FIVA Culture Commission and FIVA Youth group present the story of Devrim, cars of the Turkish revolution Click here to read the full article: Die Erste Frau In Der Deutschen Motorradfahrer Vereinigung EN Text by: Roman Breindl (ADAC) in cooperation with the FIVA Culture Comission [...]
FICJA: the car which motorised Yugoslavia
History of vehicles that changed the flow of development and culture in a country! FIVA Culture Commission and FIVA Youth group present the story of FICJA, the car which motorised Yugoslavia. Click here to read the full article: FICJA The Car That Motorized Yugoslavia Text and pictures by: Dr. Giorgio Andrian in collaboration with the FIVA Culture Commission
Paykan & Iran
The 1960s was an era of industrial development in Iran. One of the lynchpins of government planning of the period was to establish an indigenous automotive industry. After several fitful starts, including an unsuccessful venture with FIAT, a virtual revolution took place when, in 1966, the Iranian company Iran National, a licensee of Mercedes Benz buses, branched into passenger car manufacturing. The founders of Iran National, Ahmad Khayami and [...]
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