Aniruddha's Blog

While scrolling through YouTube, a clip of an old, screaming F1-style V12 engine stopped me in my tracks. That unforgettable sound led me down a rabbit hole—one that ended with a stunning, coachbuilt Ferrari from the 1950s. The car? A rare and elegant 250 Europa. And the coachbuilder behind it? None other than Vignale . This car marked the beginning of Ferrari’s legendary 250 GT line—arguably the most iconic and successful series in the brand’s history. And more specifically, it was designed by Giovanni Michelotti, a name that may not be as well-known as Giugiaro, Gandini, or Pininfarina, but whose influence in automotive design runs deep. Michelotti crafted timeless designs for Triumph, Alfa Romeo, and even Ferrari—each filled with distinct character and elegance. Setting the Stage: Ferrari in the 1950s Back in the early '50s, Ferrari was still a motorsport-centric name. Its presence on the road was limited mostly to the 212 Inter , a gorgeous grand tourer powered by the Gioacchin...

  Introduction Imagine stumbling upon a mysterious photo of a rare French race car. That’s exactly what happened to me when I first encountered the BSH. After studying the car's unique stickers and design, I managed to track it down to its origins: the BSH (Benais Saint-Hilaire), a rare and fascinating piece of motorsport history. This article isn’t just about a car; it’s a journey to uncover the story behind a hidden gem from the 1960s and 70s. The BSH may not be glamorous by today’s standards, but it carries a distinct charm—a low-volume French kit car built for motorsport enthusiasts, designed to make high-performance driving accessible to those with the passion but not necessarily the budget for factory-built race cars. The Story Behind the BSH BSH was the brainchild of two passionate engineers, François Benais and Max Saint-Hilaire. Combining their last names, they created the company that would bring this unique car to life. Benais was an engineer with a deep love for motorsp...

The background  This article is about a French automobile company started by a rich French industrialist Jean Tastevin. Jean Tastevin was a graduate engineer of the École centrale de Paris and he succeeded his father in his business which used to manufacture mining and railway equipment. Jean was always a huge automobile enthusiast and personally owned cars from brands such as Aston Martin, Facel Vega and Jaguar. Having owned such cars he always wanted to own a French built car of that quality and class. After becoming the chairman, he renamed the company Compagnie française de produits métallurgiques (CFPM) where he used to sell and rent train cars across Europe. His other company called Compagnie Française de Matériels Ferroviaires (CFMF) used to manufacture and store the rolling stock. This was his day to day bread winning job, however there was a fire burning inside of him to build a car of his desire to compete with the likes of Iso Fidia, Jaguars and Aston’s. Jean Tastevin ...