Friday, February 27, 2015

Father of iconic Z dies at 105...



Yutaka Katayama, the father of Nissan's; Err Datsun's; Uhm? Why does that old Dot-Soon joke come to mind? Iconic 240z Sportscar has died at the remarkable age of 105 in Japan. As the 240Z, and more importantly its "Big Brother" 280Z hold a significant place in my heart. So thank you Nissan executives for sending Mr. Katayama to your automotive Siberia,; Uhm, Southern California to fail!

Bugatti sells final Veyron



Although this isn't the exact story (below) I read a few days ago on the NZ Herald, as the world's newspapers have a nasty habbit of changing story titles, to keep articles appearing fresh... Not to mention my P.O.S.  micro-SOFT' operating system having a nasty habbit of NOT wishing to interface correctly with 'Lucy, my ARSE-Steamed Screen Reader! Hence, entirely losing the first draft of this; SHEISA! But I digress...

As Bugatti, the luxury car brand owned by Volkswagen has just sold the 450th and final Veyron, called la Finale to an undisclosed Middle East buyer, which will be on display at the forthcoming Geneva Auto Show before  vanishing into the Desert.

I've only had the  lucky chance to see an example of this Supercar once, when the VW Bumblebee Benson & Hedges; Err, "Buzzin 'N Hornets" black & yellow Veyron was attracting us USGP spectators like Bees to honey! Parked at the inside parking lot of COTA, nee Circuit Of The Americas...

Thursday, February 26, 2015

The Dark Side of Astor Cup lore...






Mandy Rice-Davies waves to photographers in 1964 at London Airport as she heads to Munich for a singing engagement. She played a key role in the Profumo Affair in 1963. (Associated Press)
Funny how your senses 'O "Heightened Attenzione" work, eh? Since for reasons involving my ever increasing "Youth;" Hya! I enjoy perusing the New York Times Obituary section and Wallah! Once again stumbled into an unknown person of interest solely because she famously "Outed" one of the Astor clan during the height of the "Profumo affair!"



Previously I noted in Part One, how the spotting of then unknown personality Anthony Marshall's death in the New York Times, where after all, the Astor family's roots harken back to; Karmically, and unbeknownst to Mwah, divulged the details of William Vincent Astor's third and final wife was the aforementioned Brooke Astor, who's family fortunes were plundered by the recently deceased Mr.  Marshall, Brooke's only son.


Since after all, the late Mr. William Vincent Astor is the lynchpin to  this rambling monologue revolving around today's Indy Car Series championship trophy, thy Astor Cup...

Astor Cup returns
After attempting to create a truly unique and current Indy Car Series  championship trophy in 2010; thee notorious "Naked Man on 'Uni" flopped after too much controversy regarding its futuristic looks and hence, a veritable classic was dusted off and returned to duty in 2011 as the Open Wheel Racing's new championship trophy.

Thus, thee Astor Cup once again became the series championship trophy, albeit mostly seen in public without its two granite bases encompassing all of America's Open Wheel Racing champions since 1909...


Champions
2011: Dario Franchitti, UK; Chip Ganassi Racing
2012: Ryan Hunter-Reay, USA; Andretti Autosport
2013: Scott Dixon, New Zealand; Chip Ganassi Racing
2014: Will Power, Australia; Team Penske

More Astor Family lore
Certainly it shouldn't come as a surprise, as I'd presume all powerful family's of Aristocracy are rife with misdeeds, as the name Rockefeller comes to mind, not to mention the temptation of wealth, power, greed and lust, having noted Mr. Anthony  Marshall's  misfortunes above, thus once again I found the brief story of the Profumo Affair most entertaining, which basically revolves around one of Britain's Parliament getting caught with his zipper down!


Yeah, I'll confess that I'd never heard of the Profumo Affair before, after all having occurred over a half century ago... When then Brigadier John Profumo,Britan's Secretary of State for War was ensnared in the sex scandal that rocked the nation.

Profumo would later be forced to resign after having to admit sheepishly he'd previously lied to Parliament over the scandal regarding Messer Profumo and Russian Naval Attache Yevgeny Ivanov having allegedly shared the pleasures of Christine Keeler! With the  public worrying over the possible transfer of state secrets, "Randy" Profumo's activities ultimately led to the failure of Prime Minister Harold McMillan's Conservative party in 1964.

Mr. Profumo was introduced to the then 19yr old Model and (Topless) Show Girl Christine Keeler at Lord Astor's Cliveden residency by Stephen Ward, a friend of Lord Astor's during a 1961 Pool Party at the Buckinghamshire Mansion; Hmm? I know that name Astor from somewhere; Hya! As Mrs. Mandy Rice-Davies famously scoffed in court regarding Lord Astor's rebuffing of their affair: “Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?” Which gained international notoriety...

This, along with the apparent suicide death of Mr. Ward, who'd been found guilty of two counts of living off of immoral earnings,  whilst Christine would later serve a nine months prison sentence for purgery during Ward's trial which revealed the Profumo- Keeler- Ivanov love triangle.

Mandy Rice-Davies was entangled in the court proceedings since she was Christine Keeler's roommate at the time of the Profumo Affair.

William Waldorf Astor II, also known as the third Viscount Astor, a term  which I needed to look up, which refers to the bequesting of a royal, noble or chivilristic title, in Viscount Astor's case, a hereditary bestowing of this mid-person nobility, who was a businessman and conservative party politician, which typically the majority of the Astor family were. Having served in the House of Commons from 1935-45 and a second brief term in the early 1950's, when he was bestowed the title of Viscount upon his father's death.

After the Profumo Affair, for which William Astor II continued proclaiming his innocence regarding his alleged affair with the 18yr Show Girl Model Mandy Rice-Davies, apparently cashed-in on her notoriety, having a string of Nightclubs and Restaurants in Israel  named after her, during her first marriage to an Israeli businessman. Followed by publishing her autobiography, a play called Dirty Linen, further books, television and film roles, including the 1989 film titled Scandal in which Bridgette Fonda played her, while most lately, being involved in the short lived  Stephen Ward musical...


Meanwhile, the Viscount Astor III sought refuge out of the limelight at Cliveden where he had a Stud factory; Uhm, Err for Horses that is...

Lord Astor was married three times and sired four children, three daughters and one son from his three wife's and died of a heart attack in the Bahamas in 1966 at the age of 58. His son, William Waldorf Astor III then inherited the Viscountcy title upon his death, and is a member of the House of Lords...