Cool classics and supercars: The first major car show since lockdown
Îïóáëèêîâàííî 27.08.2020 20:09
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The London Concours event might have been cancelled along with so much else this year.
But the organisers pulled out all the stops to stage their annual event once more, held at the Honourable Artillery Company in the City of London. It was apparently the UK’s first major automotive event to take place since February – six whole months which has seen scores of shows large and small cancelled.
And despite a downpour on the event’s first day, hundreds of people still attended, though with social distancing strictly in place. There were many wonderful cars on display, and these are the highlights:
Dino 246 GTS
Purple is a colour rarely seen on any ‘Ferrari’, but didn’t it look lovely on this 1974 Dino 246 GTS, owned by Cecilia ‘Cici’ Muldoon (pictured)? The Dino story is of course a tragedy in reverse: looked down on in its day for not wearing a Ferrari badge, and when other Ferraris were becoming larger, faster and sometimes more brutal, the dainty Dino’s look and reputation have only improved with time, along with valuations totally off to the races.
Mexico-born Muldoon has lived in the UK for 14 years, and has owned her Dino since 2018. It lived in California for most of its life before she imported it from Houston. It’s one of just 31 Dinos produced in this lovely Viola Metallizzato colour.
Aston Martin DB2/4
Aston Martin has not been in a great place recently, as underlined by its disastrous stock market listing and ensuing CEO defenestration. But all the reasons fans love the firm and its cars were on display in their very own class at the concours, with perhaps the highlight being the handsome 1956 DB2/4, owned by Philip Torr.
Originally purchased by Count Charles de Salis who raced it at the Alpine Rally. De Salis sold it in 1957 and it later laid up from 1983 until 2015, when it was sold to the current owner Philip Torr as a barn find. A 30-month restoration project by EAB Classics followed to return it to ex-factory and rally-ready condition.
Aston Martin Lagonda
A fine selection of more modern Astons were shown, including a Lagonda owned by Rodger Dudding, one of 24 in his 400+ car collection; the Series IV was the last Lagonda ever made, in 1990.
Lamborghini Murci?lago
Plastic surgeon Mark Sheldon Lloyd (pictured) has a gigantic Lamborghini ambition. Currently the owner of a 2003 Murci?lago and a 2013 Aventador LP-700-4, both at the concours, he aspires eventually to own a Lambo from every decade. The one he most wants is a Miura. Lloyd’s daily driver is a cool one: he uses a four-door Rapide from Aston Martin, another marque he adores, for his regular commute between home in Birmingham and his Harley Street clinic in London.
Lancia 037
Lancia had a class all of its own at the concours. The dealer and collector Max Girardo brought no fewer than four of his Lancia 037s to the event. Lancia, Abarth and Dallara began the 037 project in the early 1980s. Designed to take advantage of then-new regulations in rallying, the 037 demonstrated the capacity of Lancia’s supercharging technology with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine rated at 205hp in its most basic state of tune.
The 037s featured were a 1984 Evo2 Group B (one of only 20 made), a 1983 Rally Group B (as raced by Fabrizio Tabaton and Carlo Capone), a 1984 Rally Group B (driven by Miki Biasion in the 1984 Monte Carlo Rally), and a Rally Evo1 Group B (raced by Fabrizio Tabaton in the 1984 Rallye de Portugal).
Aurelia B20GT
Several of the Lancias on display were restored by Thornley Kelham, and the company’s Simon Thornley (pictured) brought along his lovely 1952 Aurelia B20GT to the event. His is the first Series 2 Aurelia ever made, this edition featuring subtle design changes, and engines with altered valve angles to get more power. His car was owned by the factory for five years and used for development, but also has racing pedigree: it received the Alpine Cup in 1952 for completing the Coupe des Alpes, piloted by Ferdinando Gatta and Jacques Ickx, father of Jacky.
Thornley has owned the car for around nine years. “I love the car… it’s all in very original condition, though I did rebuild the engine, perhaps boosting the horsepower to around 100.”
Lamborghini Espada
This 1970 Espada was first registered in the Channel Islands before coming to the UK in 1975. It underwent a major restoration in the mid-1980s, and the car was later bought by collector and publisher Harry Metcalfe in 2012, who has since put 14,000 further miles on the clock. After a head gasket failure the engine underwent a rebuild, with an upgrade to Miura SV spec. Only one other Espada has the car’s panoramic roof, an S1 delivered to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1969.
Lamborghini Silhouette
Just 54 Silhouettes were made between 1976 and 1979. This Silhouette is the only one painted in Rame Colorado. Lamborghini was undergoing hard times in the period and prospective buyers never knew for certain that deposits put down would ever result in a car being delivered, hampering sales. The model is an evolution of the Urraco.
Lamborghini Countach
The launch of this car in 1974 caused a sensation. The Gandini-designed super-wedge would come to define the supercar in the 1970s, and major updates in the next decade kept it relevant too. This early LP400 is known as a ‘Periscopio’ – because of the rear-view mirror in the roof – is one of just ten right-hand drive cars built. It’s recently undergone a full restoration.
1961 Facel Vega HK500
If you wanted a fast, luxurious and exclusive grand tourer in the late 1950s or early 1960s, Facel Vega was the company to go to. Things kicked off in 1954 with the FV, which was overhauled in 1957 to become the HK500, with a 5.9-litre or 6.2-litre Chrysler V8.
Facel Vega was France's last chance of producing a proper luxury car marque, and the company folded in 1964. This car was originally owned by Los Angeles lawyer Douglas Behrend, husband of skincare pioneer Aida Grey. From 1982 to 2015 the car was owned by wine expert Peter Meltzer. It was then imported to the UK, and bought by the current owner in March 2016.
Lamborghini Aventador SVJ 2019
It was fitting that this car was on display, as it’s from a vanishing breed: a naturally aspirated V12, without a hybrid electric motor in sight. When Autocar drove it in 2019, we concluded it was the most memorable supercar on sale, such was its sense of occasion and unmistakeable impact. Behind it is a ‘standard’ Aventador, from 2013.
Lancia Stratos HF Group IV 1974
The remarkable Stratos won the World Rally Champtionship three years running in 1974, 1975, and 1976. This example was the fourth ever built and the first privately entered Stratos to compete in rallying. It has a genuine World Rally Championship history, having entered the 1974 Rallye Sanremo, and is running the ultimate Group IV specification for a Stratos, incorporating a big-valve cylinder head, wide bodywork, large carburettors and straight-cut gearbox.
Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider
The Pininfarina-designed Aurelia B24 Spider made its debut at the 1955 Brussels Motor Show. It was produced for just one year, and only 240 rolled off the line, of which 59 were right-hand drive. This car was in the same Italian ownership for 25 years and underwent a full restoration at specialist Kappa in the early 2000s, with modifications like extra front fogs, replacement Ferrari seats and a revised dash.
Lotus Evija
Proving that the concours is not just about great cars of the past, Lotus brought along its Evija hypercar, first unveiled in July 2019. This surprisingly compact all-electric machine will deliver a total of 1970bhp from an electric motor in each wheel, making the car the world’s most powerful production car. Full production begins shortly; 130 will be made, and it will sell for around ?2.4 million ($3.1 million) each.
1933 Talbot AV105 Vanden Plas Sports Tourer
Looking lovely on the Lost Marques display, this particular car has lived on three continents. It was first sold to an early and active member of the Talbot Owners’ Club and took part in the 1935 TOC Continental Tour – 2200 miles through Europe. In 1973 went to Singapore, where it was raced and rallied for several years, and then to South Africa in 1981. Returned to the UK in 2016, it’s been comprehensively restored.
Aston Martin One-77 (2011)
The One-77 was revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, and production was limited to 77 cars, hence the name. Power came from a 7.3-litre V12, delivering 750bhp, a top speed of 220mph and a 0-60mph time of 3.5 seconds. When introduced, the One-77’s V12 was claimed to be the most powerful normally aspirated engine in the world. Over ten years on from when we first saw the car, it still stands out as a stunning design.
Lotus Elan
The Elan stood out at the show among more glamorous machinery. Crisp, clean and sparsely curvaceous, This 1968 Lotus Elan S3 DHC is the rare S/E model, which features high-lift cams, a close-ratio transmission and various unique trim items. A comprehensive restoration has recently been completed.
Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake (2019)
A total of 99 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brakes were built, to celebrate the collaboration between Aston and the Italian coachbuilder, and as part of Zagato‘s centennial anniversary celebrations. The Shooting Brake has covered 8500 miles touring Europe – or simply doing the supermarket run…
Jaguar XKSS (2017)
The XKSS story began with the Jaguar D-type’s three successive Le Mans wins in 1955, 1956 and 1957. After this, Jaguar chief Sir Williams Lyons decided to convert the remaining 25 D-type race cars into road cars. However just 16 were completed for export to the US before the remaining nine were destroyed in a factory fire in 1957.
All these years later, nine brand-new XKSSs have been built by Jaguar Classic to the exact 1957 specification and made exclusively available to a select group of collectors and customers. Inspired by the Lightweight E-type project, each new XKSS ‘continuation’ was handbuilt at Jaguar’s new facility located in Warwick.
Fiat Dino Spyder 2000 (1967)
Looking marvellous in the summer sun, this Dino has spent most of its life in Italy. It’s in original condition and has never been restored, and was imported into the UK in 2005 and bought by the current owner in 2007. It’s won several prizes, and no wonder…
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