Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours

A special class was dedicated to the racing Bugattis and included this Type 50 that was entered at Le Mans in 1931, seen here during the rally on Saturday. This is the first Bugatti on which Jean Bugatti’s technical influence was very important.

This Talbot Lago Grand Sport of 1948 is also a Le Mans veteran with no less than five participations from 1949 to 1953. This coupé body called Chambas by the name of its first owner was used at Le Mans in 1949 and 1950 before being converted to open bodywork and then back to coupé form.

The Ferrari 166 MM is the car on which Ferrari built its legend. This example finished seventh in the Targa Florio and fourth in the Mille Miglia in 1950.

This Ferrari 340 America with Ghia body was first delivered to Italo-American Tony Parravano in order to run the Carrera Panamericana in 1952 in which it finished 5th behind the works entries of Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and Lancia.

Third at the 1955 Tour of Sicily and a DNF at the 1953 Mille Miglia are the major placings in the life of this Ferrari 250 MM, not seen in public since the 1988 Mille Miglia.

This Fiat Dino Spider raced and finished Le Mans in 1968. The only modifications to standard were bigger carbs and a 100 liter gas tank.

The Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 raced all over Europe during many years since 1932. This one, called the Don Lee Special, even went to Indy for the famous 500 miles race.

Voisin cars were very unique in their style and degree of technical perfection. The C27 Roadster, bodied by Figoni & Falaschi in 1934, was yet another unique design as only two were made.

Figoni & Falaschi were also the coachbuilders of this Delahaye 135 MS of 1939, first owned by a street singer who became music-hall singer and then married a Puerto-Rican industrialist to become the ‘richest woman in the world’ !

While the main purpose of the 250 MM Ferrari was racing, some of these cars were destined to wealthy amateurs and never went racing. This is the case for 0338 MM, delivered to Nina Sheila Dyer, a British model and wife of Prince Sadruddin Khan.

Although the gardens of the Chantilly castle form a perfect surrounding for the Ferrari 250 GT California SWB, this model was also at ease on the track, due to its outstanding performances.

French driver Jo Schlesser, once established in Madagascar, bought this Ferrari 250 GT Interim in 1959 and applied the Madagascar colors to it. He finished 2nd of the 1960 Tour de France in this car.

Very few Fiat 8Vs received bodywork by Zagato like this example with its distinctive “double-bubble” roofline. This one was only raced once in Rally Sestriere in Italy in 1957 and remained relatively untouched before being restored some years ago.

Another Zagato creation, this Maserati A6G 2000 s/n 2123 has been raced from 1956 to 1961 at the Coppa Intereuropa in Italy and in other minor events. Converted to spyder form after a crash, it has been recently restored to its original configuration.

This 1962 Maserati 5000 GT by Frua is the second of three examples with this body type. The Prince Aga Khan was so enthusiast after seeing the first one at the Paris Salon in 1962 that he ordered this example.

Another Maserati creation, but under the Osca name, this 1954 2000 S made most of its career in the United States, in particular at the famous Pike’s Peak hill climb.

Would you believe that this small Siata 300 BC is equipped with an American engine? Not a V8 though but a 750cc 4 cylinder Crosley, perfectly convenient for this lightweight barchetta penned by Giovanni Michelotti and built by Bertone.

The Best of Show award went to the 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster presented by Dutchman collector, Evert Louwman, whose collection can be seen in the Louwman Museum in Den Haag, in the Netherlands.

The Monica 560 of 1972 is an attempt to revive the French luxury car in a country that counted so many luxury manufacturers before WWII. This attempt was due to a railroad industrialist and lasted only two years during which some 20 examples were built.

The Citroën DS, celebrating its 60 years, had a special class for the DS with special body work. French coachbuilder Chapron was responsible for most of these special DS like the DS 19 “Le Paris” of 1960.

Another special DS by Chapron, the “Concorde” of 1963.

Even the French Presidency had its special DS with the “Présidentielle” of 1968. But the General de Gaulle did not like it because the interior glass partition couldn’t be wound down and he couldn’t bear being closed in.

Coachbuilders other than Chapron worked on the DS. Here a rare DS coupé by Bossaert, of northern France, of which 12 units were built. Bossaert also made two cabriolets.

The Citroën SM special bodywork also had their own class. The Citroën SM Espace is a cabriolet version of the SM due to another French coachbuilder, Heuliez, who inserted two large openings made from aluminum strips.

F1 Grand Prix cars from 1966 to 1972 was another highlight at Chantilly. The 1970 De Tomaso 505, designed by Italian engineer Paolo Dallara, was run by Frank Williams’ team and powered by a V8 Cosworth.

Following the 312 B that was powered by the first flat 12 F1 engine, the 1971 312 B2 wore all the hopes of Maranello. But although Ickx won at Zandvoort, it did not have much success in the remainder of the season.

As in every respectable Concours d’Elegance, concept cars also had their place. The reborn of Alpine is for the coming years but this Alpine Celebration was already a foretaste of what a production Alpine could look like.

Called il Mostro (the Monster), this Zagato creation is an evocation of the famous Maserati 450 S built by Zagato with streamlined bodywork by Frank Costin for Le Mans in 1957.

Beside the Concours, an important part of the show was dedicated to the clubs with more than 30 clubs representing almost 600 collectors’cars. Here is the Delahaye club.

This Delahaye 135 raced in the 1939 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Air balloon discovery flights were also possible for who wanted to escape from cars.

The Fiat Gamine on the French Fiat club display.

One of the themes of the day was the “dejeuner sur l’herbe” that we can translate by lunch on the grass.

Facel Vega and Hotchkiss clubs at the foot of the majestic Château de Chantilly.