Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
It was all very last minute. It is a bit of a hike up to Suffolk (158 miles) from my home in Brighton, my Alfa Giulietta had been making some funny and expensive noises, I have been rather busy recently and the lawn at home was looking more like a jungle, but I woke up on Friday morning with a change of heart. Straight onto the internet, found a hotel nearby for the Friday night and off we went. The M25 on a Friday afternoon is not such a good idea but after four and a half hours (including an hour just to get through the Dartford Tunnel) I arrived at my hotel in Ipswich, time for an early night as I planned to get to Heveningham Hall nice and early.
Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, a rare thing so far in 2024, and it was a far more pleasant drive to the event, hardly any traffic and lovely Suffolk countryside. By 8:30 I had parked and was making my way up to the lovely Kim Wilki designed multi-terraced show field located behind the Georgian splendour that is Heveningham Hall.
Memories of the late great aviator Ray Hanna sprang to mind as the first thing I spied whilst making my way onto the show field was a Folland Gnat jet trainer, similar to that which Ray would have flown whilst leading the Red Arrows, parked to the right of the concours entrance next to which were parked two current Ferrari road cars, red of course, to match the Gnat. This bodes well for the day I thought and I was not wrong, and some of the cars I had seen before but many I had not, such is the nature of these events, and I do go to a few. The following is a selection of my favourites from the event. One final thing, in addition to the Automobile Concours the event also includes an Aviation Concours, and a Motor Sport content, namely ‘Horse Power Hill’ and I hope to feature the Aviation portion in a later article, if Peter will indulge me!
Heveningham Concours 2024
Best in Show: 1961 Jaguar E-type Roadster (John Smith). Also won The Dawning of a New Era, Post-War 1946-1965.
The Stylish Years, Pre-War 1886-1945: 1939 Lagonda V12 Rapide Drophead Coupé by James Young (Adrian Burr).
Emerging Style, Post-Modern 1966-1999: 1968 Alpine 220 (Jakub Pietrzak).
Speed & Beauty Combined, Performance 1966-1999: 1972 Lancia Fulvia 1600 Zagato (Harry Metcalfe).
Faster, Faster, Performance 2000-2024: 2015 Jaguar C-X75 Spectre stunt car (CALLUM).
Take Me Ohm, Hybrid & Electric: 2022 Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 (Malcolm Wilson).
The Challenge of Tarmac or Dirt, Race & Rally: 1956 Maserati 250F (Brad Baker).
The Need For Speed, Record Breakers: 1922 AC Works Racing Car (Freddie Smith).
Horsepower Hill: N/A Ferrari SF90 (James Nichols).
Horsepower Hill (Jalopies): 1934 Bentley Barnato-Hassan Special (David Little).
Most Stylish Owner: Mrs Deanna Peters.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-b.jpg)
1922 AC works racing car. Selwyn Edge understood the PR value of racing so when he joined AC cars after the end of WWI he was keen that the company go racing to the extent that he funded the development of this car himself. Designed by John Weller who chose to use a small engine to propel a car with as little weight as possible, shaving off weight even down to drilling holes in the chassis and hollowing out the valve stems.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-a.jpg)
On the 1st December 1922, at Brooklands, the 450kg AC became the first 1.5 litre car to cover 100 miles in an hour before winning the Brighton Speed Trials two years in a row. The car was laid up in 1929 but saw action again during the 1960s at the hands of the great Denis ‘Jenks’ Jenkinson who had the original AC engine replaced, as its unique bronze cylinder head had become porous. That engine is now back in the car complete with a perfect copy of the original cylinder head.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ace.jpg)
This AC Ace Bristol chassis BEX349 may have left the factory in 1957 with racing on its mind, complete with a Bristol BS1 Mk3 motor, a steering box brace, and mounting holes for an aero screen. First delivered to St Lucia in the Caribbean, it is however suspected that the Ace travelled on from St Lucia to Venezuela for the final round of the 1957 World Sportscar Championship, a race in which five Bristol powered Aces were entered. In 1989 BEX 349 returned to the UK and was rebuilt in right hand drive form and refinished in her original hue of Sveccia Red.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Gnat-b.jpg)
Folland Gnat T1 G-BVPP (RAF serial XP534, but-wearing the markings of XR993). This airframe first flew on the 28th March 1963 and first served with the RAF Central Flying school, and later with 4 TFS (Tactical Fighter School) before being relegated to ground instructional duties. The Gnat is best remembered as being the first mount of the famed RAF Red Arrows Aerobatic display team which this year celebrates 60 years of display flying. Parked in front are a Ferrari 812 Competizione and perhaps an SF90.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/De-Cad-B.jpg)
The much-missed Alain de Cadenet 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C2300 Spider by Touring. Alain purchased chassis 2111013 registration number FLC820, an entrant in the 1932 Mille Miglia, and retained her until his passing in 2022.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Castagna-a.jpg)
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Drophead Coupe by Castagna. Not much is known about the early history of this chassis other than it was supplied to an Italian client, but by June 1941 the chassis had made its way to the USA, where it briefly belonged to the owner of a Long Island junkyard whose trade in scrap allowed him to indulge in the collecting of exotic automobiles. Around 20 years ago the chassis was fully restored by Paul Russell & Co resulting in a best in class at Pebble Beach in 2008.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/A220-b.jpg)
Seen previously at this year’s Fuori concours, but much easier to photograph in Suffolk, the 1968 Alpine A220 short tail.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AGTZ-a.jpg)
Another car seen at this year’s Fuori Concours, the new AGTZ Zagato, this time shown with the optional long tail removed.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Nimrod-b.jpg)
1983 Nimrod Aston Martin NRA/C2. Aston Martin dealer Robin Hamilton had first entered Le Mans in 1977 with the Aston V8 based car nicknamed ‘The Muncher’ due to its ferocious appetite for brake discs. Undeterred, Robin went on to found Nimrod Racing Automobiles in 1981, and set about designing and building a car that could claim outright victory at Le Mans. Victor Gauntlett, the then chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda, provided half of the startup capital on the condition that Nimrod would purchase Aston engines, and Eric Broadley was brought on board to design the chassis of the car. The car’s first appearance was in 1982 and the team did sufficiently well to finish third in the World Endurance Championship. But a lack of cash held the team back. NRA/C2 chassis 005 along with chassis number 004 raced at Le Mans in 1984 and all was going swimmingly until 9.15pm on Saturday night when the two team entrants collided with each other thus ending the Nimrod dream.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Speed-6-a.jpg)
Bentley Speed Six chassis KF2378 left the factory in 1929 carrying Coupe de Ville coachwork by Gurney Nutting, a standard car, and then it came into the ownership of Mr John Morris.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Speed-6-b.jpg)
John Morris was the chief designer at Skinners Union, the manufacturer of the SU Carburettor, and in 1937 had KF2378 rebodied for racing and devised the unusual five carburettor set up you see here with the two larger carbs coming into play at one third throttle ensuring a proper fuel supply past 100 mph. In Antwerp in 1959 KF2378 was clocked at 127.8 mph over a flying mile.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/C3-L.jpg)
1923 Avions Voisin C3 L Torpedo by Chevalier. The C3 L was launched in 1922 with the design informed by Gabriel Voisin’s new partner, the former aircraft engineer Marius Bernard, and unusual for the time, was developed in a wind tunnel. This example spent the war years bricked up in Bromley in Kent and having survived the interment and the bombing continues to be used regularly.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ulster.jpg)
1935 Aston Martin Ulster. Named after the company’s success at the 1934 RAC International Tourist Trophy held on the Ards circuit in Ulster, this example is chassis LM21, the final Ulster constructed. Acquired by its somewhat famous owner Nick Mason back in 1974 and raced in historic events ever since.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/XP5.5.jpg)
Not your average Bugatti Veyron, this is chassis XP5.5, the final Veyron 16.4 prototype, which on the 19th April 2005 shot round the VW proving grounds at Ehra-Lessien at 408.47 km/h. After the record run, and after being driven by various motoring journalists, Ferdinand Piech had the car repainted in his favorite hue, the interior retrimmed with ‘Ettore Bugatti’ stitched into the seats, and retained the car, complete with its unique front wings and doors as fitted for the record run, until his death in 2019.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1899.jpg)
1899 Panhard et Levassor 16hp Rear-Entrance Tonneau, probably the oldest 16hp Panhard in existence. Contrasts well with the Ferrari 639 behind.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1901.jpg)
Nick Mason’s 1901 Panhard et Levassor Type B1 Roi-des-Belges which Nick purchased from the Harrah collection. Described by Nick as a car with a three-piece suit on. Chassis 3091 was originally built to race, being driven to victory by Leonce Giradot at a long distance road race in 1901. The Roi-des-Belges coachwork was only fitted once its racing career had finished.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/135-b.jpg)
Not what I originally thought when first seeing it. It is actually a Delahaye 135 Speciale chassis 48147 which was rebodied with an aluminium Bugatti Aerolithe-inspired design by a prominent coachbuilder in Argentina. Recently subject to a painstaking five-year restoration by Radford Restorations.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/250F-b.jpg)
1956 Maserati 250F, chassis 2521 was allocated to Jean Behra who drove the car in five rounds of the championship finishing on the podium in all but one of the races. At the season’s end 2521 was sold to John de Puys who loaned it to Jean Lucas for the 1957 Moroccan GP where the car was damaged.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/250F-c.jpg)
Rebuilt by the factory for Monegasque driver Andre Testut who, along with Louis Chiron, tried but failed to qualify the car for the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/639_640-b.jpg)
Making its debut in 1989, this 640 is chassis 110 which was driven by Gerhard Berger in the first five rounds of the championship, all resulting in DNFs ultimately caused by a lack of battery power precipitated in part by the alternator belt coming off which shut down the alternator, thus switching off the gearbox’s electronic brain. Later in the season Berger took victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix, and second in the Italian and Spanish Grand Prix, but not in this chassis.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/639_640-a.jpg)
Whilst the Ferrari 639 was never raced it was used to test the semi-automatic transmission and 3.5 liter V12 later seen on the 640. The 639 was also the team’s first Carbonfibre composite chassis. This example is chassis 106 which has recently been restored by Ferrari Classiche and was tested at Fiorano in period by Berger, Mansell and test driver Roberto Moreno.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/300-S-a.jpg)
1956 Maserati 300S Long Nose, chassis 3059. Its greatest race was the 1956 Nurburgring 1000km. After 18 laps the 300S of Stirling Moss/Jean Behra broke so the factory handed the pair this chassis which was being driven by Taruffi/Schell. Behra then closed to within 10 secs of the leading Ferrari of Fangio/Catellotti only for the gap to grow to 66 secs when he stopped to hand over to Moss. With only a quarter of the race left to run Moss charged after Fangio taking as much as 6 secs a lap out of his lead, eventually passing him and taking the checkered flag with a lead of 26 seconds.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lagonda-A.jpg)
1939 Lagonda V12 Rapide Drophead Coupe, chassis 14017 is unusual even for a Rapide as it is powered by a sanction IV engine that was originally earmarked for the factory’s works racing team. Another unusual feature is that it carries coachwork by James Young rather than the normal factory Rapide coachwork. Restored in New Zealand by Auto Restorations, chassis 14017 won its class at Pebble Beach in 2018.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SWB-a.jpg)
1961 Ferrari 250 SWB, whilst chassis 2501GT left the factory with a steel bodywork it is possible that the first owner had competition in mind as the car was delivered with a roll bar and, in addition to the standard seats, a pair of bucket seats. During the 1990s, whilst part of Albert Obrist’s collection, the chassis was reclothed in alloy.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/166-b.jpg)
1950 Ferrari 166 Inter is one of only 7 examples (from a total of 38 examples constructed) with coachwork by Vignale.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/C-Type-b.jpg)
1952 Jaguar C Type, chassis XKC013 was originally exported to the USA and for the 1954 Sebring 12 hours was on the grid and under the ownership of Frank Miller, the man responsible for the second set of headlights and full width windscreen. For the race he had entrusted the C Type to John Gordon Bennett and Traver McKenna who spun off the track requiring three hours of digging to retrieve it. The next owner, Jack Crusoe, had better luck finishing on the podium in a number of SCCA races during the 1955 and 1956 season before retiring the C Type at season’s end. The car is presented today exactly as it finished its final race.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lister.jpg)
This 1958 Lister-Jaguar Prototype, in the hands of Archie Scott Brown, finished 11 races on the top step of the podium in 1957. The combination kept on winning in 1958 until tragedy befell Archie. At Spa, Archie had an accident on lap 6, and the resultant fire claimed his life at the age of just 31. MVE303 however, continued to be raced with Stirling Moss taking victory at Silverstone in July 1958.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Osella-b.jpg)
1974 Osella -Abarth PA2, one of three Pininfarina-designed PA2s run by the Osella team in 1974, driven by Jean-Louis Lafosse, Derek Bell, and Vittorio Brambilla. Originally powered by a four cylinder BMW motor but later fitted with a 1975cc four cylinder Cosworth motor.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MP4-21-b.jpg)
2006 McLaren MP4-21A. This chassis was driven by Juan Pablo Montoya in the first three Grand Prix of the season. It is also the chassis that Lewis Hamilton was invited to drive during a group test outing at Silverstone in September during which he went faster and faster besting the time set by Pedro de la Rosa, who had replaced Montoya earlier in the season. A test that Lewis later described as ‘the best week of my life at the time’. I have to say that yes it is fast, and yes it goes round corners like it is on rails, but boy is it ugly!
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Monaco-a.jpg)
1964 Cooper-Maserati T61 Monaco MkV. During his last full season of racing Roy Salvadori enjoyed success with this Cooper, which was fitted with a V8 (engine number 151/10) of the type that had previously been fitted to the Maserati Tipo 151.
![](https://velocetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Montlhery-Midget.jpg)
At the Montlhéry Autodrome just outside Paris on a cold, wet, and windy February morning in 1931 George Eyston and the factory MG Team, together with MG prototype EX120, patiently waited for the official time keepers to arrive to observe their attempt at the Class H record, however the time keeps crashed on route and did not arrive until less that half and hours daylight remaining. George proceeded to waste no time taking four Class H records and achieving 103.13 mph. The factory went on to build 44 examples of the C Type Montlhéry based on EX120 of which only seven were fitted with a supercharger. This example is one of them. PL 9386 was supplied to Jarvis & Sons as a rolling chassis and fitted with a 2 plus 2 body though later the original body was replaced with an MG factory racing body. The current custodian still campaigns PL 9386 at various top flight historic race meetings.
Thank you for the marvelous photos.
Great photos and coverage. Thank from someone like me, who is unable to attend these shows in person.
Wonderful images and well-written captions, Jonathan. One minor correction. The 1954 Sebring C-type was driven by Gordon Benett, with one n. He was the New York-based U.S. sales executive for Jaguar. I know that Ken Breslauer’s Sebring books has him as Bennett as well, but that wasn’t the only error in the Sebring archives for that year. The 16th placed Allard/Olds was listed as being co-driven by one Charles Hall, while it was actually “Big” Jim Hall of Houston. [not to be confused with the better known “Young” Jim Hall of Dallas].