This was my second favourite car at the show. In the Kustom Class was this 1953 Austin A40 Somerset.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
At last! A car show to go to, my first since Salon Prive last September. So it’s up to the City of London, to the 5 acre green oasis that is the Honorable Artillery Company and the venue for the fifth edition of the London Concours held June 8-10, 2021.
London is still very quiet, but at least the coffee shops etc are now open though they did not seem to have many customers; perhaps working from home will be the new normal.
Classes this year include Italian Berlinettas, 200 mph Club, Great Marques Porsche, Great Marques Lotus, Young Timers, Lost Marques, Iconic British Designs, and one of my favourites, The Kustom Class, the event can always be relied upon to have off-the-wall class!. In addition the event also celebrated the 60th anniversary of the E Type Jaguar which will of course be a theme running through the season. Each year the event also highlights the cars/bikes of an individual collector. This year it was the turn of Harry Metcalfe, the founder of EVO Magazine and of the YouTube channel “Harry’s Garage.’ I am pleased to say the sun shone, the cars gleamed and everybody had a great and safe time.
Our story is divided into two parts, this being the first with cars from A to I minus J.
The owner of this 1961 AC Ace originally purchased the car when it was 12 months old. when he was a twenty-year-old student. His first race in the car was at Silverstone in 1962 which he won. In 1968 a move to Hong Kong forced a reluctant sale of the Ace. In 1995, upon his return to the UK he set about trying to trace the vehicle and was ultimately successful and was able to repurchase her.
Alfa Romeo’s records indicate that this Giulietta Sprint Zagato was sold new in 1961 to Guido Rava di Novara and was specially prepared by Conrero. Rava di Novara raced the car at various Hill Climbs and club races before selling the car in 1968. In the late 1980’s an Italian dealer, having purchased the car, returned it to Conrero for restoration, and it was one of the last restorations carried out by Conrero himself prior to his death in 1990.
Entered in the Italian Berlinettas class, from the pen of Franco Scaglione, a rather lovely 1961 Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale.
This 1985 Audi Sport Quattro is one of the 200 road examples constructed at Ingolstadt. Only 20 made their way into the UK. This is one rapid machine, 0-60 in 4.8 secs, 155 mph top speed with amazing traction and cornering.
Strange as it may seem with all the exotica on show, but my second favourite car at the show was this 1953 Austin A40 Somerset in the Kustom Class. The current owner, having spent years driving her stock four door A40, undertook, with her father, its three year customization to produce this stunning chopped and shortened two door coupe finished in 1940s Plymouth Sumac Red with a metallic copper and cream interior.
From the Iconic British Designs class. Having only covered 2900 miles in the past 61 years, this 1960 Austin Mini is believed to be the lowest mileage unrestored example in the world.
It looks like Bizzarrini are back, take a look at www.bizzarrini.com
Bizzarrini P538 engine
This 1948 Bristol 400 is one of only 400 examples constructed in two series between 1946 and 1949. This example is unique, as it was the only 400 constructed with wind down door windows. KSK417 was once owned by the chief test pilot of the Bristol Aeroplane company.
From the Kustom Class, the owner bought this 1959 Chevrolet El Camino as an abandoned project nine years ago and built it together with his son, who was 14 at the time. Customized in the Southern Californian style with paintwork, it was inspired by the late Larry Watson. Under the hood lives a 412 bhp 350ci V8 mated to a four speed auto with a posi traction rear end and air ride suspension.
In the Italian Berlinettas class was this freshly restored 1971 De Tomaso Mangusta.
My favourite car on the lawn, in the Italian Berlinettas class. This 1969 Fiat Dino 2400 Coupe was originally consigned to an Italian showroom but then moved to Germany, then sold in Switzerland. In 1990 it was imported into the UK by the son of the actor Peter Sellers and registered as FYY208H. The bodywork was restored during the mid-2000s and in 2017 a full mechanical rebuild was undertaken by DK Engineering. Simply stunning.
Finished in Blu Sera this Ferrari 250 GTE was supplied new in 1961 to Edmund Bacher in Rome. However it is also widely believed to have once been the property of the film producer Dino De Laurentiis of “La Strada” fame. Eva Michelson of Park, London, then inherited the car and imported it into the UK in 1965. She sold the GTE to Dr Hector Anderson of Lambeth, London, who is believed to have owned the car for the rest of his life. Stored from 1975 when the current owner purchased the car in 2012 it still retained the 1975 tax disc and a ‘Doctor on call’ sticker on the windscreen. Following restoration the car was awarded Platinum at the Ferrari Owners Club concours in 2017.
Clive Beecham’s 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB chassis 2735 GT. Winner of the 1961 Goodwood Tourist Trophy in the hands of Stirling Moss.
Sold new for $14,612 less the trade in value of a 250 GT Lusso by Luigi Chinetti Motors of New York, this 1966 275 GTB is one of only 12 alloy bodied lightweight models constructed in 1966.
From the 200 mph club class, a 1991 Ferrari F40, a 100 point car complete with a full set of luggage and the original F40 watch. After a three year hunt to find a totally original example the current custodian managed to purchase the car from its 84 year old original owner in Frankfurt.
From the Italian Berlinettas class this Iso Grifo GL365 was built in July 1968 and then exported to the USA and eventually to Canada. Shipped back to Europe in the mid 1990s its previous owner commissioned a full restoration by marque expert Roberto Negri. The current owner purchased the Grifo in September 2018.
Every year the London Concours features the cars from an individual collector. This year it was the turn of Harry Metcalfe, co-founder of Evo magazine and ‘Harry’s Garage.’ Here is a small section expressing his broad and eclectic taste.
As a contrast to his Fiat 500 here is a further indication of the eclectic taste of Harry Metcalfe.