Entered by Bruce Lavachek and David Cottingham, this Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa chassis 0614 MDTR played a major part in the Nassau and Cuban Sports Car races of the 1950s. The Ferrari won the Best of Show award.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
September 8th 2016
Just back from Woodstock; no not the pop festival Woodstock but Woodstock in Oxfordshire, the location for Blenheim Palace which has been the home of Salon Prive event for the past two years. John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, had led his troops to victory against the French in the battle of Blenheim, a major battle in the war of Spanish succession on the 13th August 1704. To celebrate his victory, Queen Ann and a grateful nation gifted the 1st Duke the ruined Woodstock Manor and surrounding parkland together with £240,000 (about £36 million today) to build a palace. Blenheim Palace was designed by Sir John Vanburgh with construction commencing in 1705 and completed in 1733. The most notable date in the history of Blenheim Palace was the 30th November 1874, the birth date of Sir Winston Churchill. The estate itself extends to over 2000 acres.
Adjoining the east front of the Palace the formal Italianate Garden shown here was commissioned in 1900 by the 9th Duke of Marlborough and is the work of landscape architect Achille Duchene.
The event itself was held on the South Lawn. I attended on the first day, when cars entered for the Chubb Insurance Concours were to be judged. As can be seen from the following shots the organizers had, as usual, been able to attract a diverse and first class entry which in addition to the cars to follow also included a cross section of motor cycles from across the ages. The Best in Show trophy was awarded to Bruce Lavachek and David Cottingham’s 1956 Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa. The Peoples Choice award winner was the 1954 Pinin Farina bodied Maserati A6 GCS.
Winner of the People’s Choice award was this 1954 Maserati A6GCS chassis 2059 entered by the Destriero Collection. Chassis 2059 is the third of four A6GCSs bodied by Pinin Farina. Originally shown at the 1954 Paris Auto Salon and a competitor in the 1955 Mille Miglia and it was the 2016 best in show winner at Villa d’Este.
James Needham’s gorgeous 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider, recently restored by Ferrari restoration specialist Barkaways.
Guy Berryman’s (of the band Coldplay)1957 Zagato bodied Abarth Record Monza prototipo. Originally developed and raced by Elio Zagato, this prototipo was then sold to Italian gentleman racer Vittorio Gianni who raced the car extensively.
Edward Stratton’s unique 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans short chassis, ordered by a gentleman in 1933 who always wanted his cars to be made to his personal specification. This example differs in having a larger rear and a different style of bonnet.
This 1955 AC Ace entered by Mark Aldridge is considered the most important Ace in existence. It is the only example to have competed in the Mille Miglia (in 1956).
This Derby Bentley is fitted with the one-off coachwork as originally fitted to Bentley chassis B 23 AE. Built by Park Ward this early body was conceived as an aerodynamic study. After seven months the body was transferred from the Bentley to a 20hp Rolls Royce. Entered by Roland Duce.
This 1968 Ford GT40 MK3 chassis 1103 is believed to be one of just seven examples built. Shown at the first Windsor Castle Concours in 2012 and also at Amelia Island and Pebble Beach. The car also won best sensitive restoration at Villa d’Este and was one of the course cars at this year’s Goodwood Revival meeting.
Rebecca Prytherch’s 1957 Jaguar XKSS chassis XKSS 769 started life as D Type XKD550. After the Jaguar dealership failed to sell the car it was returned to Jaguar and converted to XKSS specification and was the last of 16 built. The first owner of the car raced it extensively in the USA.
This 1924 Hispano Suiza H6B Coupe De Ville has coachwork by Kellner of Paris. Once owned by Alain Balleret, an industrialist who had been the head of the Hispano Suiza experimental department during the 1930s. Entered by Abraham Kogan.
Another stunning restoration by Barkaways this 1966 Iso Grifo which is the only Baldwin Motion 350/370 LT1 example built out of a total of 412 Grifos built.
Kevin Morfett’s 1969 Porsche 911 is the lightest factory built 911 and was the factory prototype entry for the 1970 Tour Auto which, driven by Gerard Larrousse, finished third overall.
One of three Porsche 924 GTPs built by the factory to compete in the 1980 Le Mans 24 hour race chassis 002 has recently undergone a thorough restoration. She is photographed here during the car parade having been driven onto the stage by none other than Derek Bell MBE who had driven her sister car chassis 003 during the 1980 race.
Whilst the bodywork is new the chassis (2718) of Peter Mullin’s 1922 Voisin C3 Strasbourg is considered to be the chassis which won the ACFs Grand Prix de Tourisme in Strasbourg driven by Rougier.
Again from the collection of Peter Mullin. This 1925 Voisin C6 Laboratoire is the only example in existence. Its monocoque structure was created using thin gauge aluminum sheets around a wooded frame that was reinforced with lateral steel tubes. Nicknamed Laboratoire due to her experimental character and many technical innovations.
This 1987 Countach 5000 QV entered by Harry Metcalf was the London Motor Show car of that year.
Once owned by Tony Iommi of the rock group Black Sabbath, this late model split sump Miura SV chassis 4814 is the only right hand drive example of only two finished in Azzuro Cielo. For a brief period during the 1980s this car was owned by my boss at the dealer I worked for at the time. It took them a year to sell the car and whilst driving it to its new owner the car caught fire. It was whilst passing the Little Chef roadside restaurant on the old A23 just north of Brighton that my boss noticed the flames in the engine bay. I can just imagine the diners in the restaurant that day, enjoying their full English breakfasts knives and forks in mid-air, when into the car park roars a blue Lamborghini Miura with flames licking out of the engine bay. Suddenly a 6ft 4in somewhat rotund and sweaty motor trader comes crashing through the front door of the restaurant to grab the conveniently located fire extinguisher behind the till before rushing back outside to put the flames out. The car was delivered to its new owner a week later, by trailer. A pal of mine still has two of the somewhat scorched air filter nuts in his tool box, the third having melted away entirely.
Mike Reeves’s 1973 Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopio was supplied new to Belgium with many special features such as lightweight gearbox housing.
Lamborghini Miura Roadster chassis 3498 is the only factory roadster and was built for the 1968 Brussels Motor Show. Following her show career 3498 was returned to the factory and in 1969 was sold to the International Zinc Research organization ILZRO to be used to show case the various applications of zinc and lead used in the automotive industry. Various components on the car were then rendered in zinc, lead, or their alloys. Recently 3498 has been restored back to her 1968 Brussels motor show configuration by Gary Bobileff of San Diego.
Rare shot of the Miura Roadster interior.
And the engine.
David Cohen’s recently restored 1957 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing.
It was not just the cars entered into the Chubb Insurance Concours that impress. The dealer stands also contained many a gem, including this pair of Mercedes 300SLs.
Entered by Jeff Fosker of Foskers Ferrari, this left hand drive 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina series 2 coupe, chassis 1831, is a late model example with four wheel disc brakes and the outside plug 128F engine.
This 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina series 2 Cabriolet entered by Jason Barron is the second example of 200 built.
Dating from 1953 this Ferrari 250 GT Europa chassis 0297 EU, entered by William L’Anson is one of two prototypes and the only Pinin Farina bodied short chassis Colombo V12 powered example. An original specification matching number example.
Stefan Jentzsch’s 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB chassis 06449 is believed to be the fourth of four prototypes built.
Making its debut on the Ferrari stand of the 1962 Turin Motor Show was this very rare factory covered headlight 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe aerodinamico, chassis 3949 SA. It was delivered to American sportsman and special Ferrari customer Erwin Goldschmidt. Recently restored and a previous Amelia Island Concours winner the car was entered by Laurence Graff.
This 1972 Ferrari 246 GT chassis 04510 has recently completed an 18 month restoration by Barkaways. The car was supplied new to Peter Noon of the pop group Herman’s Hermits.
Life in the fast lane.
The Best of Show winner, 0614, is a former Bowtie Ferrari delivered originally to William Helborn of New York in 1956. It’s first race was at Watkins Glen. It raced at many tracks in the Eastern and Midwest U.S. as well as in Nassau and Cuba through the 50s. In 1959 Jim Place installed a Chevy V8 in the car and later the following year it was retired, went into long term storage, and in 2012 went to England where it was restored by DK Engineering.
The story of this car and 70 more can be found in my book Bowtie Ferraris, 2nd printing now available.
Beautiful cars.
Great show
Thanks