Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
As I noted back in 2014, England early September is turning into car weeks, like Monterey, but extending almost 13 days. And in this case, instead of golf courses, it is a case of pick your favorite stately home.
First might be a visit to the Duke of Northumberland’s estate, Syon Park in West London for a rather select event, “Salon Prive” where a lot of champagne is drunk, and lobster is eaten, and the stately lawns are covered by a fine selection of cars for the Chubb Insurance Concours.
This year I drove to Salon Prive the weekend of September 1, so the champagne is out and I am not a great fan of lobster so for me it will always be an event about cars. Why Champagne and lobster? The entry ticket includes a free bar (several actually), lobster for lunch and afternoon tea. For the third year in a row the event was held in the grounds of Blenheim Palace. 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. Blenheim Palace was designed by Sir John Vanburgh and completed in 1733.
Prive is an upscale event, and is the only event to focus solely on the “prestige sector.” According the website, https://www.salonpriveconcours.com/ the events offers “…a unique opportunity to not only admire, but also test-drive cars from the world’s most elite super and hyper car brands, providing the perfect opportunity to discover your next investment…”
You get the picture. Dress code is fancy, and you won’t get in wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Event originators Andrew & David Bagley journeyed to Amelia Island and of course on to California for Monterey Week and Lake Como while determining what kind of concours they wanted. What they created was a “beautiful event in a beautiful setting with fine-dining, champagne, spectacular cars and likeminded people.”
What they couldn’t control, however, was the weather, which proved to be challenging to say the least, lots of sun but several rain showers of biblical proportions at various times of the day. Not nearly as bad as Harvey or Irma, so we rested and were thankful.
A familiar but welcome sight. This 1932 Alfa Romeo P3, Chassis 50007, was brought to the UK in 1939 having previously been raced successfully in various Grand Prix. In 1939 Louis Tomei raced the car in the Indianapolis 500 in which he finished 15th. The car continued to race up until 1948 following which it was extensively overhauled but retaining all of its original Don Lee paintwork.
1953 Alfa Romeo 3000CM (Competizione Maggiorata) chassis 0128 is one of 6 3000CMs built and is understood to have been a spare factory team car for that years 24 hours of Le Mans race in which the three examples entered failed to finish. Passed on to Pinin Farina to be re-imagined as Superflow 1 and displayed at the 1956 Turin Motor show. Six months later and re-bodied as Superflow 2 the car was shown at the Paris Motor show. In March 1959 at the Geneva Motor Show 0128 appeared again, this time re-bodied as Spider Super. The following years Geneva Motor show 0128 appeared yet again, this time as Superflow IV her final reincarnation.
Superflow engine.
The new Alpine A110 looks good even when parked next to the original, in this instance a late 1600 example.
Derek Bell and his fellow judges learn of the history of 2 VEV, the John Ogier/Essex Wire Racing 1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato. At Goodwwod in August 1963 Jim Clark collided with John Surtees driving a Ferrari 250 GTO thus ending the racing career of 2VEV. I believe her current custodian has owned her since the mid-1970s.
Built using a spare chassis supplied by the factory and given the chassis number DB3S/12 this 1955 Aston Martin DB3S was first raced at the Wiscombe hill climb in 1958.
A winner of the Aston Martin owners club concours in 2002 and again in 2014 this 1964 DB5 has recently been restored. Originally delivered in Platinum Silver with dark blue leather interior it is now finished in Chichester Blue with black leather interior.
Finished in Bahama yellow, one of only five originally finished in this colour, this 1968 multi concours award-winning Aston Martin DB6 is the rarer MK2 version. Five minutes after taking this shot it rained, heavily!
One of two Aston Martin DB2s specially built as works lightweight competition cars. XMC76 had an extensive competition career spanning the years 1951 to 1954. Driven by many of the great and the good including Reg Parnell and Tommy Wisdom, it raced At Le Mans, the Millie Miglia, Goodwood, the Bern Grand Prix and even Shelsey Walsh.
This Automobili Turismo et Sport 2500 GTS is one of just 8 cars that were completed. (12 chassis being built) and it is believed to be one of only 5 which remain.
Launched at the event a name from the past, Automobili Turismo e Sport, the company name is now owned by Daniele Maritan. Designed by Emanuele Bomboi the new ATS GT is hand-built at their new Italian factory and features extensive use of carbon fiber making the GT light, rigid and strong. Power is provided by a 3.8 Liter European (they would not tell me whose) V8 engine with approximately 750 bhp on tap. Initial production will be limited to 12. Yours for approx 1.2 Million Euros.
ATS, old and new.
1965 Shelby 427 Competition Coupe csx3006, Registration number “LUV 1” is best remembered as being the winner of the Ilford 500 race at Brands Hatch on the 8th May 1966 in the hands of David Piper and Bob Bondurant. According to Graham Warner of Chequered Flag Garage fame, it was the only open Cobra to win an International FIA race outright.
Winner of the people’s choice award, Chassis 15969, the last right hand drive Ferrari 365GTS/4 Daytona Spyder, was road tested by Hamish Cardno and Roger Bell in the December 1973 issue of Motor magazine.
This 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB California Spyder is one of only 37 covered-headlight examples built. Riviera cruising at its best.
If you happen to have the official 2017 Ferrari calendar hanging on your wall then you will already be familiar with this 1958 Ferrari 250 Tdf, chassis 0895GT. It was the first single louvre-covered headlight car built in 1958.
Displayed by Ferrari specialist Simon Furlonger this is the ultimate track days car! Ferrari 642 ex-Alain Prost.
Ford GT40 MK111 XP130-1 is the street version prototype first shown at the 1967 New York Motor show.
First shown at the 1966 Geneva Motor show this one-off S Type Jaguar carries coachwork by Frua. The current owner discovered the car in Italy during the 1980s and finally brought the car to the UK in the 1990s to be professionally restored to its original condition. This was the first time that the car had appeared at a major show.
Finished in Grigio St Vincent with red leather interior this rather lovely 1967 Lamborghini 400GT 2 plus 2 is just one of four right-hand-drive examples built.
Polo Storico, the Lamborghini-in-house restoration arm, had a presence at the event displaying a Miura V12 engine and a Countach body shell and chassis undergoing restoration.
The Miura V12 engine on display.
Supplied new to Germany in July 1957, the current custodian has owned This Mercedes 300SL since 2013. A 3500 hour restoration has recently been carried out by a marque specialist.
This 1926 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 with coachwork by Wolverhampton-based coachbuilder Charles Clark and Son was commissioned by the Woolworth financial director Mr Clarence Gasque as a surprise gift for his wife Maude. Mr Gasque instructed Mr Barnett, the head of Charles Clark, to come up with a French design. Inspiration for the lavish interior design of the car came to Mr Barnett during a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where he admired a sedan chair once owned by Marie Antoinette. Following his visit, Mr Barnett commissioned craftsman from Aubusson in France to create a tapestry for the rear seats which alone cost £500, a third of the price of the chassis and drive train, and took 9 months to complete. It was described by experts at the time as being “nothing less than magnificently palatial.” An apt description even today.
This 1931 Barker bodied Rolls Royce Phantom 11 has only traveled 50 thousand miles in 86 years.
This 1925 Rolls Royce 20/25 chassis GRW59 with Herman Graber of Bern coachwork has lead an eventful life which includes a 20 meter drop into lake Geneva, a head on collision and a devastating fire. Her owners have included an architect, an Afghan Prince and the Church of Scotland. Discovered after disappearing for 34 years by her current owner, and now fully restored.
This 1908 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost was first owned by Mr Charles Angas who used the car to travel with his family extensively around the UK before taking the car to Australia. The coachwork is a Roi de Belges type Tourer by Barker.
Whilst most attendees were making their way back to the car park I made my way to the Grand Court of the Palace as I had been told that five of the class winning cars would be displayed for the guests at that evening’s ball. From Left to right. Luxury in motion pre war Rolls Royce class, 1931 Barker Bodied Rolls Royce Phantom 11 Continental; Best of British, 1961 Jaguar E Type Series one. Evolution of the Supercar, 1967 Lamborgini Muira P400. Best in show winner and most curvaceous Coupe class winner the 1960 Alfa Romeo 3000CM Superflow. Against the Stop Watch, Classic Sports Racers, Shelby 427 Competition Cobra “LUV 1”. Riviera Cruising, 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder, and finally Graceful Prewar Motoring, 1939 Horch 853A Cabriolet.
I might have forgotten, but seems to me graham hill was driving the Aston; clark was passing him on the outside of a fast bend; graham put his foot into it just a bit more, slid out and collected clark. I’ve misremembered lotsa important things too.
Some comments regarding the P2 Alfa. The original owner was Marquise Jose de Vellepadierna of Spain. He raced the car five times in minor Grands Prix, with two DNFs and a best finish of 3rd. It was in the UK before WWII, but for less than a year. By 1939, it was in the U.S., owned by Frank Griswold, who entered it at Indy in 1939 for Louis Tomei. He qualified 30th, but soldiered on to finish 15th with the aid of relief driver, Mel Hansen. Griswold ran it in the last ARCA race before the war, on a road course at the New York World’s Fair, winning the event.
It was then sold to Tommy Lee, a Los Angeles radio network and Cadillac distributorship owner, with Luigi Chinetti somehow involved in the sale. Lee ran the car at a hot rod meet on Rosmond dry lake and entered it at Indianapolis in 1946-7-8, where it finished 32nd and 15th in the first two years with Hal Cole and Ken Fowler driving. In 1948, Fowler was unable to qualify the car. An interesting historical footnote is that Luigi Chinetti failed to pass his Indianapolis rookie test in the car in 1948. One official remarked that he was, “a menace to other drivers.” This comment likely reflected the chauvinistic tone of the times.
The car carried race number 47 in the two years it finished, but ran with 42 in 1948 when it DNQ. It also had front and rear wheel fairings and a headrest that year, which are now missing. The paint may be original, but the configuration does not match the race number.