British car shows. Nick mason

1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 ‘Testa Fissa’ meaning fixed head in this instance refers to the engine in that the block and cylinder head are all of a piece. Purchased new by British racing driver Sir Ronald Stewart and then raced at Brooklands by Land Speed Record holder Captain George Eyston, who it is believed designed the Leadbetter Coachworks-built aerodynamic body. Sold abroad, the bodywork became separated from the chassis but survived, allowing it to be reunited with the original chassis many years later.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

I thought, as it features quite heavily in the background of some of the photos, that I should perhaps give you a bit of history about Wilton House itself before we delve into what’s in the driveway and on the grass.

Wilton House

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

I have to say that I was feeling just a bit jaded as it has been so very busy this season, but I decided that I really should attend the first running of the ‘Concours des Legendes’ being held in the grounds of Wilton House just outside Salisbury Wiltshire, the ancestral home for more than 400 years of the Earl of Pembroke, and boy was I glad I did.

As the Earl says in his welcome message in the event daily newspaper “The concept behind this event has been a vision of mine for over a decade. I’ve always felt that the greatest cars deserve more than to be admired simply for their aesthetic. They deserve to have their stories told.”