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VSCC Prescott 2023

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1922/30 Austin Maggot.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

I had not visited an event at the Prescott Hill climb since 2016 so I decided it was time for another visit on August 5-6. The event, the VSCC (Vintage Sports-Car Club) speed championship round 5 ‘Vintage Prescott.’ So has the place changed over the years? Not that I could tell, it is still a lovely setting in the heart of the countryside and in the quieter moments it is possible to hear the distant sound of a steam whistle from the nearby Heritage steam railway above the sounds of the birds.

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Cartier Style et Luxe at the Festival of Speed

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Entered by Ferrari Classiche, a 1966 330 GT 2 plus 2

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

As mentioned in my previous reports, after completing all the necessary requirements in the press room at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, my first port of call is to try to capture the entrants in the Cartier Style et Luxe concours before they get buried in a sea of people. As in previous years the classes were a diverse and eclectic mix covering everything from early cyclecars to Low Riders and GT1 Homologation specials. The weather on Friday was not so good and as you know Saturday was cancelled, but I managed to grab a few extra shots on Sunday once the sun had come out.

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A Walk in the Paddock with Jon

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1958 Ferrari 250TR, chassis 0732TR, known as Lucybelle and raced as a private entry at the Le Mans 24 hour race by Ed Hugues and Ernie Erickson, finishing fourth in class and seventh overall. Later returned to the US and raced extensively in SCCA events.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is now held over four days, plenty of time to cover all the action and maybe spend some time just enjoying the show. Unable to attend day one (Thursday) due to a family commitment was no problem I thought, as it still leaves three days, more than enough time. Friday dawns cloudy and grey, weather forecast not so good. Leave the house a 5:40am as lots to do and I do not like to queue.

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Heveningham Concours 2023

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1960 Bristol 406 Sports Saloon by Zagato. This example is chassis 5299, one of six constructed, that was sold by Tony Crook to Richard Robinson, a well-known Bristol owners club member, who retained the car for three decades. Compared to a standard 406, the Zagato Sports Saloon is shorter, lower, and lighter to the tune of 260kg giving the car a top speed in the order of 120 mph. Between 2002 and 2005, 5299 was restored as to how it appeared at the 1960 Earls Court Motor Show.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
Information provided by event organizers

I am writing this intro to the Heveningham show on what has for me become a free Saturday (July 15) as day three of the Festival of Speed at Goodwood has just been cancelled, meaning I can stay home. The sun is shining but it is very windy, not kind to tents and other temporary structures built on the Goodwood Estate. What a change to last Saturday (July 8th) when I was in Suffolk at Heveningham Hall for the Country Fair and Concours where the sun shone down but the heat and humidity were to put mildly…yuk!. So here is our report from that somewhat better weekend.

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London Concours, 2023

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In the Wild Card class, Harry Metcalfe’s 1972 Lancia Fulvia 1600 Zagato. It was this actual car that Harry saw outside his parent’s house in 1973 that first fueled his interest in cars.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Tuesday, June the 6th, time for my annual trip to the green oasis in the City of London that is the Honourable Artillery Company for the seventh running of the London Concours. As it is held in the heart of the financial district the event is held midweek as that part of London is nigh on deserted at the weekend. So what were this years classes? Eclectic as usual, from Land Rovers to Lamborghinis with a bit of bespoke and a few wild cards to boot. The sun shone (eventually) and everybody went home happy. The following is just a selection of the beauties on show.

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Sharp and Friends at Savile Row

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Keynote speaker on the Thursday of the event was none other than Jackie Ickx, a very interesting speaker and a cool dude to boot. Here he is being interviewed by the Journalist Simon Taylor.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Thursday May 25th and it is off to the heart of London’s Mayfair for day two of the second Savile Row Concours. It has grown a bit with cars displayed not just in the home of British Tailoring, Savile Row, but also in the street outside the Royal Academy of Arts. The idea behind the event is to tie in the art of fine automobiles with the art of fine tailoring and to that end most of the tailors in the street had thrown their doors open to the public for presentations and exhibitions, and all of the vehicles entered were hosted by the tailors located nearest to their display spot. Being a free event and slap bang in the heart of London, it was crowded, but fine tailoring was very much in evidence amongst the attendees.

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FuoriConcorso 2023

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The view from my window! (I wish.)

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

A holiday to Lake Como in late May for an old car enthusiast usually means you plan to attend the concours at Villa d’Este/Villa Erbe, but since 2019 there has been a third event to tempt you. The FuoriConcorso, held on the lake shore on May 20-21, was created by Guglielmo Miani to celebrate automotive culture both old and new. Curated by Andrea Luzardi and now expanded across three Lake Shore Villas, this year’s event celebrated the art of aerodynamics featuring more than 30 cars from the 1920s to today’s hypercars.

Fiat Abarth record car, outside for a change.

[Read more…] about FuoriConcorso 2023

Salon Prive London, 2023

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Details below

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

I doubt if you will ever see a for sale notice on any entrant at the Pebble Beach Concours, but every entrant at Salon Prive London, held again in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea on April 22-23, had one. Agreed it was a much more discreet QR code on a board in front of the car rather than a hand written note blue tacked to the rear screen, but they are for sale never the less.

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London Classic Car Show, February 24-26 2023

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Purposeful from any angle, Alpine A110.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The last weekend in February offered a lot of choice for those of us in need of an old car fix. Should I go to St Moritz for the ‘ICE’? (Created to enjoy driving, showing and watching exciting motor cars on the frozen lake!) But have you seen the hotel prices? Maybe Stuttgart for RetroClassics? No more direct flights from my local airport! Madrid for Autoclassica? I do not speak Spanish. Race retro in Stoneleigh in Warwickshire? Been there before. Then how about the London Classic Car Show? Ideal, just a train ride away. So it was off to Olympia in Kensington that I headed.

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Italians at Retromobile

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A stunning way to display this 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Berlinetta (#412035) by Touring.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

Retromobile, February 3, 2023: If I had a £1 for every time I said WOW! (or words to that effect!) I would have had enough money to pay for the trip. Yes, Retromobile was back to its usual self. The big hitting dealers were back, the Artcurial Auction was jammed with lots on offer, there were tons of spare parts to buy and art to hang on your walls, and lots of visitors, though Friday was not so bad. [Read more…] about Italians at Retromobile

An English Hillclimb: Pure Joy

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lead

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
From the Archives, November 2016

On the Sunday following the Goodwood Revival rather than taking a rest or perhaps cutting the lawn, my pals and I took a trip just down the road from our respective homes to the Firle Hill Climb Revival, being run for the second year by the Bo Peep Drivers Club.

The first Firle Hill climb took place in 1949, run by the Bentley Drivers Club. The climb was 600 yards in length and quite steep, running up Bo Peep Lane to the top of the Sussex Downs.

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