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.
Prior to becoming the home of the Earls of Pembroke, there was a Priory on the grounds. Founded around 871 by King Egbert, over the following centuries more and more land was granted until the estate became the home for a large Abbey. Following the dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII in 1537, the remnants of the abbey and its attached estates were granted to William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, by the King around 1544. The First Earl rebuilt the monastic buildings to create an imposing manor consisting of four wings around a courtyard complete with stately corner towers. In 1632 the architect Isaac De Caux extended the gardens and added various water features, and in about 1633, following advice from King Charles the 1st, the 4th Earl created a new south front with state rooms and royal apartments to a design which combined the efforts of De Caux, Inigo Jones, and John Webb, Jones’ son-in-law. In 1647, following a great fire which destroyed six of the seven grand staterooms, the house was renovated by the architect John Webb. Further rebuild work took place in the 18th century, much of which gives Wilton House the style it has today, and the final remodeling took place in the 19th century under the direction of James Webb and Countess Catherine. It was said that the 11th Earl was not impressed with Webb’s work and fired him, so the Countess took over the project and with the aid of Mr Fisher, a builder from Salisbury, completed the remodeling.
Anyway enough history lets look at some cars, and if you are wondering who won what? Nobody did as the event was not judged.
The Terry Smith Collection
1955 Jaguar D Type, chassis XKD509 was the first production model built. Originally supplied to Albert R Browne of California and extensively raced on the US West Coast by Lou Brero Sr, often competing against Carroll Shelby. Originally finished in British Racing Green, it was later repainted white with blue ‘wasp’ stripes for improved visibility during night racing at Sebring. It returned to the UK in 1974 where new owner Nigel Moores painted it black.
1967 Shelby Cobra 427
1928 Bugatti Type 35C. Delivered new to an owner in Turin who then proceeded to drive the car all around Europe for work. Several Italian owners later the car passed into the hands of Jack Lemon Burton in the UK. In 1946 Alan Haworth acquired the car and having given it the name ‘Genie,’ after the registration GNE 801, raced it at the Prescott Hill Climb between 1950 and 1963 setting various course records along the way. In 2020 it underwent a complete restoration including a return to its original Bugatti blue.
Ferrari greats
Ross Brawn’s 1960 Ferrari 250 SWB chassis 2119GT, the ex Rob Walker/Stirling Moss 1960 Goodwood RAC Tourist Trophy winning car.
1958 Ferrari 250GT, chassis 1083 is listed as the first Ferrari road car sold in the UK. After winning the Formula 1 World Championship, Mike Hawthorn signed a deal with Enzo Ferrari to import road cars into the UK via his Tourist Trophy Garage in Farnham Surrey, becoming the country’s first official Ferrari dealer. The first two cars imported were a pair of 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupes priced at £6500 each. Hawthorn displayed both cars at the London Motor Show following which chassis 1083 was sold to Major Desmond Fitzgerald.
1965 Ferrari 330 GT, chassis 6981GT was a personal gift from Enzo Ferrari to John Surtees as a bonus for winning the 1964 Formula 1 World Championship. After leaving Surtees’ ownership 6981GT spent the next 45 years out of sight in the USA before being discovered by its current owner in Bethany, Missouri who then imported the car back to the UK. As you can see from the photograph the car remains completed as found.
1979 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 unusually fitted with a set of Campagnolo wheels more often seen on a chairs and flares 246GT.
1995 Ferrari 512TR, Many say the ultimate 90s Testa Rossa, one of 2261 examples produced.
Sixties Grand Tourers
This 1967 AC 428 Frua Spider, chassis CF3 was constructed in 1966/67 and is the third pre-production prototype, and the first with a manual gearbox. Originally owned by Derek Hurlock, the managing director of AC Cars, and used as the company’s demonstrator and press car. BP also used the car in promotional films and in 1969 the car had a starring role alongside the actor Donald Pleasance in the film ‘Arthur.’
1967 Maserati Mistral 4.0 Coupe, Ordered by Signor Amelotti, a member of a prominent Italian Jewelry family. Unusually this example still retains its original Lucas fuel injection system.
1966 ISO Grifo GL350, chassis 049/D was completed on the 10th June 1966, arriving in the UK five days later for delivery to Eton Motors. Originally built with a 300 bhp motor and four speed transmission, it was converted to a 350 bhp motor and five speed gearbox very early in its life. In 1979 Concorde pilot and collector of eclectic cars Bill Dick purchased the car as a non runner, and then seven years later the current owner purchased the car, still in the same non running condition. 37 years after that purchase the restoration was completed and now the owner drives the Grifo as often as possible, including a recent 2000 mile trip to the old ISO factory in Bresso, Milan to celebrate 60 years of the Grifo.
This 1965 Maserati Sebring was picked up from the paint shop by the owner and driven straight to the event. A rare right hand drive 3.7 litre matching numbers example finished in Bianco Polo Park with black Connolly leather trim, Maserati Classiche certified and maintained by McGrath Maserati for the past 25 years..
This 1964 Fiat 2300 S Coupe is an original right hand drive example with only 52,000 miles on the clock. It was kept in the South of France by its first owner for 23 years.
1961 Jaguar E Type Roadster, chassis 850022, Registration 160 RKJ. Known simply as “22” this was the 22nd E Type Roadster built and one of 18 early cars allocated by Loft England on a priority list.
Supercars
1978 Lotus Esprit World Champion JPS Commemorative Edition. This example is understood to be the most original low mileage example in the world having been revived only last year after being in storage since 1987.
1980 BMW M1, Interestingly a previous owner of this M1, who purchased the car in the 1990s, described it as “a German car with Italian electrics…unlike a modern Lamborghini which is an Italian car with German electrics!
1972 Lamborghini Espada. The current owner purchased the car in California in 1989 and yet the car is in right hand drive.
The Racers
MG Metro 6R4 Prototype, 6 for six cylinders, R for rear drive, 4 for four-wheel drive. This is prototype 001, developed by Williams Grand Prix Engineering for Austin Rover to go rallying in group B. Tested in period by Tony Pond, it differs in many ways from the full Group B version in having a slave V6 engine (a cut down Rover V8, rather than the purpose built four cam 24 valve 410 bhp V6) and a different aerodynamic package.
1994 Penske PC-23 ‘Pushrod’ Indy car. Designed by Nigel Bennett, the all concouring PC23 reigned supreme across the 1994 season but is best remembered for winning the Indy 500 using what was considered to be an outdated pushrod engine which, taking advantage of capacity and induction breaks, was said to produce in excess of 1000 bhp. During the 500 both Al Unser Jr and Emerson Fittipaldi lapped the rest of the field before Fittipaldi crashed leaving Unser to take victory. This is chassis 1 which was used across the full season, and in the hands of Unser Jr took victory at Long Beach.
1990 Jaguar XJR-15, designed by Peter Stevens as essentially a Group C racer for the road. Based on the Le Mans winning XJR-9 V12 powered Group C car, just 53 of these carbon fibre bodied road racers were constructed. To showcase the cars a three-race championship offering a $1 million prize was staged at Monaco, Silverstone, and Spa with the prize money going to German driver Armin Hahne.
Built for Richard Attwood using many original parts said to have been obtained whilst he was a works driver for BRM, this P261 is a faithful reconstruction of the 1965 P261 chassis 2617. Authorised and blessed by the Owen family, the chassis is thought to contain many parts from a crashed works chassis, including an original P60 engine, with the work being handled by period BRM mechanics, Hall and Fowler. A regular historic competitor and a five time Glover Trophy winner at the Goodwood Revival.
1908 Mercedes Grand Prix. In 1909 21 year old Arthur Wignall Tate – the Earl of Pembroke’s great grandfather, acquired the 1908 Grand Prix Mercedes from F.R. Fry of the Fry Chocolate family. He drove the Mercedes at Brooklands, Southport Sands, and Shelsey Walsh, raced it, then drove it home. He owned the car for 10 years before finally selling to America after the Great War. Now raced extensively at Goodwood by Ben Collins, this 150 bhp 109 mph racer took part in the inaugural French Grand Prix on the 7th July 1908 which started in Dieppe and consisted of 10 laps of a perilous 47.8 mile road circuit.
1950 Jaguar XK120. In 1951 a young car dealer by the name of Roy Salvadori purchased HBC226. After recovering from a serious accident in a Frazer Nash at Silverstone, he continued to race HBC obtaining several podium places and an outright win at Goodwood, He then traded the car for a Jaguar SS100 with Peter Blond, who wanted a faster car to start his own racing career. By 1968 HBC was on sale with Lakeview Motors as salvage. Purchased for restoration in 2009 by JD Classics, HBC has gone on to compete at Le Mans and the Mille Miglia.
1930 MG 18/100 MKIII ‘Tigress,’ one of just five examples built for the 1930 Brooklands Double Twelve. Sold by the factory to Victor Rothschild, the 3rd Baron Rothschild, who used it whilst studying at Jesus College, Cambridge. The MG was later sold to Christopher Barker who retained it until his death. Fitted with dual ignition, dry sump oil system, and an advanced overhead camshaft engine, making it the company’s first 100 mph race car. The current owner purchased the car with just 16,000 miles recorded and carried a sympathetic mechanical rebuild, but otherwise the car is completely original and is still regularly raced and rallied.
NLV242 is a 1952 Aston Martin DB2 chassis LML50/247, found in a barn, restored and now raced. Just as it should be.
1969 Lancia Fulvia ‘Fanalone.’ Once owned by Max Aitkin, the 3rd Baron Beaverbrook, this is one of very few right hand drive ‘Fanalone’ rally cars.
Pre-War wonders
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto Spider, originally owned by the First Secretary at the Italian Embassy in London then shipped to the USA. Purchased in 1938 by millionaire playboy Tommy Lee in California. Later passed onto Gill Schick, a friend of Lee’s, and modified first with a Mercury V8 and then a Cadillac engine. The actor Keenan Wynn of TV show Dallas fame later owned the car which was successfully raced up until 1952 by Tom Bamford. The 8C then disappeared into a shed in Tucson but was later discovered by Chuck McCain who was sadly murdered by a employee before he could undertake its restoration. The restoration was finally completed by the current owner.
1938 BMW 328 Frazer Nash, sold in the UK by AFN (Archie Frazer Nash) who had become the UK importer for BMW in 1934. Owned by the same family for the past 50 years and still raced and rallied, most recently the 2025 Millie Miglia.
This Model T Ford was completed on the 21st December 1914 at the Frontenac factory in Canada, then delivered to the Canadian 1st Division, shipped to the UK and then onto the Western Front where it was used as a staff car between Essex Farm (a Canadian Dressing Station) Ypres and Verdun. At the war’s end the owner’s Great Grandfather, an accomplished photographer who was given 6 months leave of absence to photograph the devastation on the Western Front, learnt that the Canadian Army was auctioning off items of non-military value. He went to the auction to buy a horse but came back with this Model T Ford, his for the princely sum of two shillings (10p in today’s money)
1930 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre, chassis AD3652 has been owned by the same family for 85 years having been purchased directly from the works by Dr William Lesley before passing it on to his son in 1975. She has never been rebuilt and has only ever had work done when required.
1937 Delahaye 135 with unique aerolithe style coachwork
1939 HRG 1 1/2 Litre, chassis W76 is the unique prototype HRG/Singer-engined sports car, the last of 36 HRGs constructed prior to World War Two and a precursor to the cars made immediately after the war.
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