Windsor Castle Concours, September 9th, 2012

Here are some in depth comments about two significant cars shown, taken from the Windsor event catalogue:

Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Corto Touring Spider 1938. Originally bought new by a young Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, he did not get long to enjoy the car having to flee Holland in 1940 in advance of the invading Nazis. The car was confiscated by the Germans become just one of a pool of cars used by the Wehrmacht. The engine seized in 1941. The car was then bought by a Dutch dealer who kept it safely stored through the war. Bernhard was reunited with the car upon his return to Holland in 1947 and in honor of the Canadians with whom he stayed with several times during the war he had the Canadian flag painted on the front wing. The car was sold a year later to a Belgian enthusiast who painted it red and took part in many races. The car was bought in 1952 by an American enthusiast who kept it for 5 decades. Its current owner William Ainscough has had the red paint painstakingly removed to reveal the original great paintwork.

Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta Clive Beecham, ex-Swaters and Agnelli.
Ordered by Gianni Agnelli in 1950, his first production Ferrari. He spec’d the colour scheme, later raced under Ecurie Francorchamps banner, won in Spa in 1953 driven by Olivier Gendebien. Team owner Jaques Swaters traded the car six times but the car always came back to him. The family owned it for 46 years. In 1989 Swaters restored the car and returned it to its original Agnelli finish. Known as Grand Mamma/Nonna to the family, the car has been displayed at the New York Museum of Modern Art, The Berlin National Gallery and at the Ferrari I’dea exhibition in Florence.