1965 Ferrari 275 GTB.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Click on pics to ENLARGE
The Zoute, situated along the North Sea, not far from Bruges and a few kilometers away from the Dutch border, is one of the most popular resorts of the Belgian Coast and one of the more affluent of Northern Europe.
Since 2010, the Zoute welcomes all the classic cars enthusiasts and supercars lovers of the country to a three day event.
The event, called the Zoute Grand Prix, comprises five different activities.
The main street and the Albert Square in the city center are the backdrops for the Zoute Top Marques, where premium car brands, like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Jaguar, exhibit their latest models.
The Zoute Concours d’Elegance gathers pre-and post-war classics at the Approach Golf Course on Saturday and on the prestigious Royal Zoute Golf Club on Sunday, where they are judged by an international jury.
The Zoute Rally is a regularity rally for up to 170 cars manufactured between 1920 and 1965. The rally takes the competitors along the most beautiful polder routes in Flanders and the Netherlands.
The Zoute GT Tour is reserved for modern GT cars less than 20 years old. The participants are also taken on the hinterland roads and can enjoy their supercars freely during the speed trial, called the Zoute GT Sprint.
And finally, Bonhams holds their annual Bonhams Zoute Sale on Albert Square, for historic vehicles mainly from domestic collectors.
Last year, the event attracted more than 100,000 fans to the city.
The Zoute Rally
Many Lancias were taking part in the rally like this Aprilia Sport Zagato Sanction II. As the original car has disappeared, Zagato rebuilt a new car in 2006, for the 100th anniversary of Lancia.
A Lancia Aurelia B24S Convertible in the Flanders countryside.
A 1963 Lancia Appia Zagato.
A Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato also from 1963.
A 1948 Cisitalia 202 SC.
A 1948 Cisitalia 202 SMM, in the streets of Bruges, the Venice of the North, where the participants had their lunch.
Finish of the rally on Albert Square for this rare 1954 Fiat 1100 TV by Fissore.
The Zoute Concours d’Elegance
This Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spider has been supplied by Enzo Ferrari to its first owner, Luigi Scarfiotti, father of future Ferrari racing driver Ludovico Scarfiotti, in 1930. With this car, Luigi took part to the 1930 and 1931 editions of the Mille Miglia, under the Scuderia Ferrari banner, with a 6th place as best result in 1931.
Another Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 bodied by Zagato.
Designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi for Ghia in 1954, only six Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint like this one are still in existence. This example was delivered new to the Vice President of the Design Department at Ford Motor Company.
The design of the body of this 1959 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS is probably by Giovanni Michelotti and was produced in only five examples by Carrosserie Ghia Aigle in Switzerland. Only four are known to survive.
The Bugatti Type 57 cabriolet Aravis was executed by French coachbuilders Letourneur & Marchand, like this one, or by Gangloff. This car has been in the same Belgian family ownership from new, in 1939.
Also from 1939, another Bugatti Type 57 cabriolet by Gangloff. Shown at the Geneva Salon and in many Concours d’Elegance in France, it was sold in the USA in 1960 and displayed at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours.
Produced from 1964 to 1968 in small numbers, the De Tomaso Vallelunga is powered by a small 1.5 litre Ford Kent 4-cylinder engine.
This Ferrari 250 GT Boano (0543 GT) took part in various SCCA races in 1958 and spent most of its life in the USA. It was sold at the Artcurial Paris auction in 2012.
1073 GT is the 13th Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder built, one of only 23 with covered headlights.
This 1965 Iso A3C is a factory race car which took part to the 1000 km of the Nürburgring with Fraissinet, Zeccoli and Cabral as well as the Austrian Grand Prix at Zeltweg in 1965, driven by Bob Bondurant.
This 1950 Lancia Aurelia B50 by Vignale was owned by Italian racing driver Giovanni Bracco, who won the Mille Miglia in 1952 with Ferrari. It is not known how many of these cars were bodied by Vignale. This car remains unrestored.
This rare 2nd series 1964 Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato was owned by the director of Zagato in Milan. It has never been restored and remains in highly original condition.
This 1929 Maserati Tipo 26M was supplied new to UK as a two seater but was later changed into a four seater with Touring bodywork before being turned back again to two seater form. It participated in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 editions of the Mille Miglia.
Built between 1960 and 1963, the vast majority of the Osca 1600 GTs were bodied by Zagato. Only two, like the one here, were designed by Touring, featuring the famous Superleggera body construction.
Presented at the 1953 Brussels Salon, this Siata 8V 208 CS Spider Corsa is a unique creation of Bertone that has been hidden for years. It is now back in Belgium, part of a prominent collection.
For once, not an Italian or French car but a 1954 Triumph TR2 , called the Francorchamps coupé. Only produced in 22 examples in the Imperia factory in Belgium, it is a fixed head coupé with plexi sunroof.
Everyone knows the story of Woolf Barnato beating the ‘Train Bleu express’ between Cannes and Calais. When he took delivery of his new Bentley Speed Six two months later, in May 1930, he called it the ‘Blue Train Special ‘and this is the car you see here.
And it won again as it has been designated Best of Show of the Zoute Concours d’Elegance. The car was presented by no less than Sandra Button, Chairman of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Very nice pictures and specified comments