Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
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Held in Knokke-Heist and the fashionable Zoute area on the Belgian Coast the Zoute Grand Prix, already on its ninth edition, has quickly become a must-attend event for the classic car enthusiast. The event was held from October 4 to October 7, 2018.
The Zoute Concours d’Elegance, held at the Royal Zoute Golf Club, was celebrating 70 years of Porsche and 40 years of the BMW M1, but we will mainly concentrate on the Italian and French machinery. For the website, click here.
The oldest entrant of the Concours was this 1902 Panhard et Levassor with a rear-entrance tonneau body by Labourdette.
Also in the Pre-War Class was this 1914 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost which wears its third body built by Waring Brothers of Melbourne, originally mounted on a 1914 Mercedes.
The 1927 Renault 40CV Type NM was one of the largest European production cars of the 1920s. Sold new in New York, it is the only 40CV Renault with coachwork by Binder.
The Earl of March, founder of the Goodwood race circuit in 1948, was a skilled coachwork designer. This is one of eleven March-designed Lancia Augustas.
The Lancia Belna was the French version of the Augusta. This Belna was shown on the Labourdette stand at the 1935 Paris Salon.
One of only 51 Talbot Lago T150 Cs produced, this chassis # 90039 is graced by a Figoni designed body and was delivered to America when new through Luigi Chinetti.
The Pre-War Preservation Class hosted this 1926 Bugatti which is considered to be one of the most original examples of the Type 37. It was owned by Jack Lemon Burton, a founder member of the Bugatti Owners Club.
This 1931 Alfa Romeo Zagato was second in class at Siena, during the 1933 Mille Miglia, before retirement. Its last drive was at the 1966 Esso Trophy race in Kenya.
There was also a Post-War Preservation Class where we found the Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France # 0747 GT. It finished 3rd overall in the 1957 Tour de France and 5th in the 1958 edition of the same race.
Entered in the Post-War Closed Class, this 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Touring coupé was originally delivered to Antonio Mario Savino, Argentina’s Minister of Industry and Trade. It had three further Argentinian owners and is now in Belgian ownership.
This is the exclusive “Corto Gara” short wheelbase version of the Alfa Romeo 1900 of which seven were built for racing. Three, including this one, were lightweight “Stradale” road cars. Only three “Corto Gara” 1900s survive.
The 1951 Fiat Stanguellini was powered by a 1100cc Fiat engine tuned by Carlo Abarth. The bodywork is a collaboration between Bertone and Stanguellini.
Also from 1951 is this one of six Siata Daina coupés. Its all-aluminum body was made by Stabilimenti Farina.
This Siata 300BC is bodied by Carrozzeria Bertone and is fitted with a supercharger specially made for Fiat. It was found in 2011 in a garden in Oakland, California.
1962 Facel Vega Facel II, powered by the 6.2-liter Chrysler V8 with a three-speed Chrysler Torqueflite automatic transmission.
This 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB4 was delivered new in Italy and has undergone an 18-month restoration by the Bacchelli & Villa restoration shop near Modena.
The Sabra was the only Israeli car. It was produced between 1961 and 1968 in 379 examples and the glassfibre bodies were made by Reliant in the UK. Here is a 1966 Sabra GT.
The Lamborghini 400 GT Flying Star II was a prototype displayed by Touring at the 1966 Turin Motor Show. It is built on a shortened 350 GT chassis with a 400 GT engine.
In the Jaguar C+D+E+F Types class was XKC 008 which is a C-Type that is often seen in historic races. It was a factory prepared car for Leslie Johnson. It took part to the 1953 Mille Miglia but retired.
This D-Type (XKD 526) was sold new to Australia in 1955. In 1961, it took part in the Australian GT championship, which required the fitting of a hard top, making this the only D-Type equipped with such an accessory.
The ex-Ecurie Ecosse XKD 603 came second at Le Mans in 1957. Between 1956 and 1959, it took part in more World Championship races than any other Jaguar.
BMW Group Classic was showing this 507 Roadster which is the actual car bought by Elvis Presley in December 1958, when he was stationed in Germany for his military service. It is said that, because his female fans kept leaving lipstick messages on the car, he had it repainted red so the lipstick wouldn’t show!
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the BMW M1, there was a special class for M1 road cars …
… and a separate class for M1 racing cars. This one was raced in the 1980 Procar Series by Team GS and driven by Hans-Georg Bürger. After the young German suffered a fatal crash in an F2 race in Zandvoort, it was Hans-Joachim Stuck who finished the season with this car.
The Special display class included the Ferrari Sergio. Based on the Ferrari 458 Speciale, just six examples were built. This one is the car exhibited at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
In the same class was the 2015 Zagato Mostro, the tribute of Zagato to the Maserati 450S from 1957. The rolling chassis was made by Automobiles Gillet, a small Belgian manufacturer who manufactures the Gillet Vertigo.
First shown at the 2018 Geneva Salon, the Touring Sciàdipersia celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the Maserati 5000 GT designed by Touring in 1968 for the Shah of Persia.
As in all respectable Concours of Elegance, the designation of the Best of Show is an awaited moment. This year the Trophy went to the 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Touring coupé presented by Belgian collector Johan Van Puyvelde.
The Zoute Grand Prix does not only consist of a Concours d’Elegance. The Zoute Rally is a two-day rally for classic cars which travel the Belgian and Dutch countryside. Here is a selection of the most interesting cars participating.
1955 Lancia Aurelia B24
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider
1947 Cisitalia 202 MM
1947 Talbot-Lago Record cabriolet by Worblaufen
1937 BMW 328 roadster
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB
1949 Ermini 1100 Sport
1950 Ermini 1100 Sport berlinetta Motto
1950 Fiat 1100 E berlinetta Zagato
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder
Hug thank you for these beautiful photos in both static and Rolling, for this event that takes from year to year importance and prestige in a splendid setting that is the Belgian coast especially the resort of Knokke le Zoute. What’s more for this ninth edition we could on an exceptional weather for the season.
Blow of heart for the BMW M1 racing cars expo … The great era of the “PROCAR” created by Jochen Neerpasch and won during its first edition in 1979 by Mr Niki Lauda.