The Hampton Court Concours Delivers Yet Again

The tenth edition of this great London-event properly celebrated some of the finest classic cars in the world.

After an enforced period of not being able to drive or attend classic events due to a hip replacement operation – which meant missing three events I had been looking forward to – things returned to normal with what is always a golden couple of weekends at the end of the summer for me, starting with the Hampton Court Concours with the Goodwood Revival following just a week later.

This was the tenth concours held at Henry VIII’s Thameside palace, where it seems to have made it’s permanent home after moving around in its first few years and this palatial setting provides a stunning backdrop to some of the most exclusive, glamorous and, in some cases, valuable classics in the world.

This year I attended on the Saturday and Sunday and the late summer weather held for long enough to allow those classics to be displayed in the best possible light.

One significant difference this year compared to previous years was the absence of an auction – perhaps the acquisition of Gooding & Company (hosts of recent auctions at the concours) by Christie’s had something to do with it, I don’t know, but it did add some spice to previous events.

Still, there was more than enough to delight the eyes, so let’s take a look around:

The central display this time celebrated 75 years of Formula 1 and included a 1955 Mercedes W196 R, a 1956 Maserati 250F, 1970 March 701 and most intriguingly, the ex-Jody Sheckter 1977 Tyrell P34 six-wheeler, as well a 1988 Ferrari 639 and an ex-Hamilton Mercedes W05 Hybrid. The older cars looked tiny compared to the later ones, and of course, were so much simpler in almost every respect. That Tyrell though – how audacious that seemed back in 1977!

Among such a fabulous collection of classics, the car of the day for me was the Mercedes C111-11, with it’s unique 4-rotor Wankel engine. Now 55 (!) years old, this prototype was capable of almost 300km/h. It looks amazing from every angle, with pure, clean lines. The simplicity is exemplified by the push-button to open the gullwing doors – not even a handle. One wonders where Mercedes might have taken it had they decided to put the C111 concept into production.

Another prototype on show was the unique 1965 Ogle Triplex GTS – based on a Reliant Scimitar GT SE4, designed to demonstrate that Triplex’s laminated safety glass could be used structurally. The Ogle has a combination of curved side windows, front and rear heated windows and a heat-absorbing glass roof. It makes for a slightly odd-looking car, but elegant style wasn’t the point, though it’s still not as odd-looking as the 1955 Aston Martin DB3S Coupé, which just looks, well, wrong.

With the exception of the C111-11, it was mainly Italian classics from the ‘60s and ‘70s that stole the show for me, such as a beautiful 1961 Maserati 3500 Vignale Spyder in metallic gold that gleamed in the sun, as did a gorgeous metallic green 1966 Ferrari 330GTC, believed to be the only 330 GTC in that shade. There was more Italian loveliness in the shape of a 1966 Ferrari 365 California Spyder in metallic burgundy, one of only fourteen produced. The Italians really knew how to design and build stunning sports cars.

One of the regular highlights of the Concours for me is the presence of some flamboyant Art Deco-era cars and this year was no exception. I loved the shapely pale green 1936 Delahaye 135M Convertible, one of two 135’s on show, the other in two-tone grey. Any Bugatti Type 57 is a feast for the eyes, and there were two – a 1940 Atalante and a 1939 Stelvio alongside a cream and green 1935 Bentley 3 ½ Litre Airline with barely a straight line between them, but I have to mention the tiny 1914 Bugatti Type 13, which by contrast was just about as basic as car could be.

It’s impossible to mention every car that catches the eye at an event like this, but I have to single out the 1961 Ghia L 6.4 Coupé, one of 26 built – I’ve never seen one before. It isn’t beautiful, but it is impressive. Similarly, the 1973 Ligier JS2, a car rarely seen in the UK, the example on show being one of only 82 built; it’s not a particularly good-looking car in my opinion, but it is certainly dramatic, and parked alongside an equally dramatic BMW M1, the two made for an intriguing pair.

Speaking of BMW, one of my absolute favourite classics is the sublime BMW 507, and there was a breathtakingly gorgeous black example from 1957 in the Concours, just lovely. I’m not generally a fan of black cars, but it suits the lines of the 507 perfectly. Another favourite of mine is the Iso Grifo, with one of just half a dozen RHD Series II models built on display – surely one of Giugiaro’s most beautiful designs.

The Best in Show winner was a 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1, known as “The Phantom of Love” as it was a gift to the wife of a senior Woolworth executive. What you might think of the interior is of course purely subjective – it is exceptionally extravagant – but there’s no denying the exquisite detail and craftsmanship that went into it, and the love that went into gifting it.

We all recognise that the classic car world is dominated by older people, mostly men, and the event has two categories that try to address this imbalance. One is the Levitt Concours, held in memory of the first English female racing driver Dorothy Levitt, and consisting of classics owned and driven to the event by women – it was won by possibly the oldest car present, a 1904 De Dion Bourton.

The other is the 30 under 30 category, comprising of 30 classics whose owners are all under 30 years of age, an age group that over time will be responsible for the continuing health of our hobby. There was a fine cross-section of entry-level classics as well as more exotic cars, the most extravagant of which was a glorious 1935 Auburn Speedster which had been handed down through generations and was now in the hands of a very fortunate young man.

A new feature this year was the Restoration Showcase, designed to show off the skills of some of the best restorers in the world. While the winner was a Peugeot 205GTi, the Wawryk Trophy in this section was awarded to the amazing 1907 De Dion-Bouton Type AX 15HP – I mean, just look at the detail! Astonishing.

Over the weekend the members of a number of invited car clubs – primarily Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati and Mercedes-Benz – brought their cherished classics to the event and among the usual suspects from each of these, the Maserati club had a particularly fine display of some gorgeous ‘60s and ‘70s sports cars, and one in particular had quite a fascinating back story. Back in 1971, Frua produced a Maserati Quattroporte prototype as their pitch to win the contract to produce the car for Maserati. While they were unsuccessful due to Maserati’s takeover by Citroën which led to the SM-powered Quattroporte II, the Aga Khan commissioned one for himself, built on a Maserati Indy platform which was delivered to him in 1974, and this car was brought to Hampton Court by its current owner of a year. Stories like these are what makes talking to owners at events so interesting – and the car is gorgeous.

See below and in the end gallery for more examples of what the car clubs brought to the weekend.

As usual, there were some high-end dealers offering to help deplete one’s bank account with some seriously tempting classics. My favourite was the delectable Porsche 904, mine for a mere £2m, apparently….one can but dream…

There is usually a good number of interesting classics in the visitors’ car park, with my attention particularly caught by a delicious mint green 1957 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS – if it were an ice-cream I would have licked it. The DB6 Volante was also a cool car, and it was nice to see the pair of Belgian-registered Rollers.

The Hampton Court Concours organisers seem to be able to unearth some of the most desirable and rare classics from around the world every year, supplemented by interesting additional categories, keeping the event fresh, and the location never gets stale – long may it continue.