Where it all started: Enzo’s first production model heads up incomparable set of Maranello greats as Salon Privé celebrates Ferrari’s 75th anniversary

Classic Cars, Events

• Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva assembles rare and hallowed Ferrari models, the like of which has never been seen before at a UK Concours
• Notables include 1947 125 S (first production Ferrari ever built, on loan from factory), 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (second model produced/factory test car), 1961 250 GT SWB ‘Hot rod’ (rare lightweight special) and 275 GTB/C (one of only 12 competition models)
• More than half Ferraris presented carry revered Classiche certification
• Main 75^th Anniversary Class complemented by 75-Ferrari owner gathering and 40-plus Classiche group

Salon Privé’s Ferrari 75^th Anniversary Class, a star attraction at its Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva next week (31/8-2/9), will bring together arguably the most important set of classic Ferraris ever seen in the UK.

The sheer breadth of the group is mesmerising, ranging from the first production car that rolled off the line – on a rare outing from Ferrari’s own collection – to seldom-seen rarities that illustrate the company’s innovative and envelope-pushing approach to design and engineering from the ‘50s through to the ‘80s.

‘There have been many concours events in the past where rare Ferraris have been on display,’ said Salon Privé’s chairman, Andrew Bagley. ‘But next week on Blenheim Palace’s South Lawn, Salon Privé audiences will see a truly extraordinary collection of unique and ground-breaking Maranello cars – more than half of which with the prized Classiche certification – that defies comparison. If you are as passionate about classic Ferraris as we are, attendance is a must.’

Notable entrants to Salon Privé’s Ferrari 75^th Anniversary Road and Race classes are listed at the end of this release, but the following are just some of the highlight models in more detail.

1947 Ferrari 125 S
This is where it all started – the first car to carry the famous Cavallino trademark. After leading much of Alfa Romeo’s grand prix success pre-war, Enzo Ferrari founded Ferrari S.p.A in 1947, and the 125 S presented on Blenheim’s South Lawn is the actual car that launched the Ferrari legend, being the very first to emerge from its Maranello factory.

Then, perhaps more so than now, the heart of the new model was its engine. A V12 unit of 1 ½-litre capacity was almost unprecedented. Itala, Fiat and Auto Union had all dabbled with the concept, but other than a single outing in the 1927 Milan GP for a so-powered Fiat race car, none had yet succeeded. Ferrari changed all that, and working with Gioachino Columbo, developed an engine perfectly suited to Formula 1’s 1 ½-litre supercharged class, and also one that would serve as the basis of a production sports car.

With a total capacity of just 1496cc, meaning 124.73cc per cylinder (hence the ‘125’ moniker), the 125 S’s engine produced 118bhp at a dizzying 6800rpm. Such a small-capacity V12 engine bestowed the fledgling model with advantages in both performance and reliability, and while Enzo Ferrari declared the model’s debut at the Piacenza circuit as a ‘promising failure’, over the following four months the 125 S won six out of its next 13 races, the first of which being the Rome GP.

Only seven 125 S models were made in its short life, all of which wore two-seater sports-type bodywork designed by Milan-based Touring over a steel tubular-frame chassis. Salon Privé’s 125 S, being the first Ferrari to roll off the line, is now owned by Ferrari, and for it to appear outside of the factory – let alone outside of Italy – is extremely rare indeed.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – chassis 3387 GT
The Ferrari 250 GTO needs no introduction, but Salon Privé’s car belongs on hallowed ground, being only the second non-prototype car to come out of the factory, which subsequently used it as a test and development vehicle to prove certain features used in series production.

Unveiled in 1962, the 250 GTO was essentially a race car with number plates, which could also perform impeccably as a true Grand Routier road car. Designed by Giotto Bizzarrini, and based on the 250 GT SWB, the GTO made its public debut at the annual pre-season Ferrari press conference in January 1962.

Powered by the race-proven Tipo 168/62, 2953cc V12 from the 250 Testa Rossa, the GTO was rated at 296bhp and delivered drive to its rear axle via an all-new 5-speed synchromesh gearbox. Performance was prodigious, 0-60mph arriving in 5.4 seconds, the ¼ mile in 13.1 seconds, and a barely believable 174mph being achievable on the right circuit.

The GTO’s all-aluminium body had been wind-tunnel tested – covering new ground for Ferrari, which was fearful of its rivals stealing a march – resulting in the model’s long, low nose with its distinctive air intakes and removable covers.

But while the GTO was a fearsome road car, its reputation was carved out on race circuits around the world, delivering a roll-call of victories that few could match. A second overall at Sebring marked the GTO’s race debut, followed by class wins in the International GT Championship in 1962, ’63 and ’64. By the time the car bowed out of manufacturer campaigns, it was one of the last front-engined cars to remain competitive in top-level motorsport.

As well as being the second production 250 GTO of 37 cars that Ferrari built, chassis 3387 GT was used as a rolling test-bed for later series cars. During early testing at Monza, the car received a small tail spoiler, a modified fuel filler and vents built into the rear fenders.

Originally delivered to Ferrari’s North American importer, Luigi Chinetti on March 16^th 1962, the car was immediately pushed into service with Chinetti’s North American Race Team (NART), with drivers Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien finishing second overall in the aforementioned Sebring 12 Hours that year. The car was then returned to the factory and prepared for the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Bob Grossman and George Robert Jnr. achieved a sixth place overall and third in class.

Today, chassis 3387 GT is presented in its original Sebring 12 Hour specification, after being fully restored by Joe Macari and Ferrari Classiche.

1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB ‘SEFAC Hot rod’ – chassis 2973 GT
We’re all familiar with Ferrari’s legendary 250 GT SWB, but the car set to create a stir at Salon Privé’s concours next week is no ordinary example of the much-lauded model.

Towards the end of the 250 GT SWB’s production life, Ferrari S.p.A was in desperate need of cash to fund future development and maintain its upper hand, especially in sports car racing. For the first time in Scuderia Ferrari’s history it went public under the name ‘Ferrari SEFAC S.p.A’ (Società Esercizio Fabbriche Automobili e Corse Ferrari), and as investors clamoured to buy a piece of Maranello magic, sufficient cash became available to start work on the GT’s successor, the 250 GTO.

But in the meantime, races still needed to be won, so up to 20 250 GT SWBs, known as SEFACs, followed by the nickname ‘Hot rod’, were produced. Not all cars received the full menu of modifications, but those that did were demonstrably different from the standard model. They were fitted with the lighter Tipo 539/61 chassis with smaller diameter tubing and extra pick-up points for the rear suspension, supporting bodywork made of exceptionally thin 1.1mm aluminium. Powering the car was a Testa Rossa-spec engine with higher-lift camshafts, larger intake tracts and exhaust headers, and six twin-choke Weber 46 DCF/3 carburettors. The net result was 300bhp, a 0-60mph time of 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 160mph.

Chassis number 2973 GT was purchased new by Ecurie Garage Francorchamps in 1961, the last 250 GT SWB to be used by the team before it adopted the upcoming 250 GTO model. It was an impressive finale, with the car being driven to victory by Willy Mairesse and Georges Berger in that year’s gruelling Tour de France. Mairesse, this time with Lucien Bianchi, then followed up with an impressive second in ‘61’s 1000km de Montlhéry.

Salon Privé’s car remained in France, passing through three more owners, before being sold to Parisian, Price Sanguzko in 1970. In his ownership the car was restored, before passing into British ownership in the 1990s. The current owner acquired the car in 2015, when it was prepared for historic racing, making its debut in the hands of Joe Macari and Tom Kristensen in the 2016 Kinrara Trophy.

1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider – chassis 2591 GT
Salon Privé’s beautiful 250 GT SWB California Spider is unique in being the only one of 56 models produced (and one of only 37 with the coveted covered-headlamp design) to be specified in right-hand-drive, and one that was rarely seen in public up until recently.

Ferrari had become increasingly wise to the burgeoning North American market for open-topped performance cars through importer Luigi Chinetti on the east coast and John von Neumann in California. With the launch of the 250 GT SWB in 1959, Ferrari had the ideal platform for a Spider variant with prodigious performance from its 240bhp 3.0-litre V12 engine, and sharp, responsive handling from a model that had dual appeal on road and track. Designed by Pinin Farina, the California Spider was first unveiled at the Geneva Show in 1960 and rapidly became a hit with the rich and famous – Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood and James Coburn all falling for its charms. But its appeal was more than skin-deep, as privateer race teams soon realised its potential on racetracks in Europe and North America.

Built in 1961, Salon Privé’s car was originally delivered to a young Italian racing driver, who believed that every Ferrari was a racing car, and every racing car should have its steering wheel on the right-hand side. In 1967, it was sold to car collector Dennis De Ferranti, who was based in Ireland, and then Wales. However, the car was seldom seen until 2013 when it was discovered by specialist Tom Hartley Jnr, who purchased the car from De Ferranti, and sold it to its current owner soon afterwards. GTO Engineering was then commissioned to carry out a full restoration, bringing the Spider back to its original colours, and subsequently gaining a Ferrari ‘Red Book’ Classiche certification.

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C – chassis 09041
Yet another rarity to grace Blenheim’s South Lawn is a highly sought-after 275 GTB/C, the ‘C’ denoting one of just 12 models that were developed for competition use, with this particular car being one of four built to RHD specification. Making this car even more unusual, is that it was never used for competition – which perhaps explains it’s remarkable originality.

Based on the 1965 275 GTB road car, the GTB/C (‘C’ representing ‘Competizione Clienti) was designed for customers as a dual-purpose road and track car. Factory records reveal that no two cars were specified the same, and in some cases, cars were modified still further following purchase. But chassis 09041 retains all its factory features. Mechanically, these included dry-sump lubrication, three bespoke Weber 40 DF13 carburettors, a raised compression ratio and modified pistons, connecting rods, exhaust valves and crankshaft. The 275’s transaxle casing and bellhousing were re-formed in magnesium alloy, while a close ratio gearset and strengthened limited slip differential was fitted. Further weight-saving measures extended to removing all sound-deadening and replacing all glass, apart from the windscreen, with Plexiglass. Completing this car’s competition spec is a 140-litre fuel tank.

Purchased by its current owner in 2018, Salon Privé’s 275 GTB/C is the fifth of the 12 cars produced and retained all of its original major components and bodywork during a subsequent full restoration. This careful preservation has been verified in its Ferrari ‘Red Book’ Classiche certification.

1967 Ferrari 365 California Spyder – chassis 09985
Can there be a more stunning Ferrari to look at than the 365 California Spyder? Salon Privé’s example is one of only two RHD cars produced, and one can only imagine the stir it would have caused on Britain’s roads in 1967, when it was first registered.

Originally launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966, the 365 California Spyder was the first of the 365 models to replace the 500 Superfast and 330 range, with the fixed-head 2+2 variant arriving a year later. Based on the 500’s chassis, the 365 California’s Columbo-designed 4.4-litre V12 engine was derived from the previous year’s 365 P competition car and offered a 320bhp output enabling 150mph-plus performance.

Designed by Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina, the California’s clean lines adopted the 206 GT’s arrow-shaped side air intakes which artfully diverted your eyes from the door opening, and created a timeless, elegant profile that suited its moniker to a tee.

Finished now in the same Blue Sera colour over a beige Conolly leather interior it would have sported when new, chassis 09985 was purchased by a Far East collector after passing through three UK owners. The car was then displayed in California’s Blackhawk Museum for over 10 years before being purchased by specialist Tom Hartley Jnr. The car was then sold to its current owner, who commissioned a full restoration at Bob Houghton, after which it was awarded Ferrari ‘Red Book’ Classiche certification.

1957 Ferrari 250 GT Spider Competizione – chassis 0999 GT
In early 1957, Jacques Swaters’ Ecurie Garage Francorchamps in Brussels, Belgium placed an order for a Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet that was to look quite like no other. More than 65 years later, that same car is set to wow Salon Privé audienceés.

Painted in Rosso Corsa, Salon Privé’s 250 Spider was only the second model produced out of a run of 40 cars, but it was the only one that left Pinin Farina’s Turin works in ‘café racer’ specification. Originally given the serial number 0663 GT, the car was fitted with covered headlights, quarter-bumpers, a competition windscreen, passenger seat tonneau and exterior fuel-filler. Two years later, the 250 returned to Ecurie Garage Francorchamps, where it gained a more traditional full windscreen and convertible roof.

Around this time, the chassis number was changed to 0999 GT, presumably reflecting the changes to its aesthetic. The car remained in Europe and the UK for the next 20 years before leaving for the US, where it was restored in the mid-1990s by Motion Products in Wisconsin. Since then, the car has appeared twice at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elégance and has been part of an important race car collection in the US.

Ferrari Classiche
Over half of the Ferraris present at next week’s Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance have Ferrari Classiche certification, meaning that the cars have been awarded a Certificate of Authenticity by the Ferrari factory.

Classiche certification is available to all Ferrari road cars built more than 20 years ago, as well as Ferrari F1 cars, sports cars and sports prototypes of any age. The certification draws upon Ferrari’s extensive archive to establish that eligible cars conform to the original factory design and specification.

The benefits of such a system include protecting a car’s heritage, increasing its sale value, and accessing prestigious events where originality is favoured.

Salon Privé’s Ferrari 75^th Anniversary Class highlights

 
Two more must-attend Ferrari events at this year’s Salon Privé
Reinforcing this year’s Salon Privé event as one of the most important for Ferrari enthusiasts, two more significant displays will complement the Ferrari 75^th Anniversary Class. On Saturday, September 3^rd, 75 Salon Privé customer cars will be arranged on Blenheim Palace’s South Lawn in what is set to be a truly breath-taking display of Maranello’s heritage.

Also on September 3^rd, and continuing through Sunday 4^th, will be a unique opportunity to view over 40 Classiche-certified Ferraris on the Duke’s croquet lawn.

With a programme that includes Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles on Friday, the Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton on Saturday, and Sunday’s Classic and Supercar event, all the elements are in place for another unmissable Salon Privé Week.

Salon Privé Week 2022
31 August     – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva
1 September – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva
2 September – Salon Privé Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles
3 September – Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton
4 September – Salon Privé Classic & Supercar at Blenheim Palace

Tickets can be purchased via the website: www.salonpriveconcours.com

Charity Partner
Salon Privé is proud to once again have Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity as its charity partner. The organisation provides emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness, and thanks to the generation donations of guests and Concours entrants, the event has so far raised in excess of £1.1 million for these great causes.

Rare Phantom joins Well-Travelled Twenty & Private Collection Trio to form eclectic Rolls-Royce mix at this month’s Salon Privé

Classic Cars, Events

• Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva will host an impressive array of Rolls-Royce ‘drivers’ cars’ built for enthusiast use
• #1 – 1933 Phantom II Continental Drophead had near-100mph top speed, and was one of just 156 RHD cars built
• #2 – Unusual, globe-trotting 1929 Twenty with configurable roof settings originally owned by family with Churchill connections 
• #3 – Three ‘30s Phantoms, from a Private Collection, illustrate the variety of coachbuilding options available to pre-war R-R owners

Think of pre-war Rolls-Royces and you generally picture vast, chauffeur-driven conveyances, sedate and glorious, but hardly cars to be hustled around.

And while that still may have been true of Salon Privé’s examples gracing Blenheim’s South Lawn later this month, the way Rolls marketed each in period encouraged owners to take control from the driver’s seat.

1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead by James Young
Salon Privé’s first Rolls-Royce perfectly embodied the company’s shift towards the owner-driver, having been originally ordered by the uncle of renowned car enthusiast and diarist, the Rt Hon Alan Clark, to compete in the Alpine Trials. Fitted with a rakish James Young body, this was no ordinary Phantom II, however, and benefitted from a far more sporting specification when new.

The Phantom II replaced the New Phantom (retrospectively, ‘Phantom I’) in 1929. It was a significant technical departure from its predecessor, having an all-new chassis frame incorporating better controlled semi-elliptic springs all round, replacing the previous cantilever items. More power was liberated from its 7668cc inline ‘six’ engine, thanks to a new aluminium crossflow cylinder head with revised manifolds, though its two separate cast-iron blocks with a common light-alloy, seven-bearing crankcase were carried over from the New Phantom. Being a later model, Salon Privé’s Phantom II also received synchromesh on third and fourth ratios, in a gearbox that was now fitted in unit with the engine.

But Phantom II owners also had the option of enhancing these improvements still further. As a Continental, the model was based on the shorter, 144-inch Phantom chassis, complete with stiffer five-leaf springs, a lowered steering column and higher axle ratio. In this form, the Phantom II could attain a more Bentley-like 95mph top speed, and as a journalist from The Motor opened in March 1934, it was ‘Powerful, docile, delightfully easy to control and a thoroughbred….’

Of the 1,680 Phantom IIs produced, only 281 were Continentals, and only 156 of those were specified in right-hand-drive. Salon Privé’s car was ordered new from Jack Barclay in 1933 with a James Young body (Rolls Royce didn’t supply its own bodies), but it was sold back to the London dealer the following year. It was then bought by the Conservative MP for Kingston upon Hull, Sir Lambert Ward, who often used it to travel to his second home in Monaco. After Ward’s death in 1956, the car was sold to the current owner’s father and has been well used ever since, revisiting Monaco on a number of occasions. In 2019, the Phantom toured Eastern Europe, and this year it successfully completed a journey across the former Austro-Hungarian empire, starting in Bavaria and finishing in Budapest.

“One can only imagine how exotic this car must have felt winding its way to the Côte d’Azur 70 years ago,” said Andrew Bagley, Salon Privé’s Chairman. “Successive owners clearly bought into Rolls-Royce’s marketing about it being an enthusiast driver’s car, and we’re so glad to present such a well-used, but well-preserved rarity like this Phantom II Continental.”

1929 Rolls-Royce 20 HP Three-Position Cabriolet by Windover
While not quite as extravagant as the Phantom, Rolls-Royce’s Twenty was no less significant as a means of maintaining production volumes during the straitened 1920s. Salon Privé’s example is better known as ‘Jenny’, due to its registration prefix ‘GEN’. Jenny enjoyed a colourful life criss-crossing the Atlantic, and was originally ordered for the wife of a Rolls-Royce director and friend of Winston Churchill’s. But by then, the Twenty was in its final year of production.

The Twenty, or 20hp, was first conceived before WW1, though the war itself meant that production didn’t start until 1922. Like the Phantom, the Twenty was marketed for the owner-driver, with only the more expensive Ghost seen as a chauffeur-driven model. Manufacturing quality was second to none, and consequently the Twenty quickly built a reputation for its durability and longevity.

Powered by an inline ‘six’ of 3127cc, with a seven-bearing crankcase and a detachable cast-iron cylinder head, the engine effectively became the template for all Rolls-Royce ‘sixes’ until the 1950s. Like the Phantom II, the Twenty’s four-speed gearbox was in unit with the engine.

Being a late model, Salon Privé’s car has vertical radiator slats, not horizontal, and while 2,940 Twenties were built between 1922 and ’29, few would have visited coachbuilder Windover’s works to be fitted with this car’s three-position cabriolet body. With just a few simple adjustments, this Twenty could be converted from an open tourer to a formal saloon, when it could then be configured with or without an internal division.

First owned by Frances Wiggan-Smith, whose husband was the aforementioned Rolls-Royce director and friend of Churchill, the car was eventually laid up during the war years. In 1966, records show that Jenny was towed from Derby to Lincoln in a poor state, while owned by the Eminson family. It was then sold in 1972 and emerged in Michigan, USA, before being repatriated in 1977 by Michael Stainer, still in its original but unrestored condition. The Real Car Company acquired the Twenty in 1999, and once more it ended up with a US owner, this time in California. Having learnt of that person’s passing in 2015, the current owner bought Jenny sight unseen, and once again the car was brought home to the UK.

Now showing 107,000 miles, Jenny has undergone a major three-year restoration, though remarkably the car’s engine and powertrain remain original and didn’t require any major work. Testament to the current owner’s painstaking efforts, Jenny was awarded a first-in-class at this year’s RREC Concours d’Elégance at Burghley House.

“What a way to celebrate 100 years of the Rolls-Royce Twenty” said Andrew Bagley, Salon Privé’s chairman. “These motor cars had such excellent survival rates, thanks to its inherent quality, but it’s not often that you find a car with such an interesting history, spread across two continents – and one that’s still powered by the engine it was originally fitted with in the Derby factory.”

Private Collection Rolls-Royces
Three more pre-war Rolls-Royces are also set to prove popular with Salon Privé’s audiences next month. Housed in a private collection, the trio illustrates the breadth of coach-built styles that were available to owners from new, with a Phantom II by Freestone and Webb, and two Phantom IIIs, one a Special Henley Coupé by Inskip, the other a Sports Cabriolet by Vanvooren.

The Phantom III was a magnificent piece of engineering, and a major departure from its predecessor. Apart from the familiar grille and retention of a separate chassis, almost everything else about the car was new. The Phantom III’s two great innovations were that it had independent front suspension, and a highly advanced, and all-new V12 engine.

The new technology came with a commensurate price increase, and even with the least expensive coach-built body, the car cost £2,500, putting it on a par with hand-built cars like the Hispano-Suiza and Grosser Mercedes. While it was neither the fastest or arguably the grandest of all, the Phantom III had a quite unmatched combination of virtues which Salon Privé is proud to present at Blenheim next month.

With a programme that includes Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles on Friday, the Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton on Saturday, and Sunday’s Classic and Supercar event, all the elements are in place for another unmissable Salon Privé Week.

Salon Privé Week 2022
31 August     – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva
1 September – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva
2 September – Salon Privé Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles
3 September – Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton
4 September – Salon Privé Classic & Supercar at Blenheim Palace

Tickets can be purchased via the website: www.salonpriveconcours.com

Charity Partner
Salon Privé is proud to once again have Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity as its charity partner. The organisation provides emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness, and thanks to the generation donations of guests and Concours entrants, the event has so far raised in excess of £1.1 million for these great causes.

Ferrari 250 GTO leads collection of the world’s rarest Ferraris at Concours of Elegance

Classic Cars, Events

• Concours of Elegance to assemble finest selection of classic Ferraris ever seen in UK to celebrate marque’s 75^th birthday.
• Jaw dropping line-up up to include hallowed one-of-36 250 GTO, perhaps the world’s most sought-after car
• Other stunning Ferraris on show from range of eras, including ex-Stirling Moss Ferrari 250 GT SWB, & the one-of-two ‘60s ‘Tre Posti’ prototype – never before seen in UK
• In total, nearly 1,000 vehicles will be on display across the weekend as further features are revealed in the coming weeks
• The Concours of Elegance remains the UK’s top concours d’elegance and among the top three in the world
• Tickets can be bought now from www.concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets

The Concours of Elegance, presented by A. Lange & Söhne, is delighted to announce that its 2022 event – now just over one month away – will feature a sensational collection of ultra-rare and highly significant Ferraris.

The display, devised to celebrate the marque’s 75^th birthday, will feature arguably the most exceptional group of Ferraris ever assembled in the UK. The fabulous Modenese machines will line up in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace from the 2nd to the 4th of September, for the event’s 10th anniversary show. The display of both road and competition machines will join a field of over 70 Concours cars, once again proving why the Concours of Elegance is the leading Concours in the UK, and one of the top three globally.

The jewel in the crown of the Hampton Court Palace display will be what is for many the ultimate Ferrari, indeed, the ultimate car – the inimitable 250 GTO. With its mix of striking, curvaceous beauty, motorsport optimised V12 performance and scarcity – just 36 were built – it has become the car arguably most coveted by collectors; the ‘holy grail’ for Ferrari aficionados. The homologation special GTO was revealed in 1962, an evolution of the 250 GT SWB, with upgrade works carried out by the talented young engineer Giotto Bizzarrini, who would go on to form the eponymous marque. As part of the revisions, the body was re-worked by Scaglietti, with wind tunnel testing used extensively to mould the now iconic GTO shape. The car was lengthened to aid top end speed, with an elongated and lowered nose; the rear was also stretched, the tail given an upwards kick to improve high-speed stability.

Nestled in under the long bonnet was a single-cam 3.0-litre iteration of Ferrari’s venerable Colombo V12, lifted from the Testa Rossa racing car. The motor produced 300 bhp, near enough 100 bhp per litre – quite a feat of engineering in 1962 – and revved with a wonderful V12 howl all the way to 8,000 rpm. The gearbox was a five-speed manual, the long aluminium gear lever rising dramatically from the iconic open-gate, sitting close to the wooden rimmed steering wheel; ideally placed for quick shifts in the heat of an on-track battle. The GTO was wonderfully light when compared to its competitors, at circa 1000kg, and could hit 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds, and 170 mph flat out. The outstanding performance was coupled with stand-out reliability and mechanical resilience. Such a combination made the 250 GTO was a seriously impressive racing machine.

The GTO that will be on display this September at Hampton Court is chassis number 4219GT, delivered new to a young American heiress Mamie Spears Reynolds in 1963. An intriguing character, Reynolds was born into the rarefied upper echelons of American society – her father was a senator and her mother from a successful gold mining family. Her godfather was a certain J Edgar Hoover, former director of the FBI. Reynolds also happened to be a committed car and racing enthusiast, in fact, she was the first woman to qualify for the Daytona 500.

In early 1963, aged just 20, she visited New York City, on the hunt for suitable Ferrari to campaign for the upcoming racing season. It turned out to be a productive trip; she found both the 250 GTO, and her future husband – Luigi Chinetti Jr, son of 3x Le Mans winner Chinetti Sr, at that point the exclusive US importer for Ferrari, and owner of NART (North American Racing Team).

By the February of ’63 Reynold’s GTO was lining up at the iconic banking of Daytona for the 3-Hour Continental, with Pedro Rodriguez at the wheel. The exotic Italian interloper saw off the challenges of the thunderous V8 Corvettes and Cobras, to take victory. After competing in the 12 Hours of Sebring later that spring, the GTO was sold by Reynolds to Beverly Spencer, owner of a Buick dealer in California, that also, somewhat bizarrely, doubled as a Ferrari outlet. 4219GT would remain on the west coast until the early 1990s when it was brought to the UK, where it has since been used entirely as intended by its enthusiast owner. Irresistible in its deep, dark blue paint, it is perhaps the most stunning example of the ultimate Ferrari. September’s glamorous event will offer a fabulous opportunity to savour a genuine automotive legend which also ranks among the most valuable cars in the world. For those partial to a prancing horse, it really doesn’t get any better.

Joining the 250 GTO at Hampton Court will be a very early Ferrari road car, a 195 Inter from 1950. A glamorous Grand Touring model, the 195 Inter was introduced by Ferrari at the Paris Motor Show in 1950. A highly-elegant coupe, the 195 was aimed at Europe’s moneyed elite – competing with the likes of the recently launched Aston Martin DB2. Just 28 examples were built, with a range of distinguished, flowing bodies produced by the leading coachbuilders: 13 were by Vignale, and 11 by Ghia, with 3 Touring bodied cars and a solitary example finished by Motto. With a sweet 130bhp, 2.3-litre version of the Colombo V12, the 195 stood out as particularly exotic in the early 1950s. The car that will be lining up in the palace grounds is one of the sensationally beautiful Touring bodied cars.

Also on show will be an example of a successor to the 195 Inter, the 250 GT Europa, which was launched by Ferrari in late 1953, once again at the Paris. The Europa marked the start of the famed 250 lineage, that would go on to include the GT SWB, California Spyder and of course, the aforementioned GTO. Its Colombo V12 produced 220bhp, meaningfully up on the earlier cars. With only 34 built, this is one of the most sought-after Ferraris. Like the 195 Inter, the 250 Europa is a beguiling motor car from this illustrious marque’s fascinating formative years. Two wonderful cars not to be missed.

This September’s glamorous event will also feature particularly exceptional car, a 250 GT SWB SEFAC. This SWB was one of only 20 SEFAC ‘Hotrod’ 250 Berlinettas built by Scuderia Enzo Ferrari Auto Corse (SEFAC), optimised to be dominant on track. The short-wheelbase 250 that will be on display was upgraded considerably over the ‘standard’ SWB; with almost 300 bhp on tap it was capable of 0-60 in just 5 seconds – very brisk for 1961. This particular car, chassis 2735, was raced extensively in period by Stirling Moss, among their highlights a win at Goodwood in the Tourist Trophy in August ’61. In Moss’ hands it was the fastest GT racing car in the world. It will add further depth to this superb display of highly significant Ferraris.

The peerless selection of Ferraris will also feature the nigh-mythical Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale – more commonly known as the ‘Tre Posti’. The wide, low, and arrestingly sleek 365 P, originally conceived to form the basis of a Le Mans racer, was revealed to the world at the 1966 Paris Motor Show. It subsequently toured the globe, wowing audiences with its futuristic Pininfarina body, outrageous three-seater cabin, and mid-mounted V12 – the first Ferrari road car to be so configured. With only two in existence, this highly significant Ferrari is also among the rarest and most valuable. This September’s event will present a special opportunity to see this exceptional car up close in the most spectacular of settings.

These fabulous Ferraris and many more will be on show as part of the display of over 70 exceptional Concours Cars at this September’s glamourous event. Further star cars are set to be announced in the coming weeks. Outside the main display of vehicles, the Concours of Elegance will assemble around 1,000 further cars in a series of special features and displays, as well as a live collector car auction by Gooding & Co.

James Brooks-Ward, Concours of Elegance CEO, said: “We are immensely proud to have assembled such a remarkable line-up to celebrate Ferrari’s 75^th birthday, to sit at the centre of our 10^th anniversary show. With such a fabulous selection of highly-significant motor cars from his most evocative and storied of marques – all sourced from world leading private collections – it will likely be the greatest display of Ferraris ever assembled in the UK. We cannot wait to welcome guests to Hampton Court Palace in just over a month’s time for what is set to be a truly unmissable occasion, the UK’s ultimate automotive extravaganza.”

Away from the automotive displays, Concours of Elegance will once again be an occasion of pure luxury, with champagne provided by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, and a collection of art, jewellery and fashion displays. Presenting Partner A. Lange & Söhne will once again showcase some of its most intricate timepieces.

Tickets to the Concours of Elegance 2022 are available now from just £35 for half-day entry, with full three-course hospitality packages from £320. Tickets can be bought from concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets

Nifty Fifties display a blast from the past for Beaulieu’s International Autojumble – September 10th & 11th

Classic Cars, Events

Beaulieu will be celebrating a golden era of motoring with a brand new Nifty Fifties display, as part of International Autojumble, returning on Saturday 10^th and Sunday 11^th September for a packed weekend of buying, selling and automotive enjoyment.

Following in the tyre-tracks of the nostalgia-fuelled Forgotten Favourites display at last year’s show, Nifty Fifties will bring together classic vehicles dating from 1950 to 1959, with a crowd-pleasing line-up from this much-loved era. The display will be just one of the features of the event, eagerly anticipated by thousands of motoring enthusiasts.

All 1950s motors are invited to take their places in the show, from popular British saloons and sports cars such as Standards, Wolseleys and Austin-Healeys, to chrome-laded American classics such as Chevrolets and Cadillacs, European favourites such as Porsches, Citroens and Volkswagens, and even eye-catching bubble cars. If your pride and joy was built during that decade, book your place in the line-up now.

To apply to join the Nifty Fifties display with your 1950s car, visit beaulieu.co.uk/events/international-autojumble/nifty-fifties. Places are limited and show entry is free for vehicles that are accepted. Successful owners will receive a pair of weekend entry wristbands for International Autojumble.

Returning to the Beaulieu parkland as the National Motor Museum celebrates its golden anniversary, International Autojumble has been a cornerstone of the event season for over half a century, as the place to search for bargains and great buys. In addition to the huge selection of spare parts on offer for historic vehicles are motoring books, model cars, vintage clothing, signs, collectables, automobilia and all manner of automotive treasures.

The Bonhams auction will return to International Autojumble for 2022. The greatly-anticipated sale will take place on Saturday 10^th, with collectors’ cars, motorcycles and automobilia all going under the hammer, while Sunday 11^th will see Bonhams experts give informative talks to showgoers on buying and selling at auction.

Automart is the perfect opportunity to sell your classic or vintage car or bike, showcasing it to thousands of potential buyers of the course of the weekend. With a car space also including weekend entry to the show and the whole Beaulieu attraction, it’s a great way to get involved with the big motoring-themed weekend.

For more motors on sale, make sure to look at Dealermart, with top condition classics on offer from traders. While on Sunday Trunk Traders offers the chance to find bargains as enthusiasts sell assorted motoring jumble from their car boots.

Show media sponsor Practical Classics magazine will also be there, as the team talks to showgoers and discusses automotive projects past, present and future.

Advance one-day and two-day visitor tickets are available, with a limited number of premium tickets giving priority parking, fast entry and a complimentary Showguide. For more details and to book your tickets, visit beaulieu.co.uk/events/international-autojumble/tickets. Exhibitors and Trunk Traders can book their stands online at beaulieu.co.uk/events/international-autojumble/exhibitors or contact the events team at [email protected] or 01590 614614.

Britain’s finest pre-war cars to wow at Concours of Elegance 2022

Classic Cars, Events

Experimental Vintage Bentley ‘EXP4’ to make inaugural concours appearance at Salon Privé, Blenheim Palace

Classic Cars, Events

• Salon Privé’s 31 August to 2 September Blenheim Palace event will mark EXP4’s first ever appearance at a concours d’elégance
• Century-old Bentley originally used by factory to prove viability of four-wheel braking
• Raced extensively by Margaret Allan for 20 years, with first Brooklands win in 1933
• First short-chassis Bentley to be fitted with 4½-litre engine

The last of four Bentley 3-Litre experimental cars to be produced in the vintage period, which not only performed a vital role in proving the company’s future technology, but later enjoyed a successful racing career, will be making its maiden show appearance at the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva at Blenheim Palace from 31 August to 2 September.

Recently restored by marque expert William Medcalf after 50 years in the Schellenberg Collection, EXP4’s current owner, Jonathan Turner, has now returned the car to the race track after a 70-year hiatus. Since then, it’s had significant showings at Goodwood Revival and the Benjafield’s 100 race at Silverstone – a perfect tribute to its pre-war competition history with Margaret Allan, the first woman to win a scratch race at Brooklands.

But long before chassis number EXP4 was pounding the banking at Brooklands, it became an important player in Bentley Motors’ transition to four-wheel braking in the early 1920s. Originally built as a 3 Litre model with a touring body in 1922, EXP4 was employed by Bentley’s chief designer, Frank Burgess, to prove the safety benefits of fitting brakes to the front, as well as the rear axle. Burgess faced plenty of mistrust from the press and public – and even W.O. Bentley himself – about the potential danger, and discomfort to passengers, of such a system. However, to show how much quicker a car would stop with all four wheels braked, he developed a device for EXP4 that used a whitewash-soaked paintbrush mounted beneath the chassis, marking the road when the brakes were applied, and once again when the car drew to a halt. Needless to say, EXP4’s braking performance bettered that of a standard rear-braked-only 3 Litre, and the system went on to be adopted by the company.

Burgess obviously had an affinity for EXP4 and continued to use it as his personal car thereafter. But it’s development role hadn’t yet finished, and when Bentley started experimental trials for the new 4 ½-litre engine, EXP4 was once again used as a ‘mule’ for the larger powertrain – the first short-chassis Bentley to do so – hence why today the car has the unusual union of a 3 Litre chassis, and a 4 ½ Litre’s bulkhead and radiator.

Nearing the end of its development life, EXP4 was re-bodied as a saloon, but in 1929, Burgess, who had taken ownership of the car and used it as family transport, died prematurely. Two years later, the car was once again re-bodied, this time with a tourer body by Park Ward. And it was in this form that Margaret Allan, whose father owned the Allan Line Steamship Company, purchased EXP4 in 1933.

Allan was already an accomplished racing driver and had received Brooklands’ prized 120mph badge after recording 122.37mph on the banking in a Bentley 6 ½ Litre, as well as her aforementioned success in scratch racing at the circuit. Allan immediately pressed EXP4 into service at Brooklands, winning the Junior Long Handicap outright on July 8^th, 1933, with The Motor’s journalist reporting that, ‘Miss M Allan…handled her big Bentley superbly.’ Further success was to come, with Allan frequently reaching 92mph on the gnarled and bumpy banking of the Surrey track. She was often placed in the top four in races, and traversed the nation competing in EXP4, at events as far apart as the Glasgow Scottish Rally and Brighton Beer Trial. The car was also Allan’s daily driver, and the cushion she used to attain a comfortable driving position still remains with EXP4 today.

Allan’s last event, after nearly two decades of ownership, was the 1950 Circuit of Ireland Rally, where she won the Ladies’ Cup. EXP4 was then sold in the early ‘50s to Keith Schellenberg who preserved the car in the Schellenberg Collection, with minimal use, until Jonathan Turner purchased it in February, 2015.

Today, EXP4 has been restored to how it was when Margaret Allan was campaigning it from the ‘30s to the ‘50s. William Medcalf spent a year carrying out the work and was careful to maintain the car’s originality at all costs. “The body is the one it raced with,” said Medcalf. “(It’s) a 3 Litre body with a 4½ Litre bulkhead, so the scuttle is different.”

Medcalf’s challenge was to decipher what appeared to be ‘wrong’ about the car. Because so many changes had been made by the factory during its life as a development ‘hack’, Medcalf’s team was at pains not to strip out parts that were non-standard, knowing that the chances were they formed part of its unique history. Medcalf again: “Some (parts) we can explain, some we can’t. The wing irons, for example, are all in different places….Then there’s the handbrake. It’s unique, forged and with a big boss… (and) every vintage Bentley bonnet has 12 louvres on each side. This has 13.”

Beautifully patinated, thanks to Medcalf’s sympathetic approach to bringing EXP4 back to life, the car is set to be a star attraction at the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva next month. And Salon Privé’s chairman Andrew Bagley is looking forward to seeing EXP4 on Blenheim’s South Lawn: “This car represents an important part of Bentley’s engineering history, and was the lynchpin for two significant technical advances: standardising four-wheel brakes, and the introduction of the 4½ litre engine. That it’s been so painstakingly returned to the race car that it went onto be in later life makes it a compelling entrant at Blenheim next month.”

With a programme that includes Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles on Friday, the Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton on Saturday, and Sunday’s Classic and Supercar event, all the elements are in place for another unmissable Salon Privé Week.

ENDS

Salon Privé Week 2022
31 August     – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva
1 September – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva
2 September – Salon Privé Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles
3 September – Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton
4 September – Salon Privé Classic & Supercar at Blenheim Palace

Tickets can be purchased via the website: www.salonpriveconcours.com