London Concours: Everything From Stunning 1960s Coupes to Wild Homologation Specials.
After three sold-out days and over 10,000 attendees, the Montres Breguet-sponsored London Concours came to a conclusion yesterday. About a hundred of the greatest privately owned automobiles spanning more than a century of driving history gathered at the Honourable Artillery Company, a five-acre sanctuary of green close to Bank.
The event concluded with the annual "Supercar Day," presented in conjunction with the Drivers Union. On the third day of the event, the HAC grounds were graced by 70 of the world's rarest and most collectible automobiles, including 50 brought by the private supercar owners club. A wide variety of exotic and luxury automobiles, including the McLaren Senna GTR, Lamborghini Gallardo Balboni Edition, and Ferrari 355 Spider, were on show. The wild Senna GTR, newly modified for road usage by Lanzante, was the day's big winner because it's as radical and spectacular a supercar as you'll ever see.
Credit Charlie Brenninkmeijer
On the second day of the celebration, 50 Porsche RS models spanning five decades arrived at the HAC. On exhibit were vehicles spanning four decades, from a 1970s 2.7 RS through a 1990s 964 RS with all the trimmings removed to a current 997 or 991. A jury of Porsche specialists decided that a 991 GT2 RS, a vehicle with motorsport-honed handling and mind-bending turbocharged horsepower, was the best in show.
There were about a hundred automobiles total, spread out among eight different categories. Classes such as "Make Green Great Again," "Made to Race for the Road," "Evolution of Aero," and "Golden Era Coupes" were among the most prominent at the main concours event. Rare automobiles such as the Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'Gullwing,' and Porsche Carrera GT Zagato competed in their respective classifications, but only one could be named "Best in Show."
The professional panel of 17 judges at the London Concours ultimately decided that the 1991 Schuppan 962 CR P1 was the best of the best in the competition. Very rare, as it is just one of six cars ever made and one of only two CR versions. Australia's Vern Schuppan, who drove a Porsche 956 to victory at Le Mans in 1983, oversaw the complex Schuppan project. The carbon-fibre chassis of the Porsche 962 Racing served as the basis for his design, allowing the Schuppan 962 to tip the scales at a feathery 1,050 kg. Performance was insane, with a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 230 mph thanks to the 3.3-litre type-935 twin-turbo flat-six that produced 600 horsepower. The winning vehicle served as both the project's prototype and research car, drawing inspiration from a racing machine that had previously raced at Le Mans in 1990.
Credit Charlie Brenninkmeijer
And the beautiful 1966 Jensen CV8 MKIII took home the Chairman's Prize, which is granted annually to the automobile that the London Concours chairman would most like to take home from the event. British flair and American strength came together in the CV8's Eric Neale-shaped body, which houses a Chrysler V8. With a 0–60 mph pace of 6.7 seconds, it was a top performer in the 1960s. Over four years, a group of Jensen owners worked together to painstakingly restore the automobile to its former grandeur, restoring it down to the last nut and bolt.
The Subaru Impreza WRC S12C won the 'Built to Race, For the Road' category, the Facel Vega Facel II won the 'Grand Tourisme' category, a Lamborghini Miura won the '60 Years of Lamborghini' celebration, and Harry Metcalfe, host of the popular YouTube channel Harry's Garage, drove home in the 'Wildcards' category-winning Lancia Fulvia Zagato.
There were many additional magnificent automobiles on show in addition to those included in the main concours event. The 1948 L07 pre-production prototype, which had been lost since the 1960s until its rediscovery in 2016, and the 1954 Series 1 that travelled 25,000 miles on the Oxford & Cambridge Trans-Africa Expedition were both honoured in a special section titled "The Vehicles That Created Land Rover."
Andrew Evans, London Concours director, said: “As the sun set on the 7th edition of our event, and the guests dispersed after a sun-filled third day of London Concours 2023, we can reflect on yet another highly successful show. The Supercar Day, presented in partnership with the ever-supportive team at Drivers’ Union, was once again extremely popular, with 50 of the finest supercars adding to the already fantastic line up of 100 rare and collectible privately owned concours cars.
Credit Charlie Brenninkmeijer
“With everything from stunning 1960s coupes to wild homologation specials at this year’s show, there really was something for everyone. I’d like to thank all our partners for making the London Concours such a resounding a success. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Hampton Court Palace for the Concours of Elegance in September, and back to the HAC in the June of 2024.”
In addition to seeing some of the best cars in the country up close, visitors to the London Concours also got to shop at pop-up stores run by premium brands including Presenting Partner Montres Breguet and pink diamond experts Calleija. There will be representatives from both the Jaguar and Land Rover Classic brands, as well as Koenigsegg London, Alpine, and Rodin Cars. In the world of motorcycles with two wheels, Norton is the gold standard.
It's official: 2024 will be the year of the London Concours. The dates of June 4–6 are set for the show.
Discover more: London Concours 2024
