High-end classics shine on Savile Row

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The Concours on Savile Row was a new addition to the international calendar for 2022, and after the success of the first event, it was back and bigger for 2023. Held midweek on 24th and 25th May, the tight confines of London's famous tailoring parade necessarily makes the concours small in scale, though that is no matter when some of the cars are of the highest quality.

Viewed with a critical eye, this editor does not commend the organizers' endorsement of  electric conversions for classic cars, which are quite at odds with the ethos of preservation. With synthetic fuels gathering momentum, they will hopefully be promoted more in future and the electrification and 'reimagining' fad can be consigned to the past. Indeed, the Concours on Savile Row included a 1922 Bentley Three-Litre 'Red Label' - the car driven by John Duff and Frank Clement in the inaugural Le Mans 24 Hours - which was promoted as running on synthetic fuel, so there are promising signs.

Fifties Ferrari steals the show

A walk among the proper classics - those with correct drivetrains - revealed a cornucopia of delights. One of the most outstanding was the Bamford Collection's unique 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder Competizione, sheer pulchritude from nose to tail. It was the second of 40 Series I Cabriolets and was ordered by Écurie Francorchamps for Belgian driver Léon Dernier, who raced pseudonymously as Eldé. A number of features made it unique, including a frameless wraparound plastic windscreen, removable head restraint, passenger-side metal tonneau cover, a discreet absence of door handles, and much more besides.

Indeed, 1950s sports and GT cars accounted for many of the most delectable offerings. Eric Hereema's patinated 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial, the seventh of 11 second-series Mondials, was new to Yves Dupont and raced a number of times before being returned to the works for mechanical repairs, which Dupont never paid for. Ferrari therefore reclaimed ownership and it proceeded to live a fairly easy life, spending 19 years as an exhibit at Monza. Jenson Button's 1953 Jaguar C-type, chassis XKC018, is believed to have even more impressive provenance. Reputedly, it was new to Juan Manuel Fangio and raced across South America, but details are scant as it was lost to the world until being rediscovered in the 1980s.

Motorsport greats and rock stars' cars

Phillip Oakley's 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 drew curious admirers on account of its bespoke nose, which is believed to have been the work of an Italian, c.1964. Photographic evidence confirms its existence by 1966, but its precise origins remain a mystery. At the other extreme, the 1957 Lancia Aurelia shown by RM Sotheby's was presented in totally factory-correct specification and its early history was easily authenticated, it being Lancia England's press demonstrator, as reviewed by The Autocar.

Two cars boasted a particular connection to Savile Row. Record company Apple was headquartered at 3 Savile Row in the 1960s, and it was on its roof that the Beatles played their last live concert on 30th January 1969. Brendan O'Brien's 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 was formerly owned by George Harrison, while Peter Read's 1968 Lamborghini 400GT was very similar to one owned by Paul McCartney.

While the cars may be the stuff of dreams for many, it ought to be emphasized that the concours is freely accessible to all members of the public, a generous arrangement for which both the organizers and owners are to be commended. Anything that encourages the public to take an interest in historic vehicles is laudable, so we'll take a close interest in the development of this concours going into the future.

Words and photographs: Zack Stiling
 

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