For this year’s edition the gathering was expanded from its previous two days to a three day event, with
addition of a “Supercar” display on the third day providing a fresh perspective for those in attendance for all
days. The 2020 running was blighted by persistent rain on the first day, which left sodden ground for the
second day. Fortunately this year the weather was much more clement, with high ambient temperatures and
plenty of bright sunshine, a welcome bonus to any outdoor gathering.
The Jaguar E Type display included the very first production example with the well known registration number
77 RW, which was driven out to the 1961 Geneva Motor Show by the renowned Jaguar test driver, the late
Norman Dewis. Another first was chassis 860001, which was the first production right hand drive coupé,
whilst also present was the famous low-drag Lindner-Nocker coupé, the only example built by the factory.
Amongst the Iconic British designs display was another example of the E Type, together with the XJR 15 from
the same company, which was penned by Peter Stevens, and of course no iconic British design class would
be complete without an example of the ubiquitous Mini, in this case an unrestored 1960 example showing
only 2900 miles on the clock. Apart from the feature displays there was an eclectic array of vehicles in the
various classes, quite literally almost something for every taste. Whether it was supercars, like the quartet of
Ferraris, an F40, F50, Enzo and LaFerrari, the Audi Quattro Sport and BMW M3 E36 in the Young Timers
class or the diverse array of custom cars, including a wildly painted 1961 Ford Thunderbird in the Kustom
Klass, on which the paint job alone took 575 hours. Within the Italian Berlinettas class there was the famous
second ex-Stirling Moss 250 GT SWB, chassis 2735 GT, which won the Chairman’s Award, a rare example
of the De Tomaso Mangusta, a Lamborghini 400 GT and the class winning Maserati Ghibli, resplendent in
metallic blue.
The pair of Great Marques classes, Lotus and Porsche, also featured a fine variety of the respective
manufacturer’s products. Within the former there was an original 1965 Lotus Seven, a 1957 Eleven, a 1961
Elite, a 1982 Elite Riviera, one of only seven examples built, and a single owner from new 1984 Esprit Turbo
S3 in a unique “White-Out” paint finish. The Porsche class ranged from a 1955 356 1500GS Carrera Coupé,
the first of only ten RHD examples produced, through the first 911 Targa from 1965, a 914/6 in rally trim from
1970, a 1972 911 2.7 RS, a 1981 924 Carrera GT, a 928 and a 2011 997 GT3 RS 4L, with plenty more in
between.
Surprisingly, given the value and rarity of some of the vehicles on display, the Best of Show award went to one
of the smallest and also less flamboyant cars on the field, albeit immaculately presented. This was an
ex-works 1957 Lotus Eleven sports racing car, finished in British Racing Green and polished aluminium with
the traditional yellow Lotus pinstripes on its flanks.
Keith Bluemel
06/2021
Related Material
... Entry Lists with chassis numbers >>>
|
