Aston Martin to Ferrari: The best cars showcased at this year’s Concours d’Elegance
- Automobile Featured Trending
Schenelle Dsouza- 9 minutes read
Schenelle Dsouza
One of the leading automotive events in the world, the 2023 Concours d’Elegance event took place from September 1-3 at the Hampton Court Palace.
A prestigious car show, the Concours d’Elegance brings together a selection of some of the rarest cars from around the world. Amid the fine motor cars, is a group of entrants to The Club Trophy, the winner of which will automatically secure a place in the following year’s main Concours of Elegance event. Aside from The Club Trophy, there is also a Concours of Elegance winner who is selected by the Owners of the cars themselves. The participants are asked to vote on the other models on display to decide which car is considered to be the ‘Best of Show’.
This year’s Concours d’Elegance saw a selection of 60 rare car models from different brands including Aston Martin, Ferrari, Bentley and Bugatti. While the complete line-up is a long list, take a look at some of the best and rarest models at this year’s Concours d’Elegance.
1929 Bentley Speed Six ‘Old Number One’
The Bentley Speed Six ‘Old Number One’ was the first ever vehicle to win the 24 Hours twice in a row, both in 1929 and 1930 and is regarded as one of the most important milestones in Le Mans’ history. The model was one of Bentley’s five entries in 1929 and was based on the Speed Six sporting variant of the legendary 612 Litre tourer. It featured a modified engine which produced 190Hp, permitting a top speed of 115 mph. ‘Old Number One’ is possibly the most important vehicle in the long history of British motorsport because Bentley didn’t win at Le Mans again until its Speed 8 claimed the checkered flag in 2003.
1934 Bugatti Type 59
A member of Switzerland’s Pearl Collection, the 1934 Type 59 was created to rival motor racing vehicles from manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo. Thanks to the car’s piano-wire wheels, lowered body, larger wheelbase, and supercharged straight-eight, the Bugatti Type 59 was and still is regarded as both a technological marvel and a work of industrial art. The T59, which served as Bugatti’s final Grand Prix vehicle, is regarded as the most exquisite pre-war competitive vehicle ever. There were only six produced, and this one finished third at the Monaco Grand Prix and first overall in Belgium.
1953 Aston Martin DB3S
The Aston Martin DB3S was a last-ditch effort to turn the DB3 model’s fortunes around and to give owner David Brown his much-needed Le Mans triumph. The DB3S/1, the first prototype, was created by Willie Watson during the winter of 1952 and will be on display at Hampton Court Palace. It was the inaugural Works vehicle of 1953 and featured coachwork by Frank Feeley. In 1954, Roy Salvadori drove it in a race at Le Mans while using an experimental Supercharger, but they were unable to claim the desired victory. Since 1974, the DB3S has been owned by the current family.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
A truly exceptional model, only eight right-hand-drive Ferrari 250 GTOs were manufactured out of the total 36 produced that year. The single Bianco version in white was ordered by John Coombs, a well-known British racing team owner and Jaguar dealer. This model was supplied via Maranello Concessionaires. On August 6, 1962, Roy Salvadori drove the vehicle at Brands Hatch in its inaugural race, finishing second overall in the Peco Trophy. Graham Hill, the upcoming world champion, competed in it in the Tourist Trophy in Goodwood two weeks later. This particular model is considered a holy grail for Ferrari collectors all over the world.
1963 Ferrari 275P
This mid-engined, V12-powered Ferrari 275P is the only Ferrari to have ‘done the double’ at Le Mans. It won for Scuderia Ferrari in 1963 as a 250P and in 1964 as a reengineered 275P. Back then, the 3.0-litre 250P broke the previous distance record and became the first non-front-engined winner as it won the Scuderia’s fourth straight 24 Hours triumph by more than 125 miles (16 circuits). It was also the first complete triumph for an Italian-only team, including the car and the drivers. The 275P was renamed for the 1964 race and equipped with a 3.3-litre V12. It covered 2917.5 miles at an average speed of 122.2 mph while being driven by Sicilian Nino Vaccarella and Frenchman Jean Guichet and broke the Le Mans distance record for the second time.
1964 Ferrari 250LM
The Ferrari 250LM made its premiere at the 1963 Paris Auto Salon. It was delivered in right-hand-drive configuration to Luigi Chinetti and the N.A.R.T. squad in the US. With drivers like John Surtees, Lorenzo Bandini, Umberto Maglioli, Jochen Rindt, and David Piper, it had a formidable entry roster for historical races like the Le Mans 24 Hours, Nürburgring 1000km, Reims 12 Hours, Nassau Tourist Trophy, and Canadian Grand Prix. Its later years were spent in competition at famous Concours like Cavallino Classic, The Quail, Pebble Beach, and Historic Gatherings, as well as on the show pitch.
1965 Fiat Abarth 1000 “La Principessa”
This very alien-looking, super-slippery Fiat Abarth 1000 nicknamed “La Principessa” was designed by Pininfarina. The car will be on display as part of Fritz Burkard’s Pearl Collection. The 1,000cc, 100bhp vehicle smashed nine records, including going 10,000 kilometres at an astounding average speed of 118.7 mph, and had a drag coefficient of just 0.20. The unique, single-seater car is hard to miss, and is sure to grab eyeballs at the Hampton Court Palace gardens!
2003 Bentley Speed 8
