Latest news with #LondonConcours
Scottish Sun
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Watch world's rarest sports cars & modern classics roar into central London – from 90s Bugatti to £60k Ford Capri
IF there's one thing I learned from my Thursday at the London Concours, it's that the world's greatest cars somehow look even better in the pouring rain. The capital was in full 'classic British summertime' mode as we gathered in the heart of the Big Smoke at the Honourable Artillery Company for the ultimate petrolhead garden party - with rain pelting down as we walked through the gates. Advertisement 6 The rare Bugatti EB110 SuperSport, originally built for the Brunei royal family, stole the show at the London Concours Credit: Michael Golson 6 A rally legend with just 1,100 miles on the clock took home the Fast Fords class gong Credit: Michael Golson 6 The X-Pack Ford Capri, restored and upgraded to perfection, now worth an impressive £57,000 Credit: Michael Golson 6 The Audi RS2 Avant, a super estate with Porsche DNA, featured in the Youngtimers display Credit: Michael Golson 6 The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, developed during Mercedes' partnership with McLaren, with just 3,200 miles on the clock Credit: Michael Golson 6 The ultimate petrolhead garden party, with rare sports cars and modern classics on display Credit: Michael Golson But honestly, the weather didn't matter. The sight of dozens of the world's most iconic sports cars - the kind you usually only see in books or posters - all lined up on the green lawns, surrounded by white tents, made it all worthwhile. The London Concours, now in its ninth year, is a proper showcase of the world's most exotic supercars, plus a healthy dose of modern classics thrown in for good measure. It's the stuff of dreams for any petrolhead. Advertisement Perhaps the star of the show was the rarely-seen Bugatti EB110 SuperSport - one of the first cars to greet us as we walked in. One of just 33 SuperSport models ever made, this beast was originally built for the Brunei royal family back in 1993. Capable of over 200mph, it beat out legends like the Porsche 930 Turbo S, Porsche 911 GT1, McLaren F1 and Porsche 959 to win top honours in the Dream Cars class. When it was new, the EB110 SuperSport would've set you back around $380,000 (roughly £280,000). Advertisement Nowadays? Try $1.2 million (about £936,000). FAST FORDS While sheltering from the morning downpour under one of the tents, I couldn't help but notice the collection of legendary Fords nearby. A brief history of fast Fords A rare Ford RS200 was the pick of the bunch, which took the win in the Fast Fords class. This rally-spec beauty is one of just 15 ever built and spent the first 30 years of its life in storage, with just 1,100 miles on the clock. Advertisement These days, though, it's out and about during the summer months. It was joined by an X-Pack Ford Capri, upgraded by Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering programme with a wide body kit and lowered suspension. After a full restoration (with plenty of upgrades), this Capri is now worth around £57,000 - with half of that value coming from the enhancements alone. Other Ford icons were close by, including a beefy Ford Escort Cosworth RS - which can now fetch well over £100,000 at auctions - and the near-mythical Ford GT40. Advertisement SEE IT ALL Over the three-day event, there were bonus displays celebrating Aston Martin (Tuesday), Mercedes-Benz (Wednesday) and Supercars (Thursday). By the time you've walked around for a bit, your senses start to adjust to the sheer quality of cars on display. My attention was drawn to the Youngtimers display, which featured modern classics from the late 1980s and early 1990s that have become cult favourites among enthusiasts. The standout here was the Audi RS2 Avant - a super estate with sports car power and Porsche DNA - but the winner of the class was a 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet with a rare 'Flachbau' (flat-nose) styling and pop-up headlights that scream 1980s cool. Advertisement HYPERCAR HEAVEN The Hypercars class was absolutely jaw-dropping, with a 2019 Lamborghini Centenario - the only one in the UK - stealing the spotlight. Built to celebrate Ferruccio Lamborghini's 100th birthday, only 40 of these were ever made. Further on, as part of the Mercedes-Benz celebrations, we were treated to a stunning display of SL models marking 70 years since the introduction of the 300SL. Highlights included a racing-spec 300SL Gullwing, an elegant 300SL Roadster and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with just 3,200 miles on the clock. Advertisement It wasn't all about flashy supercars, either. The Wild Cards class celebrated the oddballs and misfits of the car world, with this year's winner being a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT, which spent 50 years in California before making its way to the UK in 2012. Fun fact: it's owned by Coldplay's Guy Berryman. SUMMERTIME? In many ways, the London Concours is the perfect way to kick off the UK's motoring summer. Advertisement If you're feeling a bit of FOMO, don't worry - there's more to come. I recently covered some of the best upcoming events across the country, from CarFest to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. And if you fancy an event similar to the London Concours, the Concours of Elegance will be held at Hampton Court from September 5 to 7.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Watch world's rarest sports cars & modern classics roar into central London – from 90s Bugatti to £60k Ford Capri
IF there's one thing I learned from my Thursday at the London Concours, it's that the world's greatest cars somehow look even better in the pouring rain. The capital was in full 'classic British summertime' mode as we gathered in the heart of the Big Smoke at the Honourable Artillery Company for the ultimate petrolhead garden party - with rain pelting down as we walked through the gates. 6 6 6 6 6 6 But honestly, the weather didn't matter. The sight of dozens of the world's most iconic sports cars - the kind you usually only see in books or posters - all lined up on the green lawns, surrounded by white tents, made it all worthwhile. The London Concours, now in its ninth year, is a proper showcase of the world's most exotic supercars, plus a healthy dose of modern classics thrown in for good measure. It's the stuff of dreams for any petrolhead. Perhaps the star of the show was the rarely-seen Bugatti EB110 SuperSport - one of the first cars to greet us as we walked in. One of just 33 SuperSport models ever made, this beast was originally built for the Brunei royal family back in 1993. Capable of over 200mph, it beat out legends like the Porsche 930 Turbo S, Porsche 911 GT1, McLaren F1 and Porsche 959 to win top honours in the Dream Cars class. When it was new, the EB110 SuperSport would've set you back around $380,000 (roughly £280,000). Nowadays? Try $1.2 million (about £936,000). FAST FORDS While sheltering from the morning downpour under one of the tents, I couldn't help but notice the collection of legendary Fords nearby. A rare Ford RS200 was the pick of the bunch, which took the win in the Fast Fords class. This rally-spec beauty is one of just 15 ever built and spent the first 30 years of its life in storage, with just 1,100 miles on the clock. These days, though, it's out and about during the summer months. It was joined by an X-Pack Ford Capri, upgraded by Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering programme with a wide body kit and lowered suspension. After a full restoration (with plenty of upgrades), this Capri is now worth around £57,000 - with half of that value coming from the enhancements alone. Other Ford icons were close by, including a beefy Ford Escort Cosworth RS - which can now fetch well over £100,000 at auctions - and the near-mythical Ford GT40. SEE IT ALL Over the three-day event, there were bonus displays celebrating Aston Martin (Tuesday), Mercedes-Benz (Wednesday) and Supercars (Thursday). By the time you've walked around for a bit, your senses start to adjust to the sheer quality of cars on display. My attention was drawn to the Youngtimers display, which featured modern classics from the late 1980s and early 1990s that have become cult favourites among enthusiasts. The standout here was the Audi RS2 Avant - a super estate with sports car power and Porsche DNA - but the winner of the class was a 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet with a rare 'Flachbau' (flat-nose) styling and pop-up headlights that scream 1980s cool. HYPERCAR HEAVEN The Hypercars class was absolutely jaw-dropping, with a 2019 Lamborghini Centenario - the only one in the UK - stealing the spotlight. Built to celebrate Ferruccio Lamborghini's 100th birthday, only 40 of these were ever made. Further on, as part of the Mercedes-Benz celebrations, we were treated to a stunning display of SL models marking 70 years since the introduction of the 300SL. Highlights included a racing-spec 300SL Gullwing, an elegant 300SL Roadster and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with just 3,200 miles on the clock. It wasn't all about flashy supercars, either. The Wild Cards class celebrated the oddballs and misfits of the car world, with this year's winner being a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT, which spent 50 years in California before making its way to the UK in 2012. Fun fact: it's owned by Coldplay's Guy Berryman. SUMMERTIME? In many ways, the London Concours is the perfect way to kick off the UK's motoring summer. If you're feeling a bit of FOMO, don't worry - there's more to come. I recently covered some of the best upcoming events across the country, from CarFest to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. And if you fancy an event similar to the London Concours, the Concours of Elegance will be held at Hampton Court from September 5 to 7.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The 7 Most Exciting Cars at the London Concours
Now in its ninth year, the London Concours has established itself as one of the collector-car scene's most interesting and accessible automotive exhibitions, with one of the most fascinating venues. This year, a record 90 cars assembled on the cricket pitch of the Honorable Artillery Company, the British Army's oldest regiment, in the heart of London's financial district. The variety of vehicles on display was extraordinary, from those worth deep into eight figures, such as the McLaren F1, to the tiny, weird, single-seat Peel microcar. Here are our highlights from the show. More from Robb Report Louis Vuitton Just Unveiled a New Pocket Watch Inspired by Paris A Secret 19th-Century Carriage House in N.Y.C. Lists for $3.75 Million An Ancient Rock Art Site Is Under Threat as Australia Extends the Life of a Gas Plant Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article. The perfect example of form following function, the Giulia Sprint Speciale owes its achingly pretty looks mainly to its amazing aerodynamics. A road-going version of Bertone's groundbreaking, super-slippery BAT concept cars of the 1950s, Alfa Romeo's 100 hp Giulia SS has a significance and desirability that far exceeds its total output or straight-line performance. Sadly, after a long restoration, this example failed to start when it was due to be displayed at last year's London Concours, but it made a very welcome first appearance this year. With American muscle, a British chassis, and an Italian suit, this Frua-bodied AC unites three of the great car-building nations in one perfect 1960s-era sports car. A 427 ci Ford V-8 in an AC Cobra chassis gives race-car noise and handling, but the elegant, langorous body by the famous Turin coachbuilder may be its finest asset. This example is one of three prototypes, and the only manual—a worthy winner of the London Concours' special AC class. A London-based restoration specialist, Romance of Rust was established by Lance McCormack, who trained as a coachbuilder at Mulliner Park Ward. He first saw, and fell in love with, this very example of the Citroën SM as a boy in 1975. Forty years later, he and his team performed a bare-metal restoration on it, including repainting it in its original 'vert argent,' and preserving the tobacco-colored leather interior, which contrasts so perfectly with the green exterior. With its faired-in triple headlamps and rear wheels, and its convex rear glass, this was one of the high points of 1970s European car design, and it still looks extraordinary today. This Gandini design didn't win its Ferrari V-8 class, but stood out for its stance, proportion, and angular lines amidst later, more voluptuous eight-cylinder Prancing Horses, such as the 360 Modena and 430. Living in the shadow of the later, prettier, Pininfarina-bodied 308s, these Dinos (they were only badged as Ferraris from 1976) have long been under-appreciated, much like the Bugatti EB110, which won Best in Show. Yet as with that Bugatti model, Dinos are rapidly being rediscovered by collectors, and represent a great way into Ferrari ownership. And of all the great mid-engined V-8 models Ferrari has made, these were the first. This year, the London Concours featured a Young Timer class devoted to cars from the 1980s onwards, likely to be of more interest to the young brokers and traders whose offices surround the showground than collector cars from earlier eras. A 'flachbau' (flat-nose) Porsche 911 Turbo from 1989 won the class, but 911s have always been great investments. Yet it's cars like this Audi, hugely significant from a technical and motorsport perspective, to which savvy collectors are now looking for both a usable classic and an appreciating asset. This pre-Volkswagen-era Bugatti was one of the first cars to greet guests at the London Concours this year. And while it was hard to look past the McLaren F1 parked next to it, both the guests and the judges did: Constantly surrounded by a crowd, it won the Dream Car class as well as being ultimately named Best in Show. Not only is this the first Super Sport chassis, it was also originally supplied to the Sultan of Brunei before being acquired by its current British owner, who drives it regularly despite its fast-increasing value. A short clip of this Veyron arriving at the London Concours, stripped of its body, piqued the interest of Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac enough for him to share it on Instagram. The car is owned by British Bugatti specialist Furlonger, an outfit that offers both regular maintenance and subtle upgrades to Veyron collectors. This car will eventually receive bespoke paint—referencing a famous 1930s racing Bugatti—and a very modern Apple CarPlay interface. But for now, presenting it sans bodywork allowed concours guests to admire the perfection of its usually hidden carbon-fiber central structure, and the complexity of the cooling systems required by its monstrous, quad-turbo W16 engine.
