Royal Show At The Edinburgh (Scotland) Concours

This year’s Concours of Elegance continued its tradition of taking place at a British Royal Residence. Following the 3 previous events held at Windsor Castle, Marlborough House on the Mall in London and Hampton Court it was time for the show to travel North of the border.

The location for this year’s show was the Palace of Holyrood House, the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh.

The 1st show was held in Y 2012 to commemorate Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and as I write this Queen Elizabeth the 2nd has just become the longest serving English Monarch with a reign of 63 years 7 months and counting, besting the reign of Queen Victoria.

So who decides on the entries each year?

A steering committee made up of a cross section of 15 people steeped in the world of old cars. With the recent arrival of the French Chantilly event being held on the same weekend, I was wondering whether the 2 shows were in direct competition with each other.

Seems they are not and both shows share a mutual respect for each other and many of the owners have cars on display at both events.

As to location, the Scottish show is stunning.

The Palace of Holyrood House is located at the foot of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile overlooked by the geological feature of Arthur’s Seat and the surrounding hills. The Palace has been the home of Scottish Royalty for the past 500 years and is famously connected with Mary Queen of Scots.

A theme which ran through the show this year was a celebration of Scottish Motoring heroes.

The attendees were able to study at close hand various racing cars connected with the careers of Jim Clark, Sir Jackie Stewart, The Ecurie Ecosse team, Johnny Dumfries and Andrew Cowan. Scotland is very green, mainly because it rains a lot. But not this weekend. Just a lovely late Summer weekend with superb cars and plenty of room to move about.

Magic!

This Franay bodied 1949 Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport Convertible was first shown at the 1949 Paris Salon. The car was displayed with none other than Marlene Dietrich where it won 1st place in Art and Industry, best in show and best interior. In 1950 the car took first place in Concours events in Paris and Belgium. In 1951 it won again, first place at the Brussels Motor show and again in 1952 with a Christian Dior model it took the top prize for Car and Fashion. Sold in 1953 to a gentleman from Versailles and sold again in 1960 to a US airman (and VeloceToday reader) Jim Bandy who took it to his home in the USA. It remained in the USA, winning first in class at Pebble Beach in 2011, until being purchased in 2014 by its current owner Andreas Pohl.

Deja Vue; I am afraid as I had already seen this GTO at Amelia Island this year, and previously at the Goodwood Revival a few years ago but it’s a GTO so should be included. Craig and Susan McCaw’s ex Innes Ireland UDT Laystall team car chassis 3505. This was the first right hand drive example and the sixth built. Innes Ireland collected the car from the factory in the spring of 1962 and drove it back to England, a distance of over 800 miles to compete in the Goodwood Easter meeting. Unfortunately the car spent the meeting sitting in the paddock as it was at this meeting that Stirling had his terrible accident which ended his career. Following his accident the team switched Innes from the GTO to the Lotus 19 which had originally been entered for Stirling to drive. Moss had actually driven the GTO with Innes in practice. 3505 did however come first in various other races throughout the 1962 season.

This 1939 Delahaye 165 was chosen by the French Government to represent France at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. This exotic masterpiece caused a sensation even if it did not at the time have an engine. When the car was ready to be shipped across the Atlantic the V12 engine was not ready. Due to the outbreak of World war two the car was stranded for 8 years with the New York Custom authorities. The car was eventually sold in 1947 and was fitted with a Cadillac V8. Peter Mullin and Jim Hull discovered the car in Honolulu and they were finally able to fit the original V12 engine.

Peter Harburg’s 1936 Delage D60-70 Milord Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet was sold new to Madam Jeanne Menesson, wife of French industrialist and designer of the Solex carburettor Marcel Menesson. The car featured on the coach builders stand at that years Paris Salon and went on to win various Grand Prix d Elegance across France. In 2014 the car won the best French car at Pebble Beach..

I had seen the ex-Richard Seaman MG K3 at Brooklands recently so I was a bit ho hum about seeing another K3. However having spoken at some length with its current custodian Peter Briggs my opinion swiftly changed. This K3 is number 3 of the 3 car works which raced, and won the 1100cc class at the 1933 Millie Miglia. They also took a race record and the team prize to boot. The team was run by Earl Howe and the car was driven by Count Johnny Lurani and George Eyston. Later in the same year Tazio Nuvolari drove this car to Victory in the Ulster TT. This is very typical of the event, you see an example of a car that you may have seen the like of previously at another event, then you read about the history of the particular example you are looking at, and then quickly your ‘oh that is a nice car’ becomes a blimey. Somebody once said to me it was an honor to be able to view these exceptional examples.

It is said that in his passport Rob Walker gave his profession as Gentleman. He certainly was a gentleman team owner of the old school. Walking past a car showroom in Mayfair London just before the outbreak of the second world war, Rob spotted this rather delectable Delahaye 135S which lead to an impulsive purchase and the start of The Rob Walker Racing team. Rob Walker is a direct descendant of the Walker whisky family so you can’t get more Scottish than that. This 135S is one of only sixteen built.

Displayed courtesy of John E McCaw Jr this 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London to Edinburgh Tourer carries an accurate reproduction of the original body of a car we know as the Silver Dawn. The original bodywork of the Silver Dawn was produced by the Grosvenor Carriage Company. The chassis and running gear of the car you see here has been fitted with the original engine from the famous Silver Ghost which had completed the London to Edinburgh trial in top gear.

This Rolls-Royce was participant in the Highland Tour which proceeded the main event. I know nothing of the car but it looks so right in this setting.

Normally when somebody walks into my shot I hit the delete button. But not if it is Sir Jackie Stewart. The car behind is Lord Bamford’s 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III Vanvooren Drophead Coupe V12. This car was purchased for the personal use of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, Poland’s exiled Prime Minister and the commander in chief of its armed forces. This is one of only three Vanvooren bodied Phantom IIIs.

Sir Jackie Stewart chats with Lady Farmer, the wife of Sir Tom Farmer who made his fortune with the Quick Fit tire distribution business..

This 1951 Ferrari 212 Vignale was delivered to its first owner Count Giulio Acuarone by Enzo Ferrari himself. The car was at that time a Vignale Coupe but sometime around 1953 he asked Vignale to re cloth it in a barchetta style but to retain all of the components of the coupe even including the seats, steering wheel and glove box. The Count sold the car to an Italian collector in 1965 who kept it for 48 years during which time he used it various Italian events including the Millie Miglia. The car is now owned by Bernado Hartogs and has just undergoing a 14 month restoration to original condition at the Ferrari factory.

I am not sure if it is still hanging there, but in the Goodwood control tower hung a black and white photograph of two cars which had had a coming together during the 1963 Tourist Trophy car held at that circuit. The two cars were a Ferrari 250 GTO which John Surtees had been driving, and an Aston Mrtin DB4GT Zagato, chassis 183R, registration number 2 VEV which Jim Clark had been driving for the Essex Racing team of John Ogier. Contemporary reports indicate that Surtees was coming up to lap Clark for the second time when Clark spun the Aston whilst moving to allow Surtees to pass. Surtees tried to avoid the Aston but hit it fair and square. Both cars ended up in a ditch but the drivers were unhurt. This was in fact the second major accident to befall 2VEV. After pressure from the factory John Ogier reluctantly allowed Equipe National Belge to borrow the car for Lucien Bianchi to drive at Spa on the 20th May 1962. Whilst in the lead on lap 3 of a 15 lap race Lucien crashed on what is believed to have been a wet and oil covered track. The car was completely wrecked and then taken back to the Aston factory at Feltham where the company rebuilt the car but incorporated various modifications. It was damaged again in the spring of 1993 when being driven home from a charity event by Nick Cusson who was driving the car on behalf of its owner Toni St John Hart. Taken back to the Aston factory the car was painstakingly rebuilt to 1963 specification. It may not surprise you to learn that 2VEVs first competitive outing had been the 1961 Le Mans 24 hour race where it ran with its sister car 1VEV.

As mentioned in Graham’s article this is Clive Beechams Ecurie Ecosse Long nose D-Type Jaguar which finished 2nd in the 1957 Le Mans 24 hour race. In this race D Types finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th. D Types had also won in 1955 and 1956. I am told that the original British racing green paint can be seen in places under the Ecosse Blue paint. Although it is not shown in the photo Clive also displayed the original seat that Mike Hawthorn used when setting the Silverstone lap record.

If you are going to display a C-Type Jaguar in Edinburgh then it has to be an Ecurie Ecosse example. This chassis 041, now owned by Bruce McCaw was raced extensively by Jimmy Stewart (the brother of Sir Jackie) during 1953. The first outing resulted in a 2nd place at Charterhall. Later co-driven by Roy Salvadori the car finished in second place at the 1000km race at the Nurburgring.

Princess Lilian de Rethy, the wife of King Leopold of Belgium liked Ferraris. This 330 GTC was her third example. Built in 1967 and designed by Pininfarina to match the Princess’s desire for a two-seater with delightfully sleek lines, the car’s most striking design feature being the wrap around rear screen with long flying buttresses. Enzo Ferrari said of the Princess “She is a beautiful and lively lady with a colorful character. I had the feeling she knew everything that a woman should know, only better”. Good old Enzo! Ultimately four examples were built, the second example being built for a prominent heart surgeon friend of the Princess.

This 1968 late model 275GTB/4 is owned by Nigel Allen. It is an all matching numbers car and was the winner of the best in class and best in show at the 2011 Ferrari owners club UK concours. It also won best in class at the 2012 Salon Prive event and the club trophy at last year’s Hampton Court Concours. A beautiful example which has not been over restored.

This 1958 250 TDF owned by John Bentley is the 70th example of the 90 built. It was delivered in August 1958 to Los Angeles for the film director Bill Sturgis. Bill enjoyed car racing and raced the car at Laguna Seca, Riverside, Palm Springs, Pomona and others during 1959.

Shown for the first time on the Bertone stand at the 1961 Geneva Motor show this unique Aston Martin DB4GT nicknamed “the Jet” is also another jewel from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro. Th car was commissioned by Aston Martin and was built on the last DB4GT chassis of the production line. Following its restoration by Aston Martin the car has gone on to win 12 major awards including Best in Class at Pebble Beach.

Laurentiu Stratulat’s 1964 Ghia Spider G230S Prototipo is a unique car based on Fiat 2300 components and built on an advanced Ghia designed chassis . The car was imported into Spain in 1966 especially for display at the Barcelona Motor Show. The car caused a sensation, then disappeared. This year’s Concours was the cars first outing since being fully restored by Carrozzeria Cognolato of Milan. The design is believed to have come from the pen of Giugario. The design was proposed to Fiat for production but they declined. Ghia went on to produce the similar 450SS model powered by a large Chrysler V8.