1938 Vauxhall GY25 Wingham Cabriolet long wheelbase with coachwork by renowned coach builders Martin-Walter Ltd.
Martin-Walter have been crafting bespoke bodywork since 1773 and working for not only Vauxhall but also Rolls Royce motor cars during their history.
This particular long wheelbase Wingham Cabriolet that only became available in 1938 features the extended luggage boot, which according to original promotional material is ‘’large enough to take suit-cases, golf clubs etc.’’ making this Wingham Cabriolet truly capable as a vintage touring automobile.
The car is certified by Vauxhall Heritage as having left the firms legendary Luton works in July of 1938.
Our 1938 GY25 Wingham Cabriolet was previously owned by Mr Anthony West, who started the restoration of this beautiful car in 1973 and was the cars custodian until to 2022 with an estimated £230,000 spent to restore the car to how you see it today.
Unfortunately, Mr West passed away before the car was complete and it sat for a time in a garage in Norwich, who had taken the car to around 98% complete.
The car was purchased from the executor by Bridge Classic Cars, who completed the final works, had the car MOT’d and managed to get the original “Paisley” Scotland registration retained.
The car has beautiful black paintwork with the famous Vauxhall chrome fluted bonnet as well as custom made hood and tan leather interior by Moore’s Classic Car Interiors.
The 3.2-litre straight-six engine runs strong and balanced and is akin to the wonderful Vauxhall 30/98 engine of the period in terms of performance.
Every part of this car has been painstakingly restored over the span of 40-years by teams of true enthusiasts and passionate craftspeople. From the bespoke wooden cappings to the quirky full opening chauffeur and bride doors, this 1938 Vauxhall Wingham Cabriolet celebrates the artisan nature of coach built cars.
The car will be offered at auction very soon on Car & Classic
On Saturday 22nd July 2023, the first-ever Saturday Of Speed is taking place at Royal Norwich.
Our friends from East Anglian Air Ambulance, who are the chosen charity for the event, will be in attendance.
The day looks very exciting with some big car brands having a presence at the show such as Porsche, Aston Martin, Lotus, TVR, Bentley & Rolls Royce, and more, although all cars are welcome.
There will be plenty for all the family to do throughout the day including:
Le Mans golf buggy time trial
Porsche hospitality area
Change the race car tyre time challenge
Several hundred cars on display to admire up close
Parade hill climb
For the younger car enthusiasts, there will also be a play area and bouncy castle too!
We’d love to see you there so make sure you come and see us on the East Anglian Air Ambulance stand.
One of our customers who has been storing their Porsche 911 with us at our secure storage facility, The Hangar has swapped cars!
After the 911 being taken out of storage, a VW Golf has taken its place inside a cartoon at Bentwaters Parks where The Hangar is located.
It’s always nice to see a very cool car leave storage and head back out onto the road but it’s even more exciting when another exciting car takes its place!
Our MGA hasn’t been in the workshop for very long but it has already been in the care of our new classic car technician, Nigel.
Nigel has been hard at work taking this beautiful classic car apart and removing the engine and gearbox.
It hasn’t taken Nigel long to settle in and get stuck into restoring classic cars here at Bridge Classic Cars and, as you can see from the photos below, he has jumped straight into it!
Last week, Tom and Nick went to deliver our 1972 Triumph Stag to its new owner Dudley.
Dudley had won the car the previous week through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions and was excited to take delivery of his new pride and joy.
Upon meeting Dudley and finding out a bit more about his story, his incredible life with aircraft and cars, we also found out about his personal connection to our current charity partner, East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Dudley has been an avid supporter and advocate for the amazing work that the charity do to help people in serious situations either in the air or on the road with the incredible live saving team since he found himself in need of their help one day while visiting family.
Take a look at the moment Dudley met his 1972 Triumph Stag for the first time and more on this amazing gentleman’s story below.
You to could be just like Dudley and win a dream classic of your own while also supporting a very worthy charity by entering our 1973 Triumph Spitfire charity competition, with 100% of the profits of this competition going directly to help East Anglian Air Ambulance continue to save lives.
This weekend, we opened up the doors of The Atelier to another car club. The Suffolk & Essex Jaguar Enthusiasts Club arrived in full force at 10 am, showcasing a range of vehicles. There were cars spanning the eras with some classics in excellent condition as well as some modern examples. It was great for members to catch up and share anecdotes of their experiences.
Coffee and cakes were enjoyed by all, followed by an exciting tour of the Bridge Classic Cars workshop by Nick. Our guests were able to learn about our current and upcoming competition cars as well as take an in-depth look at our workshop, paint department and fabrication bay.
The morning came to a close and guests headed off with some reconvening at local restaurants en route home.
Our 2022 Bridge C Type Replica has come a long way in recent weeks and is now in the Bridge Classic Cars paintshop, where it has been in the hands of classic car technician Alan.
Alan has been doing filler work on the car as well as panel levelling ready for it to be painted in the near future.
This is obviously a very special vehicle for us to be working on and we are very much looking forward for it to soon be out on the road.
Last night, we welcomed more than 100 car enthusiasts to The Atelier at Bridge Classic Cars for our Sunset Classic Car & Bike Meet.
Everyone here had a great time and enjoyed spending time with some familiar faces (and a whole load of new ones too).
The weather was ideal for a sunset car meet, with sunshine, no rain, and a glorious sunset that made the collection of beautiful vehicles look even better in the dying light.
As well as cars and bikes to admire, we also had food, drink, and some music too. The atmosphere was relaxed and everyone in attendance certainly seemed to enjoy showing off their cars as well as admiring others.
We would like to thank everyone who joined us last night and we hope to see you again at some of our upcoming events.
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we see a wide range of stunning vintage and classic cars. We also get to see some extremely interesting vehicles too.
One intriguing car that we have recently taken into storage at our secure facility, The Hangar, is a Morris Minor Hot Rod. Seeing how modified the car is, you’d be forgiven if you didn’t immediately recognise it as a Morris Minor. However, after being converted into a Hot Rod, there’s no denying that it is undoubtedly an attention-grabbing vehicle.
We offer vehicle storage for whatever car you deem to be special. From rare Aston Martins to Morris Minor Hot Rods, we love welcoming vehicles with a great story into the workshop or The Hangar.
As you can see from the photos below, this Hot Rod definitely has a story to tell.
We currently have two attention-grabbing sportscars in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop in the form of our 1980 MGB GT and our 2007 Porsche Cayman S.
These two cars are finished in great colours. Our MGB is finished in Vermillion Orange while our Cayman is finished in the rare PTS 8C6 Orange (RS Orange). After both vehicles had been valeted, we thought it would be a great opportunity to take a photo of them next to each other.
As you can see, the Atelier proved to be a great environment to catch the cars in all their orange glory.
Today, we have welcomed a new member to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop team.
Sam Lucas has joined us as a Workshop Assistant. This means that he will be spending lots of time around classic cars, helping the technician team as they restore some very special projects. In addition to this, Sam will also be training to be part of our vehicle delivery team so, if you’re lucky enough to win one of our cars through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, you could very well see Sam up close and personal.
Despite today being his first day as an official member of the team, this isn’t the first time Sam has worked with us, as he played a big part in our live draws and other events where he put his skills as a cameraman to great use!
Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars would like to welcome Sam to the team and we are looking forward to working with you.
We recently welcomed Geoff Haviland into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, so he could take a close look at our 1905 Riley 9HP.
Geoff was the individual who reached out to us after seeing our Riley project online. He noticed that our car looked different to how it should, and seemed to be a year or two older than it should have been. It was from his information that it now appears that our 1905 Riley 9HP could very well be a prototype of the very first car to have removable wheels.
The level of knowledge that Geoff has about Riley cars is extraordinarily high. In fact, he was one of the main people involved in a project to build a replica of the first Riley car ever made. What makes this even more impressive is that there was almost no information at all about the original car when the project began but, with a lot of hard work, the replica project got underway.
It was great to have Geoff come and see us and our Riley 9HP. Classic car technician Steve, who has been working on the vehicle, spoke at length to Geoff to help confirm some details he will need to finish our project in the near future.
Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars would like to thank Geoff for taking the time to visit us and for sharing so much of your knowledge and experience.
On the 15th of June 1913, the first-ever Spanish Grand Prix was held, and two Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts took first and third place. This was a huge success in both technical capabilities and tactical planning and would go on to set the template for the brand’s iconic triumph at the 1913 Alpenfahrt the following week.
Now, 110 years later, the accomplishments of the day are credited to three points – the overwhelmingly superior engineering of the Silver Ghost, perfect team tactics, and the self-sacrifice of one of the marque’s most experienced and loyal employees.
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Racing
Back in the early 20th Century, car manufacturers used endurance trials as the main way to show off the capabilities of their vehicles. Rolls-Royce was no exception to this and the brand had something of an enviable record in this type of event thanks to their cars dominating in a series of trials, including the 15,000-mile Scottish Reliability Trial in 1907, and the London to Edinburgh in 1911, in which the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost won the epic race where all cars had to be locked in top gear.
At the same time, motor racing was getting more popular and more sophisticated and, in 1906, France staged its first Grand Prix. This was held with the support of the Automobile Club de France, which the Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls had been a member of since he was just 18 years old.
By the time 1913 came around, Charles had sadly died and the Managing Director of Rolls-Royce, Claude Johnson wanted to boost sales in Europe, so the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix seemed like a fantastic promotional opportunity for the brand. As a result, two Silver Ghosts were entered into the race that was taking place on the 15th of June.
The First-Ever Spanish Grand Prix
The Spanish Grand Prix was a real test of endurance and reliability and not just raw speed. These two things were key strengths of the Silver Ghost so hopes were high.
The race covered 192 miles over three laps, including two passes of the formidable Guadarrama mountains, northwest of Madrid. It was an exclusive event that could only be entered by four-seater touring cars which all had to be fitted with mudguards, lamps, hoods, and two spare tyres. The bonnets were sealed and no water could be added to the radiator once the race had begun. Considering the temperature in the shade was well above 30°C when the cars made their way to the start line – it was obvious that this would be a very demanding challenge.
17 vehicles started, including the two modified Silver Ghosts – one owned and, against the company’s wishes, driven by Don Carlos de Salamanca y Hurtado de Zaldivar, who had recently become Rolls-Royce’s new agent in Madrid. The second Silver Ghost was company-owned and driven by Eric Platford, who was one of the brand’s most experienced and dedicated engineers. In fact, he had been responsible for many of the previous trial successes.
A Winning Strategy
After three hours of racing, Eric Platford was leading the race by more than 20 minutes and was heading for a commanding win. However, he was a loyal employee and understood that this was as much a commercial undertaking as it was a race he personally wanted to win. Following strict instructions, Eric pulled over and let Don Carlos de Salamanca overtake him. Don Carlos went on to win the debut Grand Prix of his home nation with a time of 3 hours, 34 minutes, and 12 seconds – averaging a speed of 54mph.
Unfortunately for Platford, his selfless act inadvertently allowed another driver to pass him too. The Marqués de Aulencia, in a Lorraine-Dietrich, finished in second place just three minutes ahead of him.
Third Place Rewards
Despite finishing third, it was clear that Eric Platford was a catalyst for the success of the Grand Prix. After the race, he drove to Madrid where he received a congratulatory telegram from Claude Johnson. He was also given a holiday to Venice, and two gold watches – one from the directors of Rolls-Royce, and one from the very grateful Don Carlos de Salamanca!
Further Success For The Silver Ghost At The Alpenfahrt
A week after the Spanish Grand Prix was the 1913 Alpenfahrt – a 1,600-mile trial through the Alps. Eric Platford was the team manager at the event and led his team to even more success as Rolls-Royce took the four top spots.
This was enough to seal the Silver Ghost’s reputation and was described by the media as ‘The Best Car In The World’. Eric’s team spirit, dedication, selflessness, courage and constant pursuit of excellence is the perfect nod to the marque’s ethos to this day of inspiring greatness.
Earlier today, Maserati introduced the first Fuoriserie Essentials collection. The collection features a special group of cars that have been curated by a chosen team of tastemakers and friends of Maserati. The global brand ambassador, David Beckham, designed this debut collection which has the aim to inspire car lovers to put their own personality and personal touch into their vehicles making each unit the ultimate Italian luxury sports car.
Two distinctive cars are in the Fuoriserie DB Essentials collection and come from David Beckham’s Savile Row wardrobe and his love and interest in classic Maseratis. The first car in the DB range, inspired by the 1967 Maserati Ghibli Coupe is finished in ‘Night Interaction’ Blue with a tan-shade leather interior.
The second car pays tribute to the 1986 Maserati Quattroporte Royale, which was only produced in 51 units and has been painted ‘Verde Royale’ (dark green) with a warm brown leather interior. Each of these special vehicles includes an exclusive metal plate celebrating the collaboration between Maserati and David Beckham which can be applied to the central tunnel between the front seats or between the two headrests.
Klaus Busse, Maserati’s Head of Design said “Fuoriserie means “custom-built” in Italian, and our Trident’s customization program is conceived to create singular experiences for our clients. Our wish here is for them to express their personality and passion by creating their very own Maserati. Just like David, everyone can choose from a wide range of personalization features from our Fuoriserie Corse collection, inspired by Maserati’s glorious racing heritage, and from our Fuoriserie Futura collection, dedicated to lovers of technology and new materials,”
Both Fuoriserie DB Essentials configurations are now available upon request on the MC20 super sports car, combining performance, sportiness and luxury to its racing soul, and the new ‘everyday exceptional’ SUV Grecale, striking the right balance between versatility, elegance and performance.
From the front, there are some similarities in the look of these two cars that are just two years apart in age but, from the rear, it’s a very different story!
Our Riley 9 Tourer and our Delage DI Sport Boat Tail are stunning on their own but, when seen together, the resulting picture is something very special indeed.
Our workshop was the meeting point for the group before they headed off for a photo shoot in the local area. While they were with us, they enjoyed a drink and some cake, as well as taking a look at some of the current restoration projects the team are working on.
It was great to meet a group of enthusiasts who have a passion for Jensens as much as we do (and their cars looked incredible too!)
Classic car technician, and workshop manager, John has been rebuilding the dash of our very special 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 competition project.
Once this iconic classic car has been fully rebuilt, it will be the biggest competition we have ever launched through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions as the car will be available to win.
Before that though, work will continue on the rebuild of our E-Type project.
Our brand new trailer was put to use almost immediately recently when it was used to collect our special competitions car – our 1973 Triumph Spitfire from its stay at the Suffolk Show.
Since then, it has continued to put itself to good use and we have no doubt that it will be a great member of the Bridge Classic Cars team for a long time to come.
Today marks the day that the first publically available sustainable petrol, specifically designed for classic vehicles, goes on sale in the UK.
Made by fuel specialist Coryton, the SUSTAIN Classic range is plant-based and allows classic car owners to fuel their cars without any modifications needing to be made to the engines. There are currently three types of fuel available, and the fuel with the highest sustainable content in the range promises a minimum of 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to fossil fuels.
Advanced second-generation biofuel, manufactured from agricultural waste such as straw and by-products from crops which wouldn’t be used for consumption, is used to create this potentially ground-breaking fuel. This means that the new fuel utilises the carbon already in the atmosphere (which the plants absorb as they grow). Contrastly, when using fossil fuels, additional CO2 currently locked underground is released.
Despite SUSTAIN Classic being designed for classic vehicles, it can be used for any vehicle that runs on standard forecourt petrol. With an octane number greater than 98 and bio-ethanol content of less than 1%, it also contains a premium additive package which stabilises and extends the life of the fuel and helps clean and protect the engines.
Per litre, the price is currently £3.80 – £5.24 (depending on the variant) and is available from distributor Motor Spirit at Bicester Heritage from 13th June. However, more stockists are launching throughout the UK in the coming months.
The three variants currently available are Super 80, Super 33, and Racing 50. All of these are suitable for year-round use.
Super 80
Created at least 80% renewable content.
Delivers a GHG saving of more than 65%, compared to fossil fuels.
98RON (Super Unleaded) EN228 Compliant.
Multifunctional deposit control additive package reduces existing deposits and maintains engine cleanliness and performance with regular use.
Priced from £4.65 per litre.
Super 33
Created at least 33% sustainable content.
Delivers a GHG saving of more than 25%, compared to fossil fuels.
98RON (Super Unleaded) EN228 Compliant.
Multifunctional deposit control additive package reduces existing deposits and maintains engine cleanliness and performance with regular use.
Priced from £3.80 per litre.
Racing 50
High-performance sustainable petrol ideal for performance and racing use in vehicles that require a higher-octane fuel.
Created at least 50% renewable content.
Delivers a GHG saving of more than 35%, compared to fossil fuels.
102RON, for high octane applications, EN228 Compliant.
Premium deposit control additives reduce existing deposits and maintain engine cleanliness and performance with regular use.
Priced from £5.24 per litre.
Sustainable Fuel
The three fuel types range from at least 33% sustainable content to at least 80%. David Richardson, Business Development Director at Coryton explains why: “Every kilogram of CO2 we avoid adding to our atmosphere, by replacing fossil fuel with sustainable fuel, is a win. We don’t instantly have to go for the full switch to start making a genuine impact. As more feedstocks become available, these fuels will start to contain even higher levels of traceable sustainable elements. However, we want to keep things as affordable as possible for consumers and be open about what’s actually achievable at the moment.
“The availability of true fossil-free fuel components is limited. So, we’re setting truthful and realistic goals, producing fuels that have a meaningful impact whilst meeting the demands of the user. While we could use ‘mass balancing’ techniques to certify this fuel as 100%, we believe that it is important to be open about technology readiness and traceability. The industry will get there with the right support – which is why we think it’s important to start getting these products into the hands of consumers so they can see how easy and effective the switch could be.”
SUSTAIN Classic has performed brilliantly in the testing centre but also on the track too. It has been certified by Coryton’s fully accredited lab and meets ISCC sustainable protocols. In fact, during the recent Rally For The Ages event at Bicester Heritage, more than 70 cars used the Super 80 variant of the fuel to complete the course. This will also be available at Flywheel 2023 too.
Guy Lachlan heads up Motor Spirit at Bicester Heritage, which will be one of the distributors of SUSTAIN Classic. He said: “We’re very excited to be the launch partner for Coryton’s SUSTAIN Classic fuel. It is vital for the future of Classic Cars and Motorcycles that environmentally-friendly liquid fuels are commercially available, and Motor Spirit’s facility at Bicester Heritage is the perfect location to start an environmental revolution! SUSTAIN Classic represents the best available combination of usability, sustainability and quality: exactly in line with Motor Spirit’s ethos.”
Andrew Willson, CEO at Coryton, said: “We believe that SUSTAIN Classic is the world’s first-ever sustainable fuel catering for classic vehicles, providing a credible and convenient way to run vintage vehicles without the need for fossil fuels. It’s fully certified, tested, and developed right here in the UK at our world-class blending facility.
“It’s estimated that there are almost half a million classic cars in the UK, each one with its own unique purpose, build and history. By creating a collection of second-generation biofuels that are compatible with their needs, as well as those of other vintage vehicles, we hope to provide these much-loved motors with a more sustainable future and preserve them for years to come.”
Another Specialist Fuel
The SUSTAIN Classic fuel is actually the second specialist fuel from Coryton’s SUSTAIN range. Last year, SUSTAIN Racing was launched and took the motorsport sector by storm by claiming titles in events such as the Dakar Rally.
Stockist information can be found on the Sustain Classic website sustainclassic.com, where distributors can also register their interest.
Jaguar Classic is celebrating the iconic race-winning E-Types by creating seven exclusive pairs of E-Type ZP Collection vehicles. The luxury (and highly collectable) cars pay homage to the first E-types used in competition. These racing E-Types were originally produced under the project name “ZP” and, within months of their introduction in 1961, they picked up their first victories.
Each of the commemorative pairs includes a drophead coupe and a fixed-head coupe, both finished in liveries paying tribute to the original race-winning cars. The two cars that provided inspiration for this incredible project were referred to by their registration numbers ‘ECD 400’ and ‘BUY 1’ and were driven by Graham Hill and Roy Salvadori.
Paul Barritt, Director of Jaguar Classic, said: “The E-type ZP Collection is the ultimate tribute to the E-type’s triumphant racing debut, in itself part of Jaguar’s rich motorsport history. Each pair tells a fascinating, and often untold, story of the E-type’s history. The ZP Collection honours not only the vehicles but the racers who drove them to victory on the track. With 2,000 hours lovingly spent on each vehicle by the craftspeople at Jaguar Classic, our discerning clients will be able to enjoy a unique tribute to two of the greatest cars in the E-type’s history.”
If this E-Type project wasn’t special enough, later this year, the personalisation team at Jaguar will be unveiling a limited-edition production run of matching F-Type ZP Editions. These will be inspired by the E-Type ZP collection and will also only have seven pairs available. The fourteen 5-litre supercharged V8 F-Types will be reserved for E-Type ZP Collection clients meaning that each client could own an unrepeatable and historic quartet of very special vehicles. It’s worth keeping in mind that, from 2025, Jaguar will become a pure electric modern luxury brand so this looks to be something of an unforgettable swan song.
Indigo Blue E-Type Drophead Coupe
In honour of Graham Hill’s Indigo Blue E-Type drophead coupe, the E-Type in the ZP collection will be finished in Oulton Blue and will have a black hood along with bonnet roundels finished in white with matching front ‘lipstick’ around the inside of the front airtake.
The interior is finished in red leather by Bridge of Weir and in-period Hardura trim.
Unlike the original E-Type, driven by Graham Hill, though, the ZP collection hasn’t been developed for just racing so the engineers at Jaguar Classic have reworked and hand-finished the nose of these very special cars.
Like the Oulton Blue version, the Crystal Grey fixed-head coupe comes with white roundels and similar exterior detailing, including the removal of the motif bar and Jaguar badge across the grille. The Crystal Grey coupe also has the same chrome bumpers as the drop-head, along with the welded bonnet louvres and unique side graphic detail.
The interior features a Dark Navy Bridge of Weir leather with matching Hardura trim and a Beechwood steering wheel.
The most significant mechanical upgrade to these stunning tributes is the specially developed five-speed manual transmission for quieter, more comfortable cruising. It features synchromesh on all ratios, helical cut gears and a reinforced cast aluminium casing for enhanced reliability and durability, with closer gear ratios for smoother changes.
An Extra Tribute With The E-Type ZP Collection
Every vehicle in the collection undergoes 2,000 hours of work by the experts at Jaguar Classic to make sure each and every one is a perfect tribute. Each one comes with a tailor-made car cover with ZP logo and a bespoke jack with a unique storage bag to be stored beneath the boot floor.
A period helmet to match those worn by Hill and Salvadori is also included. These have been crafted by British expert Bill Vero of Everoak and are a beautiful display piece that can be worn, and hand adjusted for each client. The helmets are provided with a tailored leather storage bag crafted from the same leather as the interiors and made onsite by the expert in-house trimmers at Jaguar Classic. The helmet bag also complements the leather pouch for the vehicle handbook, which is made with the same leather by the same team.
Each year Twinwood Festival hold a pageant where men and women are invited to apply to become Mr or Miss Vintage and I am so delighted to be in the running for Miss Vintage 2023!
We are currently in the voting stage with the final to be held over the festival weekend.
It’s a great opportunity for me to showcase my love of historic dress as well as spread awareness of sustainable fashion.
All you have to do to vote for me is go to the Facebook Post and like my photo.
A collection of five classic cars, currently owned by the Guinness family, are going to auction later this month.
On the 14th of June 2023, H&H will be hosting an auction at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. At the auction, there will be more than 130 cars going up for sale, including the five Guinness-owned classics.
Paul Cheetham, motor car specialist, at H&H, said “Every vehicle in the Guinness Collection possesses a unique character and represents a significant era in automotive history. Having been carefully preserved by the Guinness family, these cars carry with them an exceptional provenance and an intriguing story that adds to their allure and appeal.”
1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Shooting Brake
Perhaps the most impressive vehicle in the collection is the 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Shooting Brake. It is a stunning example of just how good British automotive craftsmanship can be. The Phantom was once owned by Rt Hon Alan Clark MP and has recently been used on the Elveden Estate for shoots.
After undergoing a comprehensive restoration in the 1990s, this is a timeless vehicle that embodies everything you have come to expect from a luxurious, stylish, and refined car like the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Rupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh, purchased the 1948 Ford V8 Custom from new and it was delivered to Ireland in right-hand drive configuration. Finished in Feather Grey with a Brown interior, amazingly, this V8 Custom has been in the Guinness family its whole life and will be sold directly from the family’s collection.
Only 3,400 examples of the 1500 engine were ever produced, and this 1954 MG TF 1500 is certainly a good one. It was purchased by the Guinness family in 1997 and has seen a minimal increase in mileage since then. Originally sold as a US export, it returned to the UK in 1988 where it underwent a comprehensive restoration and a conversion to right-hand drive.
Finished in a combination of Cream paintwork and Red interior upholstery, it has a Tan hood and a full-length tonneau cover.
The 1990 Citroen 2CV6 Dolly has covered around 33,000 miles from new and had more than £1000 worth of cosmetic and mechanical improvements in 2017. These included new seat foam and covers, a new hood, and chassis and bulkhead repairs.
Its Maroon and Yellow paintwork coupled with a Burgundy hood and cloth interior gives the 2CV6 a stylish and very classic look.
After being supplied to the Ministry of Defence in 1997, Land Rover specialists, AJS Land Rovers purchased this Land Rover Defender 110 Wolf after it was taken out of service in 2019. Eight months of restoration work including the chassis being shot blasted, powder coated, and painted, the engine being completely overhauled with new shells, oil pump timing cover and casing, cam belt, pulleys, water, vacuum, and lift pumps, and a new intercooler and radiator transformed the classic Land Rover into an impressive example. The gearbox and transfer box had previously been overhauled by the MoD and were found to be in very good condition. However, a new gearbox oil cooler was provided.
With around 73,000 miles on the clock, the Guinness family took ownership of the Defender in 2020 and it has remained with them until now.
The auction, on 14th June, will no doubt be a memorable event that will attract a big crowd of car enthusiasts. With more than 100 other vehicles available, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see some big money bids come in at Imperial War Museum.
Day 1 of the London Concours 2023 saw thousands of classic car enthusiasts admire a stunning array of vehicles at the Honourable Artillery Company. 80 cars were displayed across 11 classes and there were some truly special classics that helped create one of the most incredible collections of vehicles to ever be seen in London.
London Concours 2023 – Best In Show
The expert judges of the London Concours selected an extremely rare Schuppan 962CR P1 as Best in Show. This is one of just six examples (and one of only two CR models) and is the prototype for the 962CR project. The initial plan was based on using a Porsche 956/962 as a base before adding a Reynard carbon fibre chassis with bodywork styled by Mike Simcoe. Unfortunately, things didn’t go to plan and the project only ever produced six cars.
After going into private ownership and spending some time in France, this extraordinary car eventually made its way back to the UK where it has since undergone a full refurbishment and has also been retrimmed.
Image Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London Concours
London Concours 2023 – Chairman’s Award
Another winner at the London Concours 2023 was a Jensen CV8 MKIII which was given the Chairman’s Award. This is given to the car that the chairman of the judges, Peter Read would most like to drive home himself. This particular CV8 was first registered in the UK in 1966 and had eight owners before ending up in the Netherlands in 1997. After its last Dutch MOT in 2002, it was put in a barn before being bought by its current owner in 2015. Since then, it has undergone a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration over almost 4 years to bring this matching numbers car back to its former glory.
Image Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London Concours
Other Notable Vehicles
Outside of the main concourse event, there were even more special vehicles to be seen. One of these was a 1948 L07 pre-production prototype of a Land Rover which was lost in the 1960s before finally being found again in 2016.
There was also a 1954 Series 1 Land Rover that covered 25,000 miles on the Oxford & Cambridge Trans-Africa Expedition.
Andrew Evans, London Concours director, said: “The opening day of the London Concours is always a special occasion, as we unveil for the first time the collection of rarities that we’ve gathered into the stunning gardens of the HAC. But now the event continues to amaze, with an additional 50 Porsche 911 RS cars entering for Wednesday 7th June and then those cars making way for our Supercar Day on Thursday 8th June, featuring a collection of 50 of the latest performance cars. With live entertainment and a range of fine food and drink options, each day at the London Concours is a luxury spectacle.”
Winners
Best in Show – Schuppan 962CR P1
Chairman’s Award – Jensen CV8 Mk III
Evolution of Aero, Sponsored by EMM – Schuppan 962CR P1 Highly Commended – McLaren P1
Built to Race, For the Road – Sponsored by Adrian Flux – Subaru Impreza WRC S12C Highly Commended – Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Bespoke Automotive – Sponsored by Montres Breguet – Austin-Healey WSM Highly Commended – Matra Beach Buggy by Bertone
Grand Tourisme, Sponsored by Magneto – Facel Vega Facel II Highly Commended – Renault 5 Turbo 1
Make Green Great Again, Sponsored by Bespoke Handling – Aston Martin DBS Highly Commended – Rolls-Royce Phantom II
Golden Age Coupés, Sponsored by Dunhillion – Jensen C8 MkIII Highly Commended – Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Wildcards, Sponsored by Concours of Elegance – Lancia Fulvia Zagato Highly Commended – Leyat Helica
60 Years of Lamborghini, Sponsored by Moss Automotive – Lamborghini Miura Highly Commended – Lamborghini Islero S
Image Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursImage Credit: London ConcoursJune 7, 2023 10:59 amPublished by Rob Harvey
We recently said goodbye to two of the Bridge Classic Cars team, Lydia and Scott. They joined us as a couple and they left us as a couple too.
Lydia has done some incredible work in our trim shop and we are sure that she will continue to put her skills to good use in the future.
Scott has played a huge role in the restoration of several classic cars during his team here and we are sure that many more cars will be the focus of his attention over the next few years.
Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars would like to wish Scott and Lydia all the best and we hope to see you both again.
This event is a celebration of all things Italian with an Italian menu (being served from 5 pm) and Italian special cocktails. There will even be live music from the Italian Jazz band, That’s Amore.
In addition to the Italian food and entertainment, there will be Mille Miglia cars in attendance and you are more than welcome to bring your own Italian car too. Steven O’Leary’s race cars which have just returned from this year’s Mille Miglia will also be on show for you to admire.
For more information and to make a booking, please contact The Marquis directly.
We use cookies to deliver the best possible experience whilst visiting our website. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies, or you can manage your preferences by clicking the link below. You can manage your preferences at any time from out Cookie Policy page.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
