The Steering Committee of the event that was held as part of HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year had a simple task: invite 60 of the best cars in the world to a concours celebrating six decades of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
When displayed on the immaculate lawn of the Quadrangle of the Upper Ward of Windsor Castle, each entry – whatever your personal preference – was stunning. In keeping with the spirit of the concours, there was no judging panel. Best in Show was awarded after a ballot of all entrants for the car they would ‘most like to drive home in’.
The vote went in favour of Jon Shirley from America, for his 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta, already a multiple award-winner – including Pebble Beach and Villa d’Este – and a past competitor in the Mille Miglia retrospective.
With the exception of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, few marques were represented by more than one or two cars. You could, however, guarantee that every single one was quite extraordinary: the ‘best of the best’.
For visitors who have yet to travel to Pebble Beach or Villa d’Este, the sight of four Alfa Romeo 8Cs (including the blue, 1934 Le Mans-winning car of Craig McCaw), together with David Sydorick’s 1956 Ferrari 250GT Zagato Berlinetta and the 1938 Bentley 4¼ Litre ‘Embiricos’ Coupé of Arturo Keller, must have been a revelation.
And, although it was featured at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Cartier Style et Luxe concours only a few years ago, the presence of a Bugatti Royale is always something special. The 1931 Type 41 Royale 'Kellner' Coupé has, arguably, the finest proportions of them all and looked just ‘right’, set well back on the lawn to allow onlookers an unimpeded view of the stately coupé, all six and a half metres of it.
Will there be another? ‘Never say never’ rarely goes with ‘best of the best’, and our view is that it’s always better to leave them wanting more. An old show business saying, perhaps - but one as relevant to the world of concours as it is to that of cabaret.
The Cars:
ST GEORGE'S CLASS - PIONEERING AUTOMOBILES 1896 Panhard et Levassor Private Omnibus 1904 Lenawee Rear-Entrance Touring Tonneau 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London-Edinburgh Tourer 1914 Sunbeam Tourist Trophy 1918 Straker-Squire X/2 Prototype THAMES CLASS - GRAND CARRIAGES 1924 Vauxhall 30-98 Type OE Boattail Wensum Tourer 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Barker Open Tourer 1930 Bentley Gurney-Nutting Speed Six Tourer 1930 Bentley Speed Six H.J.Mulliner Saloon 1931 Bentley 4½ Litre Supercharged ‘Blower Bentley’ 1935 Avions Voisin C-25 Berline Aérodyne FROGMORE CLASS - ARISTOCRATIC BEHEMOTHS 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Jonckheere Coupé 1931 Daimler Double-Six 50 Sport Corsica Drophead Coupé 1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale 'Kellner' Coupé 1932 Bentley 8 Litre Tourer 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ Beverly Berline by Murphy 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Gurney Nutting Sedanca Drophead Coupé 1958 Bentley Continental S Type H J Mulliner BRUNSWICK CLASS - PRE-WAR SPORTING HERITAGE 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK Corsica Drophead Coupé 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spider 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 LM Spyder Le Mans 1935 Frazer Nash Twin Supercharged ‘Shelsley’ WINCHESTER CLASS - GRAND TOURERS OF THE 30s 1932 Cadillac V-16 Fisher Convertible Coupe 1933 Delage D8S de Villars Roadster 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Corto Touring Spider 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta 1938 Delahaye V12 Type 145 1938 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante CHANCELLOR'S CLASS - MAGNIFICENT MACHINES 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500k Special Roadster 1937 Bentley 4¼ Litre Vesters & Neirinck Fixed Head Coupé 1938 Bentley 4¼ Litre ‘Embiricos’ Pourtout Coupé 1939 Horch 853A Cabriolet SAXON CLASS - THE THRILLING THIRTIES 1935 Squire 1500 Markham Roadster Short Chassis ‘Skimpy’ 1936 Delahaye 135S 1937 Lagonda LG45 Rapide Tourer 1939 SS100 Jaguar 1939 AC 16/90 CONSORT CLASS - LEGENDS OF STYLE 1947 Bristol 400 Pinin Farina Drophead 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta 0064M 1953 Fiat 8V Ghia Supersonic 1953 Maserati A6GCS Pinin Farina Berlinetta 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Pinin Farina Spider 1956 Ferrari 250GT Zagato Berlinetta 0515GT GUNNERS' CLASS - BUILT TO WIN 1953 Jaguar XK ‘C Type’ 053 Lightweight 1954 Austin-Healey ‘Works’ 100S 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder 1956 Ferrari 290 MM Scaglietti Spider 0626 1956 Aston Martin DB3S/9 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa TR58 Scaglietti 0704TR 1959 Maserati Tipo 60 ‘Birdcage’ ENSIGN CLASS - SPORTING THOROUGHBREDS 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé ‘Gullwing’ 1957 Jaguar XKSS 1957 BMW 507 1961 Jaguar E-Type Roadster ‘77 RW’ 1963 AC Cobra 289 1963 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Berlinetta LANCASTER CLASS - MYTHICAL MASTERPIECES 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta 3037GT 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO Series 1 4219GT 1968 Ford GT40 MKIII 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV The Motorcycles: KNIGHTS’ CLASS - HISTORIC MOTOR CYCLES 1927 Scott ‘Works’ TT 1948 Vincent Black Shadow ‘John Edgar Lightning’ 1954 Norton 500 GP F-Type Experimental Prototype 1954 BMW 500 Rennsport 1966 Triumph Tiger 100 1988 Ducati 851 SBK ‘Raymond Roche’Photos: Jan Baedeker Video: Simon Clay
