There’s no stopping the committed car enthusiast; despite more wet English summer weather, the annual Bruschetta e Berlinettas gathering had one of its best turn-outs yet.



Once again held at Tyringham Hall, Anton Bilton's magnificent Sir John Soane country house close to Newport Pagnell, the Goodman Derrick-sponsored event centred on Ferrari V12 berlinettas, with a broad selection of other, ultra-desirable exotica invited, too.

Terry Hoyle can be seen under the umbrella, guiding the 1962 Ferrari 268 SP into its allotted parking slot, the nostril-nosed two-seater soon to be joined by a more modern Ferrari competition car: the flat-12 Grand Prix 312B brought by Bill Harding on behalf of Hall & Hall.





Facing the rear of the house were three slightly older competition cars: Gary Bartlett had come all the way from the USA, displaying his Jaguar D-type, XKD 530, alongside the 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 short chassis with bodywork by Zagato. Further along was another Jaguar (also from Hall & Hall), this time a 1953 C-type, XKC 037. Historians would be able to fill a book with details on these cars alone: the ex-Scuderia Ferrari, ex-Nuvolari Alfa; the only D-type to have raced in period in the USSR; and the ex-works C-type, once rolled by Stirling Moss at Silverstone in 1953!



It was that kind of day - made even better by Adrian Beecroft arriving in the ex-Willy Mairesse, 1960 Tour de France-winning Ferrari 250 GT SWB, complete with its trademark ‘chequered flag’ graphic just above the radiator grille (one of several SWBs at Tyringham this year).



In addition to the yellow car we featured last week on Classic Driver, there was another ‘recreation’ in dark maroon and a famous car in Britain, Richard Colton’s ‘574 NOT’, the second steel RHD car.



Martin Emmison, a senior partner at Goodman Derrick and the ‘prime mover’ behind the event, now in its third year, gave his customary speech of welcome prior to lunch. The firm, in addition to its regular work in the fields of property, corporate and commercial law and private clients, has carved something of a niche for itself in the world of high-value collectors’ cars.

The sums involved in the purchase of these can be way above the value of many family houses. Emmison’s view is well known: you wouldn’t buy a house without taking full legal advice, so why invest a considerable sum of money in a car that might already be mortgaged, might have a duplicate chassis or be a well-made fake, without similarly consulting a professional?



The D-type present at Tyringham was a case in point. With Goodman Derrick's help the current owner resolved the all-too familiar issue of another car carrying the same chassis number by purchasing that car, to unite the two as one - totally authentic - D-type, carrying as many original parts as possible.



It was a thoughtful band of guests who enjoyed lunch, and afterwards mingled in the sunshine to discuss their cars.

Richard and Carol Williams, together with Paul Shires, upheld ‘local honour’ by arriving in two of the six Aston Martins present, while the Finburgh family Jaguar C-type looked at home next to a superb Frazer Nash Mille Miglia, one of two at Tyringham. Everyone loved Ian Tandy's powder-blue Lamborghini Miura SV and Peter Sugden’s fantastic 1964-bodied Ferrari GTO replica by Roelofs of The Netherlands. Maybe my ‘Car of the Day’? I don’t know, the Mairesse silver SWB was nice, and I wouldn’t say no to any of the five 275 GTBs...




And it wasn’t all classics; Tony and Jane Willis brought along Ferrari GB’s 612 Scaglietti, beautifully finished in Grigio Ferro from the classic colour palette. Speaking of colours, Bertie Gilbart-Smith’s Blu Viola 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ would brighten up the dullest of days - it was great to see a totally original 1970s Ferrari colour.



The inclement weather sadly put paid to a repeat of last year’s Spitfire flying display, so it was an all-automotive event; with just a little roaring from the stags in the deer park surrounding the house - stags who regarded the departing cars with a degree of bemusement.





You can download a .pdf of this article HERE.

GOODMAN DERRICK LLP is an established London law firm with a broadly based commercial practice, representing both UK and international clients. The firm has 20 partners and a total complement of 90 staff including 40 practising lawyers. The firm has an acknowledged expertise in the areas of media law, corporate & commercial law, litigation, property, employment and private client matters, not forgetting historic cars.

GOODMAN DERRICK LLP 90 Fetter Lane London EC4A 1PT UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7404 0606 Fax: +44 (0)20 7831 6407 Email: [email protected] www.gdlaw.co.uk

Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: GOODMAN DERRICK - Strictly Copyright

ClassicInside - The Classic Driver Newsletter
Free Subscription!