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Concours of Elegance 2021 to Display the Rarest Cars in the World

Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2

In just a few days, the Concours of Elegance 2021 will start and again, we’ll be able to see the world’s rarest cars gathered together and displayed amidst celebration and revelry. The full list of cars that will be in attendance is now known and it shows the evolution of automotive luxury and innovation.

Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B

The Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B pushed boundaries as it was the first real single-seater racing car. Inside the real lightweight car of only 680kg carries a powerful supercharged V8 engine. Tazio Nuvolari drove it on its maiden race wherein they immediately claimed victory in 1932. In that same season Nuvolari and Rudolf Caracciola would each claim five wins.

In the following season, the Alfa Romeo ran into some money troubles so the P3s were not raced. Enzo Ferrari had to pull some strings and throw some weight around so that the cars would be released to Scuderia in the middle of the season. Scuderia Ferrari ordered chassis 50007 directly from Alfa Romeo in 1932.

Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B Credit Tim Scott
Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B
Credit Tim Scott

An interesting part of its history is that after the 1935 season, the 19-year-old Count Jose de Villapadierna stole his aunt’s jewels to purchase the 50007 from Ferrari. Eventually, he tried to cross the border into Spain with the car, but he was taken into custody until his aunt decided to forgive him. He was eventually allowed to race the P3, but this time it was the Spanish Civil War that disrupted his racing plans. In 1938, the car was sold and brought to England.

The 50007 was acquired by Frank Griswold who had Louis Tomei drive the example during the 1939 Indianapolis 500 Classic. It finished 15th. In 1945, Griswold sold it to Tommy Lee in LA. He then dubbed it as the Don Lee Special and entered it at The Brickyard enjoying some success. The Lee Broadcasting team equipped the 50007 with the world’s first pits-to-car radio system. It was also the first car to be flown to a race.

1964 Porsche 901 Credit Nick Ciro
1964 Porsche 901
Credit Nick Ciro

Porsche 901

When the Porsche 901 made its debut at the 1964 Paris Auto Salon, Peugeot took offense as they used a three-digit number and placed a 0 in the middle. Porsche would eventually rename it 911, but by then, they have made 82 pre-production cars with the 901 moniker. Although none of the 82 cars were supposedly sold to private customers, a few units eventually entered the market.

One of those 82 units is chassis 300078 and it has an interesting history. In March 1965, the example was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show launching it as the 911. Despite the change in name, the example is one of the six 901s that is believed to be left. It may seem very similar to the cars that were later released, but the first model was slightly different. The A- and B- pillars of the early examples are trimmed in the same perforated white vinyl that was used on the headlining, while the later cars used black vinyl. These cars have a different rear license-plate holder as well as the engine lid. The front wings have four-hole chrome horn grilles and the rear crossmember is also smooth and has no pressings.

Voisin Aerosport
Voisin Aerosport

Voisin Type C27 Aérosport

The Aérodyne is a provocative car that was made for the 1934 Paris Motor Show, but unfortunately, it fell short in terms of sales, and it is where the C27 Aérosport originated from. After the expo, they built two roadsters using the shortened chassis of the Aérodyne, and it eventually became known as the C27. It is equipped with a 3.0-liter straight-six engine that can produce 105bhp. What makes it stand out, however, is its Art Deco style. The basic outline of the Aérodyne was used as a starting point. They then lowered the body, added pentagon side windows, more luggage space, piano-hinged doors, and aluminum accents. It also has a sliding roof that is powered by its own motor that is connected to the main engine’s vacuum.

Marque expert Robert Saliot and the Saliot Garage offered the example up for sale in France in the mid-1950s. The garage owned all the Voisin’s spare parts and Robert’s son, who was a student at the time, used the C27 as his day-to-day car. By then, the coachwork was modified and had sloppy metal-sheet patch repairs on the roof. A scrap dealer acquired the Aérosport, and for a time, it disappeared.

A Voisin expert, Philip Moch, who was also a hoarder of spare parts of the marque, one day acquired a Voisin that had definitely seen better days and they realized it had a second body. When he removed the outer layer, he saw the unique underslung chassis and the remains of the C27 Aérosport.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost Credit Tim Scott
Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost
Credit Tim Scott

Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost

The chassis and engine of the Rolls-Royce 40/50 has had a lot of names and roles. At some point, it even was the basis of a range of armored cars. It was only when Autocar christened it ‘Silver Ghost’ and called it “the best car in the world”, that a legend was finally born which is the car that will be displayed in the coming Concours of Elegance 2021.

Chassis 60551 was the 12th 40/50 that was produced, and it was meant to be a company demonstrator. It was registered as AX201, wrapped in a Roi-des-Belges body by Barker, and given an aluminum paint finish. In an era when majority of the cars were noisy and unreliable, the distinct look and seeming serenity in motion that chassis 60551 had made it worthy of the Silver Ghost moniker. The car would break a lot of records which includes driving from London and Glasgow 27 times in a distance of more than 15,000 miles. The reliability of the car became the marketing spiel of the newly established Rolls-Royce Motor Company, rightfully earning the title of “best car in the world” and it is a title that they use to this day.

From 1948-1951, it underwent a three-year restoration. Then AX 201 was used as a promotional tool as it traveled around the world. In 1984, while it was in storage, Franklin Mint took extensive photos of the example and proceeded to create a die-cast model that eventually became the best-selling model of the firm.

When Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd was sold in 1998, the stewardship of the AX 201 transferred to Bentley Motors as part of the Crewe Works purchase by Volkswagen Automotive Group. Before 2019 ended, Bentley Motors sold the AX 201 to a private entity in the UK.

Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2
Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2

Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2

Zagato is not famous for outlandish and challenging designs but they have always been faithful to their original mission of providing lightweight and slippery aerodynamics and the original TZ is the embodiment of this. The Ercole Spada designed all-aluminum body weights only 650kg and thanks to its innovative bodywork design specifically the coda tronca ‘Kamm’ tail design.

Zagato pushed things even further with the TZ2. They replaced the aluminum body with fiberglass to reduce weight by 30kg. Only eight units were made and all of them were racing cars. It was also equipped with an Autodelta-tuned 1.6-liter twin-cam four-cylinder engine that can produce 170bhp, and can run up to 152mph due to its aerodynamic design.

The car that will be displayed at the Concours of Elegance is chassis AR750113 and it is the most successful TZ2 model. In 1966, under Autodelta, it won first in class in the Nürburgring 1000km, Circuito Del Mugello, Trento-Bondone, as well as the Corsa Della Mendola. At the Coppa del Chianti Classico, it claimed an overall win. Its most successful run was at the Targa Florio, still under Autodelta. Enrico Pinto and Nino Todaro drove the example to a fourth overall finish and another first in class.

Although the cars will definitely be great and impressive pieces at the Main Concours, there will also be almost 1,000 cars that will displayed during the course of the weekend. One of the main displays that is featured is the collection of 95 British cars that were gathered to celebrate the 95th birthday of Her Majesty The Queen. There will so be a 30UNDER30 Concours that are designed to target and inspire the next generation of classic car enthusiast. Other special features are a group of Future Classics that represents potential stars of Concours d’Elegance in the coming 50 years, a Veteran Car Run display, and a celebration of the Jaguar E-Type 60-year anniversary. There will also be a display of pre-1905 motoring pioneers that makes their pilgrimage from London to Brighton annually.

Aside from celebrating automotive excellence, Concours of Elegance is an occasion of pure luxury. Jodie Kidd will be hosting the event, Charles Heidsieck will be providing champagne, Fortnum & Mason will be providing picnics, while Chubb Insurance will provide the stage interviews. There will also be a display of collection of art, jewelry, and fashion displays. Recently, presenting partner, A. Lange & Söhne announced that they will continue the partnership for the next three years and they will also continue to display their most intricate timepieces during the event.

Other new long-term partners that have joined Concours of Elegance include Gooding & Co., The Peninsula London Hotel and Residences, and McLaren.

Tickets to the Concours of Elegance 2021 can be bought at the Concours of Elegance website with a variety of tickets to choose from starting from standard entry tickets to full three-course hospitality packages.

The full list of vehicles that will be displayed in the Main Concours are:

1907 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 40/50 ‘The Silver Ghost’
1913 Mercer Raceabout Type 35-J
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost VDP ’26RB’
1921 Bamford & Martin Aston Martin A3
1922 Lorraine-Dietrich B 3-6
1924 Bentley Motors 3-Litre ‘Pick-Up’
1926 Bentley 6 1/2-Litre DHC
1927 Rolls-Royce 20 HP Tourer by Barker
1928 Bentley 4.5-Litre Le Mans Sports Team Car
1930 Bentley 41/2-Litre
1931 Bentley 4 1/2-Litre Supercharged Sports Tourer
1932 Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B
1932 Bentley 8-Litre Saloon by H.J Mulliner
1933 Talbot London AV105 Brooklands
1933 Lancia Dilambda 232
1934 Voisin Type C-27 Aérosport
1934 Bugatti Type 59
1935 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio
1935 Hispano-Suiza M-70
1936 Jaguar SS100 2.5-Litre Open Two-Seater
1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III HJ Mulliner Saloon
1938 Maybach SW38 Special Roadster
1948 Delahaye 135M Fixed Head Coupe by Chapron
1949 Bristol 401 Cabrolet Pinin farina
1949 Bentley Mark VI Saloon by Hooper & Co
1950 Ferrari 166 Inter Cabriolet Stabilimenti Farina
1951 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS
1951 Jaguar XK120 OTS
1953 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith 4-Door DHC by Hooper
1953 Delahaye 135 MS CL Spéciale Faget Varnet
1954 Ferrari 250 GT Europa
1955 Aston Martin DB3S Coupe
1956 Bentley S1 Continental DHC Park Ward
1957 Ferrari 250 GT ‘Tour de France’
1957 BMW 503 Cabriolet
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder
1958 Bentley S1 ‘Honeymoon Express’ by Freestone & Webb
1958 Bentley S1 Continental  2-Door Coupe
1959 Porsche 356 B Roadster
1960 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Pininfarina
1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
1961 Jaguar E-Type 3.8-Litre FHC
1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8-Litre Roadster
1962 Ferrari 250 GT ‘Berlinetta’
1962 FMR Messerschmitt KR 200  De Lux
1963 Aston Martin DB4 Series 5 Vantage
1964 Porsche 901 Copue
1965 Aston Martin DB6 Short Chassis Volante
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB
1966 Alfa Romeo TZ2
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
1968 Iso Grifo 7-Litre Coupe
1969 Porsche 917 K
1970 Porsche 917 K
1971 Porsche 908/3
1971 Citreon SM Mylord
1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR
1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo
1975 Gulf Mirage GR8
1976 Porsche 936
1979 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI HJ Mulliner Park Ward Limousine
1981 Lancia Beta Monte-Carlo Group V
1983 Lancia LC2
1983 Lancia 037 Rally
1984 Lamborghini Countach LP 5000 S
1990 Williams FW13B
1991 Ferrari F40 Berlinetta
1996 McLaren F1 GTR 11R
1997 Ferrari F50
2004 Porsche Carrera GT
2005 Ferrari Enzo
1964 Porsche 901 Credit Nick Ciro
1964 Porsche 901
Credit Nick Ciro