The London Concours is an automotive garden party in the heart of the city, gathering together nearly 100 motoring icons, old and new, in one of London’s most beautiful historic hidden venues, the HAC (Honourable Artillery Company) estate. The cars sit at the apex of an event brimming with fine champagne and world-class gastronomy, enjoyed with a live music soundtrack and surrounded by pop-up boutiques from sought-after luxury brands. Held across three days, the London Concours opens up the world of top-end craftsmanship in automotive and beyond, with live panel discussions, awards ceremonies and roving comperes, shining a spotlight on the passion and the heritage of the brands and vehicles on display.  It is truly a wonderful event for anyone with a passion for cars.

In 2024 the London Concours had nine concours classes, namely Great British Racing, The Legendary V12, The Hypercars, Carnaby Street, Coachbuilt Greats – Zagato, Purple Reign, Corvette – A Design Icon, Areo – Front Enlightened and Wild Cards

Here we look at the Concours Class: Carnaby Street

London when it was firmly the centre of the cultural world – stylish machines favoured by the rich and famous: from the Jaguar E-Type to the Mini Cooper S, Aston Martin DB5 and many more; era defining cars which became stars in their own right.

The cars on show:

1956 Porsche 356 Speedster

The 356 Speedster first came about because US importer Max Hoffman said a low-cost, stripped-out drop-top could sell well there. With its low screen (removable for weekend racing), bucket seats and minimal folding top, the Speedster was a smash hit. This example left the factory in March 1956, and was delivered to its first owner in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in May. Many years later, its second owner had it restored. This was completed in 2000, after which it won the 356 class at the Virginia Porsche Club of America Concours in 2001 and 2002. It was then imported to the UK by the third owner, who kept it in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition before selling to the current owner after 20 years. The paint, trim and mechanicals have been recently refurbished, and it is used regularly.

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1961 Harrington Le Mans

Thomas Harrington & Sons was one of Britain’s top coachbuilders during the 1920s and ’30s. In collaboration with the Rootes Group, a Harrington bodied car won the Index of Thermal Efficiency
at the 1961 Le Mans. To celebrate, the Sunbeam Harrington Le Mans was introduced at the 1961 Earls Court Motor Show. It featured radical body mods, plus bespoke engine and trim options. Most of the 250 cars were exported to the US, with fewer than 50 surviving in running condition. No. 19 has been restored over 12 years from a barn-find to its current condition. It features a Le Mans engine, which mirrors the car built for the late Prince William, Duke of Gloucester.

1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III

The Silver Cloud III made its debut in 1963, sporting a 100kg weight saving over previous models and a compression-ratio boost to 9:1 for its 6.2-litre V8. Although Rolls-Royce didn’t share performance figures, it’s estimated that with crank changes and upgraded carbs, the engine was seven per cent more powerful than the Series II. The GM Hydramatic auto ’box was used, while further changes included a steeper bonnet slope to fit a slightly smaller grille Chassis SJR617C is one of 49 cars built in righthand-drive form to Design No 2045 by Mulliner Park Ward. The current owner bought the car in Australia at auction, and imported it back to the UK. Frank Dale & Stepsons performed a comprehensive restoration of the coachwork and chrome, along with some mechanical work, and fitted a new hood.

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1966 Citroen DS Chapron

The DS took many forms, from everyday car to exotic transport for those with an eye for the finer things in life. The Décapotable – French for convertible – versions appeared in 1960, using a special frame that was reinforced in a similar manner to the estate (Break) versions.First registered on November 3, 1966, this matching-numbers example is one of the very last Décapotables supplied to the UK. It must also be one of very few right-hand-drive cars sent here, and to the highly desirable 1967 specification. Records show that this was the third cabriolet d’usine (factory convertible) constructed by Henri Chapron for the 1967 series, and it is the only example known to have been factory supplied with the later – and superior – ‘green’ hydraulic fluid.

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1966 Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback

The Mustang’s impact was seismic, as canny Ford parts sharing meant it could offer seductive style for just $2638. Sales were huge, with more than one million built during its first 18 months. The Fastback was introduced in August 1964, four months after the Coupe and Convertible.This particular car was bought in LA in 1966, and came to the UK via Tilbury Docks – still with its US plates and options such as Minilite wheels, disc brakes, sports suspension and Shelby quarter windows. It is linked to novelist Jackie Collins, and was an everyday driver. From 1969-76 it spent most nights outside London’s Tramp club. More recently, it has been restored by marque specialist Baz Cope in Wales.

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1966 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

This Ford was a sensation on its 1964 launch, at a stroke destroying sales of the Falcon and Fairlane it was based on. The standard Mustangs ran inline-sixes and V8s, but the most potent early cars were those with the GT Equipment Package, such as this Convertible. This option got you a 289ci (4.7-litre) V8 with 225bhp, along with foglamps, rocker-panel stripes and disc brakes. In the cabin, upgrades included a bespoke panel with five smart round gauges. For 1966, 25,517 people specified the GT, up by 10,000 over the previous year. The Mustang also became the US’s best- selling drop-top, with 72,119 finding homes – almost double the amount of Chevrolet Impalas.

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1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante

This car’s owner first fell in love with the DB6 Vantage Volante at the 1966 London Motor Show, aged 14. While he managed to satiate his Aston passion with some DB6s and a DB9 over the years, the DB6 Volante remained out of reach. However, in 2021 he bought a project car from Nicholas Mee & Co, which then restored it for him. The engine was sent to Aston Engineering for a full rebuild to 4.2-litre spec, while the body was sent to Surrey Car Craft, with fabrication performed by RS Williams. It was found that the car had been in a shunt in the 2000s, which meant Bodylines produced a new nose-cone. The gearbox has also been rebuilt, the limited slip diff overhauled and the interior refurbished.

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1967 Jensen FF

No. 119/006 was a Vignale built pre-production car delivered to a survivor of the Great Escape and restored by Cropredy Bridge under the guidance of the world’s top FF expert. Vignale FFs are very rare,
and different in many ways from the production car. Factory records suggest six were made; it’s believed only two or three survive now. This one was the subject of a near-£300k restoration, with the main focus being to preserve originality – a challenge when the Vignale cars were so different to the production ones. Take the Vignale leather, which had a different grain; it was restored at the University of Northampton. New hoses were made with the correct stampings, and the restorers even used the same metal production and lead loading as the Vignale panel beaters had done.

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1968 Volvo P1800S

This P1800S was made in Sweden, but still with a lot of British parts left over from Jensen’s involvement with the model. It’s done 51,000 miles, and the owner has had it since 2016 – the start of a five- year restoration odyssey. It needed new floors and sills, and many fresh and refurbished parts were used with the aim of maintaining originality where possible, but also to make the car usable. The bodywork restoration was performed by Carrozzeria in Maidenhead, with the upholstery works done by Richard Felton of Leather by Muirhead in Glasgow. The finishing touches were carried out by Templar Classics in Farnham Common. The car has covered 3000 miles since the restoration, including a trip to Corsica – and the owner now plans to take it to Norway and the Arctic Circle.

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1970 Ferrari 365 GTC

This car set off Eric Clapton’s Ferrari obsession. It started after George Harrison introduced him to a 365 GTC he’d just bought. For Eric, it was love at first sight; in May 1970 he paid £7900 to Maranello Concessionaires for this car, specifying air-con and radio options. Eric used it extensively throughout the 1970s, and changed the colour to bright purple – although he later returned it to silver. He eventually
sold the car in 1983, when it was purchased by a then director of Modena Engineering. He decided to emigrate to South Africa, taking the car with him. It came back to the UK via the current owner, who asked FH Ellis to perform a bare-metal restoration, with the trim kept largely original. The car has since been used extensively in Europe, and has received Ferrari Classiche certification.

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1970 Ferrari Dino 246 GT

This Dino 246 GT is a Series 1, chassis no. 01080. It was one of a total of 357 produced, and its original owner drove it back from Italy to London. Apparently a gambler, he kept the car for only a few short months before selling it, because he needed money after losing big in West End casinos. It was purchased by the current keeper’s father for £3000. He was in the motor trade, specialising in the repair of Italian sports cars via an outfit called B&A Motors, just off Chiswick High Road. The car has only ever changed hands from the current owner’s father to him; he was born in the same year that his father acquired the Dino. “As a kid I was obsessed with it, to the point all my school drawings were done in orange,” the owner says. “I still have a drawing I created in 1982.”

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1977 Meyers Manx Buggy

Created in the 1960s by the indomitable Bruce Meyers, the Meyers Manx beach buggies came to represent the spirit of free-wheeling California – but there was much more to them than just the beach and surf lifestyle. Based on VW Beetle running gear, a genuine Manx was capable and strong, which Meyers proved by setting a record run traversing the Mexican Baja peninsula in his first car, known as Old Red. It wasn’t long before a Manx found fame on the big screen either, with Steve McQueen famously driving one in The Thomas Crown Affair. Both that car and Old Red still exist today. Meyers died in 2021, but just before his death he sold the rights to Trousdale Ventures. It has relaunched the firm with Continuations of the classic design and new EV versions styled by Freeman Thomas.

And the Scooters of course:

Carnaby Street back in the swinging 1960s wasn’t only about the cars; in fact, the most stylish of its bright young things were just as likely to be seen on scooter, which were much cheaper. In recognition of that, there was a line-up of iconic machines in the Carnaby Street class, showing off the range of scooters that were available at the time – although Mods of the era tended to hone in on the Italian Lambrettas and Vespas for their perfect mix of style and practicality. These buzzy little machines from the late 1950s to the early 1970s have had a cult following ever since. The curvaceous Vespa – appropriately named after the Italian word for ‘wasp’ – was made by Piaggio from 1946. The Lambretta followed a year later, its name derived from the word Lambrate, the Milanese suburb where the factory was located. On show,
were a one-owner collection of Lambrettas comprising a 1958 Li 150, 1960 TV175, 1964 TV175, 1964 Li 150 Pacemaker and 1966 SX200.

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I hope you liked our article. What is your favourite car here then?

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