New and Blue!
The Hong Kong Gold Coast Motor Festival showcased some 90 cars, from the prized classic and collectors’ cars in the Concours d’Elegance to the highly desirable and latest super and hyper cars, including the electric newcomer Nio EP9 from the Mainland, and the new Bugatti Chiron which made its public Hong Kong debut. The Chiron, perhaps the most powerful, fastest and most luxurious of super sports cars, with a price tag of 2.5 million euros, presented a stark contrast to one of its Molshiem cousins also to be seen here, the by-comparison diminuitive Bugatti Type 13 Brescia. The 16-valve ‘Brescia’ was capable of over 100km/h in the 1920s, the Chiron with four turbochargers, a century on, can go nearly four times as fast, topping 400 km/h!
Signature Luxury Travel
I am really excited about working with Signature Luxury Travel Magazine and hope to be doing lots more with them going forward in the future. Check out the latest issue with my article on page 80 – http://bit.ly/2yOu4G2
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FOR SALE
Every now and then I offer something special by Private Treaty .
This 1925 Bugatti Type 35A Grand Prix was delivered to the Paris dealership in February 1926. Known history from delivery to ownership by the Prost family until 2013 when it was acquired by the present owner and fully restored. It is believed 139 examples of the Type 35A were produced from May 1925 to October 1927. Of these, 54 are thought to have survived, of which some 35, including this one, retain their original engine. It is thought that only five, including this example still have the original bodywork with the individual body number stamped inside their body. Detailed written and photographic reports by respected international Bugatti specialists David Sewell and Mark Morris are available upon request. On file is also a report by Hans Matti. A photographic report by Mark Morris following the 2013-2014 restoration by Tula Engineering is also available. Morris concluded his 2015 post Tula Engineering restoration report saying that this motorcar, “Is a fine original example of the Type 35A Grand Prix Bugatti. Like most cars which have been in existence for c90 years there have been changes made, such as a new radiator, road springs upgraded, aluminum wheels etc, but what is key to the provenance is that it retains original the engine, the gearbox, as well as the front and rear axles. The other remarkable fact is that the motorcar retains the original factory coachwork, including the bonnet, the scuttle, the tail and part of the under tray section as well as its original chassis plate.”
If you would like to learn more about this opportunity please contact me via email or telephone.
MOTORCLASSICA 8
The eight edition of Motorclassica, the Australian International Concours d’Elegance & Classic Motor Show was a great success with record attendance. The spring sunshine in Melbourne brought the crowds to the UNESCO heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building to celebrate 110 years of Lancia, 70 years of Ferrari, 50 years of AMG and, the end of an era, 100 years of coach building by local Australian marque Holden.
My favourite car of the event was the 1947 Lancia Aprilia Sypder Grand Sport Ghia, one of just three ever built. The judges also saw sense this year with the Concours d’Elegance Best in Show award going to the 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London to Edinburgh Continental Tordpedo Tourer by Peel of Brisbane. Other cars to catch the eye were an incredible Lancia Flaminia Zagato Sport 3C, the 1970 Monteverdi 375L High Speed (just love that name!) and the 1914 Delage Type S Grand Prix 2-seater, the only one surviving. The Delage has just undergone the amazing process of having a perfect 3D digital print of its original engine block made to original 100% detail and arrived and departed under its own steam.
Next I am off to the Hong Kong Gold Coast Motor Festival and then it is the Targa Florio Australian Tribute in Victoria. Should be fun…
HIGH SPEED!
APRILIA
DELAGE
BEST IN SHOW
Ferraris everywhere
Just two weeks after being a member of the jury for the Concorso d’Eleganza in Italy to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Ferrari, this time the Prancing Horses were closer to home in Australia. The local Ferrari club gathered together 105 of Enzo’s finest Down Under for a fab display at Manly Beach to commemorate 1947 – 2017.
1947 – 2017
To be invited to the celebrations for Ferrari’s 70th anniversary in Maranello was one thing, but then to be invited to be a member of the Jury of the Concorso d’Eleganza was something else. As we all know, Enzo Ferrari (1898 – 1988) was the man who gave his name to the production of some of the world’s fastest and most beautiful sports and racing cars ever built. The leading Italian coachbuilders, Carrozeria Touring, Pininfarina, Vignale and Ghia competed to make ever more desirable bodies for these amazing Ferrari chassis. Ferrari’s history is imbued with legendary automobiles of style and performance. It was fitting then that to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the marque established by Il Commendatore, that the automotive world gathered together in Italy to pay tribute to these magnificent masterpieces of engineering.
Presenting 2nd place prize for the Open Air Power Class to Tom Hartley Jnr and his 1963 250 California Spider
Hampton Court
Henry VIII’s appetites were said to be large in many areas of his life. He would certainly have been satisfied though with the extravaganza of automobiles laid out upon the gardens of his erstwhile home, when in the first few glorious days of September, the Concours of Elegance, now in its sixth year, returned to Hampton Court Palace.
Il Sereno
Whilst in Italy recently I had to make time for luncheon at what is one of Europe’s hottest new hotels. I had heard lots about it and I am glad to report it is all good. Next time you are on Lago di Como make sure you drop in to Il Sereno…
Happy Birthday
They came from far and wide to celebrate ASDEC’s 30th anniversary. Entrants from Monaco, France, England, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, the islands of Corsica and Sicily, and even Australia, as well as the local Italians, and even two dogs, arrived at Lago Maggiore for the historic boating club’s international meeting for vintage and classic motor boats. As far back as the early 1900s motor boat races and some of the most important sailing regattas were organised by the Verbano Yacht Club. It was fitting then that the Yacht Club one of Italy’s oldest, founded in 1895, hosted the event in the picturesque setting of Stresa, opposite the world famous Borromean Islands. Lake Maggiore as its name implies is a big lake, so the motorboats the youngest of which was made over 30 years ago, whilst the oldest Gwennili (meaning a swallow in ancient Breton) was built as long ago as 1930 by Chris Craft of the USA, had to be capable of maintaining a cruising speed of at least 30 km/h.
Red, White and Blue Off-road
Whoever says that Bentley cannot do off-road does not know what they are talking about. I have just been on a Bentley Bentayga Diesel Adventure Drive in the Hunter Valley, NSW. We drove and stayed at Tower Lodge (which is fabulous). The cars as expected were brilliant on-road. After a brilliant degustation dinner presented by chef Meet Tansu, the next day it was onto the mud and puddles. The Bentayga, the world’s fastest diesel SUV, does it all as the images show. You can read the whole story in a forthcoming edition of Signature Luxury Travel & Style Magazine (www.signatureluxurytravel.com.au).
