The Playlist (Lockdown Blues)
Well it feels like spring is almost upon us here in Australia but the crazy politics and politicians have the country in lockdown. This is week eight for Sydney and it is starting to wear a bit thin to find ourselves some two years behind the rest of the world. So in order to keep myself sane and to share a little love and sunshine, herewith my Marina Marini play list of the music I am listening to at the moment. I hope you enjoy it: and once we can go out and enjoy events and life once again, normal service will be resumed.
Chicago Auto Show
Herewith some early images from the Chicago Auto Show which caught my fancy…..I thought fire trucks and little Corvettes were supposed to be red!
“Do I see Bluebirds singing a song…” Irving Berlin
“Sad news in the passing this week, June 14, of Tonia Bern-Campbell aged 93 in Palm Springs, California. The wife of speed ace Donald Campbell she accompanied him to Australia for his land speed attempts at Lake Eyre in 1963/64 as well as his water speed attempts. The Belgium-born night club and cabaret artist was trained by the great Maurice Chevalier, a friend of her fathers. Charming, I had much to do with her when I brought Campbell’s Bluebird back to Australia for a 12 month tour in 1985, She was also a girlfriend of our own cabaret artist Lorrae Desmond who ironically predeceased her by only a few weeks. Tonia described Donald as her soulmate and the love of her life despite the pair having at times a rather volatile relationship. After his death in 1967 on Coniston Water she emigrated to America where she lived in the mountains above Los Angeles. She continued to perform at top theatres and cabaret venues well into her late 80’s. She has requested her ashes to be scattered on Coniston Water to be reunited with Donald. In one of the photos attached Campbell is holding his lucky charm Teddy Bear with Tonia and my good friend and colleague the late Evan Green who was the project manager for the 1964 Land Speed Record Attempt. The end of a great era and wonderful Land Speed Record memories.”
Words and images kindly donated by David Berthon, a self-described, Obsessed Automobilist.
After the record, 31 Dec 1964, Lake Dumbleyung WA.
Picfair
If you like some of the imagery that I create do check out the gallery section on the website https://marinamarini.com.au/image-gallery/
And if you would like to purchase any of the images, a selection of these are now very reasonably priced for sale. Available for a variety of editorial or commercial usages or as prints to go on the wall, check out some of the latest at https://jamesnicholls.picfair.com
Motoring god’s country
Australia, really does have it all – fantastic beaches, snowy mountains, wide open spaces, the lot! And one can drive all over it…as is evidenced by Rattletrap on Crowdy Beach in Northern New South Wales which I attended last month, and the Super Alpine 500, from Sydney to Thredbo in the snow which I will be covering next month. As it is so difficult to travel at the moment, herewith a few images for those less fortunate.
Beyond Curated
It has been tough for many many businesses over the past year, none more so than for those working in travel and events. It is with much pleasure then that I am so pleased to see Beyond Curated continues to survive and thrive.
As things at last are being brought under control in some places, including it would seem Great Britain, then the demand for inspired experiences and distinctive journeys that open the gates to Historic Royal Palaces, worlds of rare jewels, and private fine dining, in breathtaking spaces and insightful master classes will again be accessible.
Beyond Curated and its wonderful leader Linda Hugo source the finest London has to offer for your exclusive enjoyment. So, as soon as you can, travel to the swinging home of Big Ben do not forget to treat yourself. https://beyondcurated.com
On Top of the World
The International St. Moritz Automobile Week of 1929 and 1930 will be relaunched in 2021
St. Moritz The new edition of the historic Bernina mountain race, the Bernina Gran Turismo, has been in existence since 2015 and has long since gained a top place in the worldwide Historic Racing calendar. For many, this race on the Bernina Pass is considered the absolute highlight of the scene. Even in the Corona year 2020, when most events had to be cancelled, the Bernina Gran Turismo could be successfully held thanks to a good protection concept.
Now the organizers around the collector and enthusiast (and founder of the legendary hill climb), Kurt Engelhorn, are even going one better! Two new events are to revitalize the International St. Moritz Automobile Week. Florian Seidl, head of the event specialists, is confident: “We have proven with Bernina Gan Turismo that we can do it. That we also implement our plans. Of course the concentrated experience of our team is not completely undecisive. That’s why we’re also convinced that 2021 is the right time to launch two new events at the same time.”
The historic Automobile Week consisted of the Kilometer Race on the so-called Shellstrasse, a Concours d’Elegance at the Kurhaus (today’s Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains in St. Moritz Bad), a Gymkhana, a rally and, as the highlight, the Bernina Race. At the time, Hans Stuck on Austro Daimler (1929) and Louis Chiron on Bugatti (1930) won the competitions.
“It was only logical to now resume the Kilometer Race and the Concours d’Elegance. Of course, such events have to be adapted to the times without losing the reference to the historical model. We will certainly succeed in this with the “Kilomètre Lancé – Alpine 1000” and the “Motorsport Rendezvous”!”, says Seidl.
Today, of course, the acceleration race is no longer held on public roads. “That would no longer be in keeping with the times,” it is reported from the organizing team, “so we are receiving very strong support for our project from Engadin Airport, which is in the immediate vicinity of the original venue!” In general, the organizers leave nothing to be desired in terms of cooperation with officials and praise the Swiss authorities all around. “The cooperation with the municipalities, the canton, the tourism offices, the police and all the authorities has been working excellently for years!” enthuses Claus Müller, who has had experience with events in the classic car sector since 1986. Nevertheless, expert reinforcement has been brought in. “Tobias Aichele and Jörg Litzenburger, known in the scene mainly for the “Solitude Race” and “Glemseck 101″, will actively support us in the implementation of the sprint races and other event details. Together we will create a real festival for mobility, in which the acceleration race will be the center of attention. If the pandemic allows us, we want to welcome a fair number of spectators already in 2021 in the beautiful Engadin, an incomparable landscape in the high mountains which, especially in early autumn, offers a magical beauty of brilliant steel-blue skies, golden larch forests and the well-known hospitality around the town of St. Moritz.” “Top of the World” is what they say locally.
The second event also follows a larger plan: “The Motorsport Revival will be a concours that is not a concours. Instead of the conventional, somewhat dusty display of over-restored (luxury) vehicles, we will focus on racing and sports cars. In addition, interesting topics and important collections will be shown, which are otherwise not accessible to the public”. Florian Seidl elaborates. “In this regard, Luca Moiso, who has a lot of experience with concours events in our team, will get support from Dirk de Jager, one of the most distinguished photographers and historians of collector cars.
“The Motorsport Rendezvous will be a very exclusive event, celebrating upscale lifestyle, but uninhibited and modern. This suits St. Moritz and not least the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, where the event will take place. There will therefore only be a strictly limited number of tickets available to maintain exclusivity. The vehicles on display will also be selected according to strict criteria.” Nevertheless, the organizers assure that the general public will not be left out, as an additional day has also been scheduled when at least the majority of the cars will be accessible to visitors and fans. “We plan to be able to show most of the cars also on Friday, when the Bernina Gran Turismo participant cars will already come to the Kempinski Hotel for the technical scrutineering.” it says.
Another topic close to the organizers’ hearts is the issue of the “Next Generation”. To address this issue, there will not only be a decidedly young jury, but also a themed discussion panel where the new generation in the scene will have a voice. “This is the main reason why we want to leave the beaten track. We need to make Classic Cars and the related events interesting and exciting for a young audience. Therefore, we will bring more movement and action, but much less stiff static into play. The events have to be more fun again.”
Facts and figures of the new “International St. Moritz Automobile Week” 2021:
Kilomètre Lancé – Alpine 1000 from 10 – 12.09.2021, Engadin Airport.
MOTORSPORT RENDEZVOUS from 15. – 17.09.2021 at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains
Automotive Film Festival St. Moritz from 10. – 15.09.2021
Bernina Gran Turismo from 16. – 19.09.2021 at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains and at the Bernina Pass
Organizer: Int. St. Moritzer Automobilwochen AG, Via Marguns 14, CH-7500 St. Moritz
Press contact: Claus Müller, +49 171 526 10 50, claus.mueller@bernina-granturismo.com
A Decade of Riding Dapper
Coming up next month on 23rd May is an event you can join, wherever you may live – as long as you have a motorbike!
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride unites classic and vintage style motorcycle riders all over the world to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health.
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride was founded in Sydney, Australia, by Mark Hawwa. It was inspired by a photograph of TV Show Mad Men’s Don Draper astride a classic bike and wearing his finest suit. Mark decided a themed ride would be a great way of connecting niche motorcycle enthusiasts and communities while at the same time raising funds.
If you Gentlefolk out there want to learn more about the DGR and how to register, and/or donate to the tenth anniversary of riding dapper for a cause please go to
https://www.gentlemansride.com
Hot Ticket
The third edition of the AXA Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance was, as one leading PR man said, “On a busy weekend socially in Sydney, it seemed to be THE hottest ticket in town, that’s for sure! Entirely inspiring”, whilst one of the entrants enthused, “Thank you again for a splendid and world class event once again. Thursday, Friday and Saturday all had something special each day.”
Swifts and the AXA Sydney Harbour Concours from the air.
From the Southern Hemisphere launch of the stunning McLaren Elva show-car in Gulf Livery in front of 140 guests at the opening at Swifts, the glorious Victorian Gothic Mansion and gardens of Dr Shane and Mrs Penny Moran on late Thursday afternoon, to the concours itself on Friday where 300 lucky people saw the E-Type parade celebrating the 60th birthday of the iconic sportscar. On Saturday another 300 concours guests witnessed the arrival of another 25 cars in the Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive to compliment the stunning cars from NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia on the lawns competing for the Prix d’Honneur for the AXA Best in Show.
The 1966 Brabham BT19 in which Sir Jack Brabham won his third F1 World Championship and became the only person ever to win the World Championship in a car of their own making also made an appearance in the Concours.
Saturday afternoon saw the auction sale of a marvellous 1961 Maserati 3500GT Spyder by Vignale (image above) for $733,225, whilst in the evening at the Champagne Pommery black-tie Gala Awards Dinner before the eyes of the 140 beautifully dressed invitees the prizes were awarded as follows:-
Class 1 Happy Birthday E-Type presented by Paradise Garage – 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Fixed Head Coupé
Class 2 It’s A Family Affair presented by Swissvax – 1976 Porsche 911 Targa Carrera
Class 3 Fun, Fun, Fun presented by Hyde Hacienda Bar + Lounge – 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GT
Class 4 Poster Children presented by McLaren – 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
Class 5 Black Jack in honour of Sir Jack Brabham presented by the Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive – 2020 Brabham BT62R
Class 6 Style et Lux presented by Bulgari – 1922 Delage/Hispano Suiza
Best Motorbike – 1969 Egli-Vincent
Best Restoration – 1976 Lamborghini Countach LP400
Curator’s Award – 1977 Porsche 930 Turbo Martini
Women’s Choice Award by public ballot presented by Aneka Manners – 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
Preservation Award presented by Chatêau La Gordonne – 1979 Aston Martin AMV8 Oscar India
People’s Choice Award by public ballot presented by Pommery Champagne –1922 Delage/Hispano-Suiza
Prix d’Honneur for the AXA Best in Show presented by AXA – 1936 Delage D6-70 Special by Figoni et Falaschi.
And the winner is…the 1936 Delage with body by legendary coach builders Figoni et Falaschi
Winners of the Prix d’Honneur award for the AXA Best in Show, owners Andrew and Linda Lawson pictured with Simon Griffin, Head Of Private Clients for AXA.
Let’s do the Concours again!
Yes, it is that time of year again – as one kind soul said, “We are so excited and looking forward to your Concours. It’s really the highlight of the year here in Australia!”.
It is time for the third edition of the AXA Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance to be held at Swifts, the glorious 1873 gothic-revival castellated mansion with its incredible gardens. All things being equal, this year should be amazing; from a 1922 Delage with an 18.5 litre Hispano Suiza engine to a 16-cylinder, 4 turbocharger 2006 Bugatti Veyron; from a 1937 Le Mans class winner designed by Figoni et Falaschi to the latest 2020 Brabham BT62R; from a 60th birthday parade of each model of the iconic Jaguar E-Type, to Sir Jack Brabham’s 1966 World Championship winning Brabham BT19 – his third world title and the first and last to be won by a driver in a car of his own making; vintage period and classic cars and motorbikes from France, and Italy, Japan and the USA, Germany and the UK, Switzerland and Australia; the first ever Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive; an auction of an amazing convertible by Vignale (estimate Aus$850,000 – 1,000,000); lots of Pommery Champagne; new offerings from McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Lamborghini, and Genesis; a black-tie gala dinner, cool music, luscious gardens, sculpture, fashion, artworks, launches and lunches, oh, and did I mention the Champagne!
Truly haute automobilisme on the edge of the Pacific! It’s time to get your glad rags on!
https://sydneyharbourconcours.com.au
