A royal day out at Hampton Court Concours

On 6th September a group of fellow Coachmakers, joined by several of the Distillers’ Livery Car Club, attended the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance event in the beautiful palace grounds.

This has become an annual outing for us, but this year was organised through the newly formed Coachmakers’ Car Club. Other than an incredible selection of the world’s finest cars, many of them shipped in from lands far and wide, it has become known to us as “a very long lunch, surrounded by nice cars.”

This year was particularly special as Liveryman Tony Evans and Past Master Bettine Evans had entered their wonderful Lanchester 18 Sports Saloon the previous day into the main display, fresh from its 11-year restoration.

In 1936, this particular Lanchester 18 caught the attention of royalty. Prince Albert – at that time the Duke of York as the second son of King George V – took delivery of this example, transferring the registration number GX 6 from a previous Lanchester. Only two of this sports saloon model were built, with the aluminium coachwork and art deco interior crafted at the Lanchester works.

The car was the Duke’s favourite and he used it extensively, taking his young family on picnics and outings in royal parks. When the Duke became King in December 1936 following the abdication of his elder brother Edward VIII, he ordered two official limousines from Daimler but insisted they carry Lanchester badges and radiator grilles. He kept and used this 18 throughout his reign. It was sold and re-registered in 1954 after Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne.

Tony and Bettine purchased the car in a poor state after it had changed hands several times and finally been left in a leaking garage, exposed to the elements. The late Queen Mother, King George VI’s widow, gave permission for the car to be re-registered with its original number GX 6 on the condition it was restored to its former glory as she remembered it.

I had the privilege of being driven through the palace grounds the day before the picnic, on the very back seat that the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret would have sat. However, practicing my royal wave did not attract much, or in fact any, attention from the paparazzi!

The lunch, now well past tea-time, concluded by the accidental swap of picnic chairs between Past Master Julian Leach and Master Distiller Nick Carr, which will henceforth now be known as “chair-gate”.

The Coachmakers’ Car Club has some exciting events planned during the coming year, so don’t hesitate. If you enjoy cars or driving, then contact me, Assistant Nick Lyford at epsom_lyfords@yahoo.co.uk to take part in treasure hunts, driving tours and visits to historic venues with a varied interest (not always petrol related).