Coachmakers enjoy Concours d’Elegance at Hampton Court

A glorious September Sunday morning greeted our early-starting cars, full of expectant Coachmakers, as we assembled in Hampton Court’s Home Park, prior to being convoyed into the beauties of the Palace grounds themselves.

pic of Voisin C-27 Aerosport classic car

Winner of Concours d’Elegance, Voisin C-27 Aerosport

Ten cars had been selected to form our Livery display, at what is now one of the six leading Concours d’Elegance in the world. Our lucky cars and crews were displayed close to the 100 ‘best in class’ cars from the world’s major collectors. After a drive through the deer park for seven of us, two cars having been delivered direct from their trailers, we were lined up in a splendidly prominent position, with Martin Derrick’s Bentley having ‘failed to proceed’, so was sadly absent.

The Master Sarah Sillars OBE with Senior Warden Julian Leach

This event is all about elegance and style – of cars, people, the Palace itself, food, hospitality, and a host of ‘high end luxury providers’ (it says here) – jewellers, tailors, whisky distillers, wine merchants, whatever one could wish for – and among our number, and therefore making a stylish ‘first public event’ was our new Master, Sarah Sillars OBE, being chauffeur-driven into the event by a suitably be-capped Senior Warden Julian Leach.

Liveryman Nick Lyford’s Deep S Twinny

These photos show two views of our line-up, from Nick Lyford’s remarkable Deep Sanderson ‘Twinny’ – yes, it has two engines… not yet quite a runner but truly unique, at one end, to Julian Leach’s Bentley Azure at the other. Two definitely ‘Coachmaker appropriate’ cars were Hugh Mayes’ 1935 Alpine bodied Talbot and the new-to-the-Livery, Sir Aubrey Brocklebank in his grandfather’s 1926 Coventry-built Brocklebank, both of which drew many admirers.

Hugh Mayes and Sir Aubrey Brocklebank with one of the officials and their classic cars

Liverymen Hugh Mayes and Sir Aubrey Brocklebank discuss their cars with one of the officials – the Mayes’ Talbot to the left, the Brocklebank centre

It was a pleasure to see the full line-up alongside those three fine cars; we really did have an excellent display: of Ferrari 308GTB (Rob Jones), Jaguar XK150dhc (Simon Gurney), Porsche 911ST (Trevor Conway), Rolls Royce Silver Dawn (Lyn Litchfield), and the Rolls Royce Barker Sedanca de Ville of Chris Mann.

It was wonderful to be out and about with these great cars in the sunshine, forgetting for a few hours our recent troubles, meeting old friends, making new ones, and enjoying staring in amazement at so many rare and remarkable cars. The event was won by the Voisin C-27 Aerosport, much admired by us all. This Hampton Court Concours is a fabulous event and one to which we as a Livery are very fortunate to be invited – why not join us next year?