Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
The kindly gentleman looked resplendent in his scarlet coat, the uniform of the Chelsea Pensioners. We were all staring at the new Ferrari. He turned to us and began to speak. “Do you know, I was at the Nurburgring in 1960, when Moss and Dan Gurney were driving the Camoradi Maserati Birdcage?” No, we didn’t know that as it was from out of the blue. But he continued. “Gurney had just handed over to Moss whilst at the same time the whole of the Ferrari team were in the pits refueling. The Ferrari team manager, I forget his name, got into a panic and ordered the cars to resume racing ASAP, one car leaving before refueling from the large fuel urn had been completed. In the next second, whoosh flames everywhere!” We asked him “Did you take any photos at the event”?
“Yes” he says, “But when I moved into the Hospital I had to get rid of them…we do not have much room inside you know.” “What a shame,” we say. The Pensioner went on. “When I was stationed in Paris my wife and I used to attend many of the races at the Nurburgring, Zandvoort, we even paid our five marks or whatever it was to do a lap of the Nurburgring in our new little Austin Healey Sprite.”
We could have stood there all day talking with him, or better still taken him to the bar for more stories, but alas our conversation was interrupted by a Falklands war veteran who wanted to discuss the Gentleman’s medals, and we never did find out his name!
So where did this encounter acquire? Right in his back garden being, in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea right next to the River Thames in London.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea was instigated by King Charles 11, who in 1681, responding to the need to care for veteran soldiers, issued a Royal Warrant authorizing the building of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to design and erect the building. Sir Stephen Fox was commissioned to raise the funding. Sir Christopher’s design is based on the Hotel des Invalides in Paris with the original building intending to hold 412 Pensioners. In 1692 the Hospital was opened and 330 years later it is not just the buildings which survive, it is the understanding that the Country owes a debt of gratitude to its old soldiers. All Chelsea Pensioners have served as normal soldiers in the armed service at some point in their lives and are well loved by a grateful nation.
A new event at ‘Salon Prive London’ this year (April 22-24) was a Concours de Vente in which every entrant was for sale. The 1954 OSCA MT4 won the Prix d’Honneur in the unique sale. In addition to the Concours de Vente the show also included the unveiling of several new sporting cars but it is the concours that I will mainly focus one with the following images.
Rather than try to desciber this Alfa, S/N 412013, we thought it might be better to simply refer you to multiple sources: For more info, see Alfa Romeo, All Cars from 1910, Fusi, 1968 Page 377
For more info, see The Immortal 2.9, Moore, Page 121
For more info see the latest Octane magazine, Page 58
For more info, see Missing Link?, Progetto 33, 2022
For more info, see Alfa Romeo, A History, Hull, 1964, Page 323
Designed by ex MIG aircraft engineer Zdislaw Teofil Marzewski in 1962 to replace the then 10 year old AC Ace, the AC MA-200 (Marzewski) prototype shown at the event by DK Engineering was to remain a one off. The aluminum body clothes a space frame chassis with power coming from a 270 BHP 289 Ford V8. First registered in 1963, the MA2000 remained in the hands of AC chairman William ‘Derek’ Hurlock until 1968 when it was sold to Dr Roger Field of Kent who retained the car until 1983 when the car passed into the hands of AC enthusiast Peter Hague of Chichester. The current Florida based keeper purchased the car in 2006 and had the car restored to as new condition.
One of only 34 examples, this Aston Martin DB2/4 MK11 Tickford Fixed Head Coupe was constructed in 1957. Finished in Moonbeam Grey over Dark Grey Metallic with Red Connolly interior, the car has been subject to a meticulous nut and bolt restoration.
Following a two year restoration by RS Williams, this 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV is once again respondent in California Sage with a fawn interior just as it left the factory. Fitted with the original SS engine now uprated to 4.7 ltr 325 bhp spec and is ready to be enjoyed once again by its lucky new owner.
This 1925 Bentley 3.0 Litre SuperSports chassis TR829 is one of the most original examples extant. TR829 was the 9th example of the 18 constructed and is one of only 4 examples which retain their original coachwork. The short wheel base SuperSports models were the first to wear the Green Label badge and were guaranteed by the factory to reach 100 mph.
Bentley SuperSport High compression 3.0 Litre engine complete with original twin Sloper carburettors.
1961 Bentley Continental S2 BC88BY was ordered new by Ernest Scragg & Sons whose managing director was the well known 1950s racing driver Phil Scragg. In 1964. Maserati collectors Ray and Doreen Fielding purchased BC88BY, retaining her for the over half a century. BC88BY is described as being time warp condition and still retains her original Whitehall Grey over Rose Beige paint finish.
Built for the ex Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato by legendary engineer Wally Hassan, the 1934 Barnato Hassan Bentley was built with the sole purpose of breaking the Brooklands outer circuit lap record. Developed right up until 1938 the Barnato Hassan competed in 25 races and broke the outer circuit record on several occasions, being timed at an unofficial 143.11 mph. Driving the car, Oliver Bertram took the all time class B record with an average speed of 142.6 mph.
A very fine example of a 1974 special order phase 2 (No 22 of only 57) BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’. Discovered in Bahrain, where the car had remained untouched for nearly 30 years, having once been owned by a member of the Bahrain royal f amily. Now fully restored and ready to be enjoyed once again.
1936 Delahaye 135CS chassis 135/47186 was delivered new to Jacques Menier, the famous chocolatier, and campaigned by Philippe Maillard-Brune for Equipe Menier during the 1936 and 37 French GP season for sports cars. In 1952 Rene Cotton drove 47186 in the Millie Miglia and in the Monaco Grand Prix, run as a one-off sports car race, where Cotton finished 8th behind much more modern Ferraris, Jaguar, and Aston Martins. For many years this beautifully preserved example resided in the collections of Serge Pozzoli, Abba Kogan, and Lord Anthony Bamford.
It is believed that this 1960 Ferrari 250GT was at one time destined for Iraq (Baghdad) but instead found its way into the hands of a high profile Ferrari enthusiast. Brought into the UK for restoration in 2018 by its current owner, the car has Ferrari Classiche documentation.
This Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder is number 68 of the 121 official cars constructed by Scaglietti and was first delivered to Modern Classics Motors of Reno Nevada in December 1972. Purchased by Mr Lanvin of Los Angeles, he kept the car for a few years before being purchased by an enthusiast in Malibu who retained the car until 1991, during which time the car was repainted in its current Gunmetal Grey Metallic. After several more owners its second long term custodian purchased the car in 2005 and maintained the car as part of an extensive collection.
1968 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 chassis 12545 was ordered in October 1968 by Colonel Ronnie Hoare CBE of Maranello Concessionaires in the UK but was purchased, as a temporary import, via Garage Francorchamps in Belgium for use as a demonstration model as the factory had yet to produce an example in right hand drive. Once a right hand drive example had been obtained 12545 was sold back to Garage Francorchamp to sell. 12545 then passed into the hands of a Norwegian collector living in the UK and was officially imported. After many years residing in France, 12545 was purchased by Nicolas Todt who commissioned Ferrari Classiche to restore the car and return it to its original Azzuro Hyperion with Blu Scuro trim finish.
The new Ferrari SP3 Daytona, 840 CV 6496cc V12, To quote the Ferrari web site ‘Ferrari Daytona SP3 A sports prototype Soul’
Fiat-OSCA 1500S Spider chassis 118S-16042 was constructed in October 1961 and delivered to its first France based owner by Simca in Paris. After 11 years in France the OSCA was sold to a new owner in California who, in addition to retaining the vehicle for over 40 years, had the OSCA meticulously restored. Offered for sale by Gooding and Company in 2015, she was purchased by a UK based enthusiast and is believed to be one of only 10 examples in the UK.
1950 Fraser Nash Le Mans Replica, allocated the internal factory number FN19 and chassis number 42/100/119 but known for its registration number HBC 1, sold new by the works for £1986.00 to Frederick Roberts “Bob’ Gerard, the archetypal British Racing Driver. Bob had excelled in Rileys prewar and was a successful ERA driver post war with victories in the British Empire Trophy from 1947-49. In Bob’s hands HBC 1 competed in many of the top sports cars races of the period including Le Mans, The Royal Automobile Tourist Trophy, The Goodwood Nine Hours and the 12 Hours of Reims.
In 1965, after passing through the hands of several further owners HBC 1 was exported to the USA. In 1971, the then white painted, HBC 1 was sold to the Arizona based collector Ned Curtis who retained the car for the following 27 years. Curtis died in 1998 but HBC 1 was retained by his family until 2002 when Frank Sytner returned the car to the UK. Since then, HBC 1 has raced at various prestigious Historic race meetings.
Based on a 1962 Jaguar E Type, this Low Drag example was constructed over a four year period by the Lynx motor company and is powered by a 350 bhp Crosthwaite and Gardner alloy blocked engine with Lucas slide-throttle fuel injection mated to a Lynx T5 five speed gearbox. A great looking car that has only be used sparingly since completion.
Kimera Automobili brought two of their wonderful EVO37s to the show, Looks great in Metallic Green (Esmeralda version) but I would happily accept one in red!
Sandwiched between the two Kimera EVO37s, this Lancia Delta Intergrale, ex Didier Auriol.
This 1957 bodied MG MGA Fastback Coupe is unique and is the work of Warren Kennedy (ex Ogle Design) of Classic Restorations based in Bedfordshire. Starting life as a standard bubble roof coupe the steel body was stripped back to the basic bulkhead and was rebuilt with a Superleggera style inner frame clothed with an aluminium skin. Fitted with a later 1800 MBG engine the fastback coupe is fully road legal and has been used on many Continental trips.
1954 OSCA MT4 chassis 1143 has quite an interesting competition history including the 1954 Le Mans, the Millie Miglia in 1954, 1956 (class win), and 1957, and the Targa Florio in 1958 and 1961. Purchased by the president of the Maserati Club of Great Britain in the 1990s, 1143 continues to be used in historic competition including numerous runs in the Millie Miglia retrospective.
Designed by Trevor Fiore and hand built in steel on an extended TVR Griffith 200 chassis by Carrozzeria Fissore of Turin, chassis LWB107 was exhibited at the 1965 Turin Motor show and is one of only of three Prototypes built and the only right hand drive example. Recently fully restored, including the Ford 289 ci V8 and Borg Warner T10 gearbox, by Sir Stirling Moss’s ex racing mechanic Dan Haldenby.