Concours favourite Alfa 8C adds to tally at Chantilly

By Greg MacLeman

| 6 Sep 2016

The stunning vista of the Chateau de Chantilly was reflected in the gleaming blue paintwork of Jon Shirley’s magnificent 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Berlinetta on 4 September, as the concours favourite was awarded top honours at the third Chantilly Arts & Elegance.

The closed cockpit classic scooped the top prize after winning its class Pre-war beginnings of aerodynamics – closer road-going cars ahead ahead of a number of worthy contenders.

“This is very exciting, it’s always exciting to win Best of Show,” said owner Jon Shirley. “I have to thank Mr and Mrs Peter for inviting us. It’s the most beautiful concours I have ever seen, this place is beautiful.”

When asked about his chances of winning by the compere, Shirley responded graciously: “It’s always a bad idea to anticipate to win, but it’s a great car and I’m very glad it won. The car speaks for itself. It’s very important to have another award from yet another country – this car has been to so many places and won multiple awards.”

The Berlinetta is the first of just five examples constructed on the 2900B chassis and featured at the Paris Motor Show in 1937. Restored in 2008, it went on to be awarded Best of Show at three concours’ in its post-restoration debut year, including the jewel in its crown, victory at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

An incredible selection of Zagatos split across three classes – catering for both pre- and post-war cars, plus a special Alfa Romeo award – also proved a hit with the crowds. The clear winner in the Pre-war class was an amazingly original Alfa Romeo 8C bodied by Figoni, which was a genuine contender for the Best of Show award despite being unrestored.

Victory in the Post-war Zagato class belonged to a 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, while Olivier Cazalieres’ 1965 Alfa Romeo 1600 TZ scooped the special award for Zagato-penned Alfas.

Meanwhile, Jean Todt’s 1979 Peugeot 504 Group 4 rally car – now owned by Jean Guichet – topped a class dedicated to the French ace titled ‘Fifty years of an outstanding career’.

Club Ferrari France picked up two awards, the first for a 1982 Ferrari 308GTB Group 4 Micheletto, which won the Tour de France class, and the second a 1972 Ferrari 365GTB/4 Competizione SII, which served as a fitting tribute to the Pozzi racing team.

Professor Erez Yardeni’s 1922 Sunbeam 3 Litre scooped the top award in The Former English Marques class, as well as delighting visitors by blasting through the centre of the village prior to the event.

The incredible selection of priceless concours cars only proved half the draw for thousands of visitors to the chateau, with just as much attention paid to more than 800 club classics, which packed the wooded grounds.

A huge turnout from continental Mercedes enthusiasts dominated proceedings, with a veritable sea of Pagodas joined by a line of 600 series sedans.

Dig a little deeper, however, and each nook and cranny of the sprawling estate yielded more unusual treasures, most intriguing of which was an award-winning display of Darmonts. We caught up with Patrick Lepage to chat about the appeal of these badge-engineered Morgans.

“I started out as a motorcycle aficionado in the 1960s, when there were no speed limits on the roads,” explained Lepage. “I bought a new Triumph in 2000 but was shocked at the performance – I reached the speed limit without leaving second gear! Around nine years ago I discovered a meeting of some 40 Darmonts and Morgans near my home, with many having driven their cyclecars from the UK – I was taken with the ethos and enthusiasm of the owners as much as the cars themselves.”

In addition to the strong showing from French clubs, a number of Brits made the journey north of Paris to take in the garden party atmosphere, including a contingent from the MG Owners Club and Roger and Chris Docking from Warwickshire, who travelled down in their 1966 Lotus Cortina.

“I bought the car in 1992 as a complete wreck, though it was rare in that it came with its original steering wheel and gear knob,” said Roger. “I restored the wheel and it’s now hanging on the wall at home!”

The Docking’s journey to Chantilly came close to not happening, however: “The engine only went into the car on Tuesday night, but it wasn’t running properly. I took it to a mechanic on Wednesday who changed the carburettor jets and quickly told Chris – the trip’s back on!”

A number of classics on the club lawns were also for sale, the most eye-catching of which was a 1936 Auburn 852 Speedster owned by Laurent Brogli. The car was imported from the United States in 1970 and underwent restoration in France in the same year – it’s now available for €300,000.