20 highlights from London Concours 2022

Capital stars

The London Concours returned to the Honourable Artillery Company in the heart of the British capital on 28-30 June 2022, showcasing some of the world’s most rarefied cars on an oasis of grass among the high-rise buildings of Moorgate.

Concours classes included a focus on Mercedes-Benz, a tribute to Japanese motoring and ‘Fins and Chrome’ celebrating American cars of the 1950s.

There was plenty of opportunity to display the weird and wonderful – here are 20 of our classic car favourites.

1. 1974 Lotus Estralle

Although Lotus considered it, a shooting brake Elan was never built – but that hasn’t stopped some lusting after such a car.

The owner of this Elan took matters into his own hands, commissioning Lotus specialist Paul Matty to build him a shooting brake, making use of an aluminium roof.

2. 1960 Fiat-Abarth 2200 Allemano

One of the most graceful cars to wear the Scorpion badge of Abarth, the 2200 took the running gear of the 2100 saloon and, with the help of a convertible body and Abarth’s breathing on the engine to lift it to a healthy 135bhp, created a versatile upmarket touring convertible.

This rare right-hand-drive example is the 1960 London Motor Show car.

3. 1971 Nissan Fairlady 240ZG

Nissan’s 240Z remains one of Japan’s most iconic sports cars, with descendants still on sale today, having resolutely beaten the British cars it was inspired by on both performance and build quality.

This rare ZG is a Japanese-market-only homologation edition, made to allow the car to go racing in Group 4.

4. 1998 Jaguar XK180

While many concept cars don’t feature proper running gear, the XK180 was an exception: it’s a fully fledged car, sitting on a shortened XKR platform.

Unveiled at the 1998 Paris motor show in celebration of 50 years of the XK120, reception to the car was enthusiastic, but only two were ever built.

5. 1969 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 Crayford

Before luxury or sporting estate cars really existed, you had to turn to coachbuilders to get a load-lugger from your favourite premium marque, with Crayford being one of Britain’s leading exponents.

This Merc isn’t just one of the rare 108-series cars to receive the Crayford treatment, with glasswork being borrowed from the Ford Granada Mk1 Estate, but it’s a 300SEL Crayford.

Only 702 RHD 300SELs were ever built, and it is believed only 12 received the Crayford touch, making this a very rare super-estate.

6. 1984 Mazda RX-7

Mazda UK brought along its 200-miles-from-new RX-7 Series 3 to the 2022 London Concours, showcasing the first generation of the marque’s famous rotary-powered sports car.

While far from Mazda’s first rotary, the RX-7 was popular in Europe, the USA and Japan, unlike any previous rotary car, probably introducing more people to the novel engine configuration than any other vehicle.

7. 2022 Bizzarrini 5300GT Corsa Revival 24/65

Following the footsteps of Aston Martin and Jaguar, 24 Bizzarrini 5300GT continuation models are now being built in the image of chassis 0222, the car which won the 5-litre class at Le Mans in 1965 – and Bizzarrini himself drove back by road to Livorno in Italy.

The cars are built to original blueprints with the exception of a modern rollcage and fuel cell – to allow them to go racing straight from the factory.

8. 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300S

Euro Car Parts founder Sukhpal Ahluwalia’s personal collection was featured at this year’s event, including the Mercedes-Benz 300S Cabriolet he has spent two years restoring.

While visually similar to the ‘Adenauer’ W186 saloon on which it was based, the 300S featured an engine in higher tune and was Mercedes-Benz’s most expensive model at the time.

9. 1960 Chevrolet Corvette

It’s easy to forget that the Corvette first appeared not as a V8, but as a straight-six.

That changed in 1956, however, the scalloped sides being the telltale sign of a V8 car, with the Corvette’s claim to being ‘America’s sports car’ becoming far more credible in the process.

10. 1975 Fiat 124 Spider

Fiat’s 124 wasn’t an especially groundbreaking car in any way, but in getting the fundamentals so right, Fiat made a car that’d have an exceptionally long life.

Licensed to Lada, the 124 saloon would last until 2012, but the Spider had an unusually long tenure, too, being built for 19 years.

A shortened 124 wheelbase and a Lampredi twin-cam has proved timeless in appeal.

11. 1996 Mercedes-Benz F200 Imagination

One of the most famous concept cars of the 1990s, two F200 Imaginations were built, the car at 2022’s London Concours being the sole drivable example.

Piloted by a joystick that can be toggled between driver and passenger control – which hasn’t yet made its way into Mercedes-Benz production cars – the concept introduced many features that did make it into future models.

The electro-transparent roof was later seen on the Maybach 62, while the Active Body Control suspension system would be fitted to the 1999 CL, which the concept’s bodywork clearly inspired, too.

12. 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

As has become Lamborghini tradition, before the Countach bowed out, an ultimate version was built, the 25th Anniversary.

This car, one of the 67 RHD anniversary editions built, was a special order in Arancio orange, one of the original launch colours of the Countach in 1975, and is the only example painted like this.

13. 1969 Mazda Cosmo 110S

Mazda wasn’t the first car manufacturer to produce a rotary-powered car, but it has produced more of them than any other brand, and the Cosmo was the first.

Only 1176 were ever built, which featured bodywork inspired by European GT cars. This Series 2 is from Mazda’s UK heritage fleet.

14. Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Considered by many as the first supercar, the 300SL made use of high-tech racing developments such as a lightweight tubular frame – though this necessitated high sills that lead to the ‘gullwing’ doors.

With 240bhp, the car was the fastest production model when built, capable of 146mph.

15. 1967 Toyota 2000GT

Looking to shake off a humdrum image, Toyota produced the 2000GT with gorgeous bodywork and a straight-six motor engineered with the help of Yamaha.

It was the first Japanese car to come standard with disc brakes and a limited-slip differential, and had a starring role in James Bond film You Only Live Twice – though famously Toyota had to create a convertible version to get Sean Connery to fit.

This restored example was originally sold in Mozambique, moving to Portugal shortly after the country achieved independence in 1976.

16. 1932 Wolseley Hornet

Before Jaguar ancestor SS Cars (itself a division of Swallow) was building automobiles of its own, Swallow built sporting bodies on Austins, Standards and, latterly, the Wolseley Hornet.

The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust has restored just such a car, a four-seater, including its tiny 1.3-litre, straight-six engine.

17. 1958 Mercury Park Lane

Ford’s Mercury range, which sat between Ford itself and Lincoln, was topped by the Park Lane, an 18ft (5.5m) convertible that could be had with a power top, trunk, windows and seats – in 1958.

Its 430cu in (7-litre) V8 was the largest engine fitted to a car since the Second World War when it was introduced.

Only 853 Park Lane convertibles were built, with fewer than 10 remaining.

18. 1967 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Pick-Up

Commissioned as the ‘ultimate Goodwood Revival tow vehicle’ and built by Clark & Carter, this Silver Shadow Pick-Up was constructed from a car that had been, roughly, converted to a pick-up previously – meaning no further Silver Shadows were harmed in its construction.

Now built to a much higher standard, the car includes a ‘pick-up’ badge on its tailgate, mimicking the script originally found on the car.

19. 1935 SS1 Airline Saloon

Built by SS Cars – Jaguar’s ancestor – the SS1 Airline offered glamorous looks for a reasonable price, with performance only average from the 20bhp six-cylinder engine.

Just 624 were built, and this car was restored by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust.

20. 1974 Aston Martin Lagonda V8

A mere seven Lagonda saloons were built based on the Aston Martin V8, this car being the personal car of company chairman Stanley Williams – although it was also loaned to press.

It retains its original engine, running gear and interior, including one of the earliest in-car cassette players.