An incredibly well preserved Mercedes Simplex 60HP dating from 1903 has won the top gong at the 2015 Concours of Elegance, which was held at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh from 4-6 September.
The 112-year-old car belongs to Anke Ruckwarth and is powered by a 9.2-litre four-cylinder engine, which is capable of propelling the Mercedes to a scarcely believable 80mph. His Royal Heighness Prince Michael of Kent was on hand to present the award, to which the Mercedes beat 59 other classics, and got a taste of the Simplex’ turn of speed after taking a ride around the palace grounds.
Klaus Schildbach’s 1927 Mercedes-Benz S Rennsport was one of the show’s other big winners, scooping the Spirit of the Tour award for its performance on the 200-mile Highland Tour that preceded the main event. The award, which recognises the driver and car pairing that most enter into the spirit of the rally, was chosen by the organisers. John Shirley and his Ferrari 275GTS/4 NART Spyder were also in contention, picking up the RAC Spirit of Motoring Award.
An immaculate Jaguar SS1 won both the RAC Club Trophy and the inaugural Jaguar Trophy after being unanimously chosen by a panel of judges, which included Prince Michael of Kent, Jaguar director of design Ian Callum and Aston Martin head of design Marek Reichman.
In addition to displaying a spectacular array of classics from as far afield as the United States and Australia, the event raised more than £150,000 for local charities, including Action on Addiction and Walking with the Wounded.
Organisers are already hard at work planning next year’s event, which is set to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.
