Runs next week from Tuesday 4th until Thursday 6th June
London Concours reveals full list of automotive rarities to go on show in heart of City next week
Highlights to include 27-litre Rolls-Royce Merlin Engined ‘The Beast’ as well as McLaren MP4-1 Formula 1 Car
Other stars include Jaguar C-X75, star of Bond film SPECTRE, as well as wild amphibious TVR Scamander and infamous Penthouse liveried Hesketh 308E racer
Eighth annual London Concours to run from June 4-6, 2024 at the Honourable Artillery Company near Old Street in the heart of The City.
The London Concours has revealed the full range of automotive rarities that will go on show in the heart of the city next week. All manner of exotic machinery will be assembled on the immaculate lawns of the Honourable Artillery Company – everything from legends of the racetrack to coveted collector classics, outlandish modern hypercars, and everything in between. The eighth edition of the London Concours – the capital’s ultimate automotive summer garden party will run from Tuesday 4th to Thursday 6th June.
Among the star cars on display will include the legendary 27-litre, Rolls-Royce Merlin engined ‘The Beast’. John Dodd’s legendary ‘The Beast’ – dubbed the ‘Super Rolls’ by the BBC – took the concept of a V12 powered road car to its absolute extreme. With a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine under that long bonnet, it was rumoured to pack between 750 and 1000bhp, and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records aa the “the world’s most powerful car” in 1977. Dodd was known to have extensively exercised ‘The Beast’ on Germany’s Autobahns in period, presumably surprising a few drivers of potent BMWs and Mercedes in the process. The RAC recorded it hitting 183mph in the hands of a very brave test driver, although it was believed that it was a true 200mph car.
Elsewhere, the ‘Hypercar’ class will feature some of the most jaw-dropping performance cars ever conceived, including a creation that captured the imagination of British petrol heads in a way few other cars have: the Jaguar C-X75 prototype. Unveiled in 2010, and produced in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, the C-X75 was a technical tour de force, a hypercar for the future, an all-wheel drive, plug in hybrid machine. It was powered by a Formula 1 inspired, all-aluminium 1.6-litre, turbo and supercharged four-cylinder motor which produced a remarkable 502bhp at a stratospheric 10,000 rpm. The feral engine was supplemented by a potent pair of power dense electric motors which gave instant torque, whilst also enabling it to travel up to 60km in pure electric mode.
Combined outputs for the concept were rated at 850bhp and 738lb/ft of torque, enough to propel the C-X75 from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds, 0-100mph in under 6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 220mph. The car on display this June featured in the James Bond film “Spectre” and has recently been made road legal by legendary designer Ian Callum’s firm, friends and partners of the Concours, CALLUM.
The display will feature another celebrated British hypercar, a very special example of the McLaren P1. When launched back in 2013 the 903bhp, 217 mph P1 was unlike anything the world had seen before, with violent performance thanks to a 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 and potent electric motor. With active rear wing extended fully and working in tandem with the slashed and vented bodywork, the P1 could generate 600kg of downforce at 160 mph, helping it lap the Nürburgring in under 7 minutes. June’s show will feature a particularly special car, the factory development prototype P1 ‘XP05’, which was used to develop the Ricardo dual clutch gearbox, as well as the Bosch fuel injection system. A rare public appearance for a significant example of a true hypercar great.
The show’s ‘Wildcards’ category will celebrate cars that didn’t quite fit into one of this year’s other categories, but were simply too good to leave out. The class will feature perhaps the ultimate wildcard, in the form of the Scamander, the brainchild of former TVR boss Peter Wheeler. Conceived to blend both on and off-road prowess and with the potential for aquatic adventure, the amphibious Scamander was a creation like no other, making it perhaps the ultimate ‘wildcard’.
The Scamander boasted a distinctive design, even by the wild standards of TVR, with three seats nestled beneath a sleek sliding canopy, and an elongated body that half-hull, half aircraft fuselage. For Wheeler, this automotive marvel was a passion project that extended beyond his years owning the Blackpool marque. Initially equipped with a modest 2.0-litre engine, the Scamander was later fitted with a mid-mounted 275hp Ford V6, channelling its power through an automatic transmission to the rear wheels. Despite Wheeler’s work, and the Scamander’s emergence as a functioning prototype in 2008, it never entered production, and the car that will be on show this June remains the only one in existence. Recently re-commissioned after 12 years lying dormant with help from Harry Metcalfe, EVO founder and YouTube star with Harry’s Garage, the Scamander will be making its first public appearance for many years when it rolls into the HAC grounds.
Elsewhere, the ‘Carnaby Street’ display will celebrate the glamourous automotive stars of the 1960s - often cars that were owned by the great and good of that time. The display will feature the 1969 Ferrari 365 GTC Berlinetta owned by guitarist, singer and songwriter with the Yardbirds and later Cream, Eric Clapton. Clapton bought the sleek Ferrari after falling in love with the example owned by friend George Harrison of the Beatles. “I’d never seen one in the flesh before, and my heart melted,” Clapton recalled, likening the experience to seeing “the most beautiful woman on earth”. Styled by Italian design ace Pininfarina, the car is fitted with a 4.4-litre V12 producing 320bhp – good for 150mph. Except Clapton couldn’t drive at the time… but, duly inspired, he soon mastered his clutch control on the Ferrari.
These are just a few of the stunning machines that will be on show at this summer’s event, which will assemble some 80 machines – from classics to modern hypercars - in an oasis of green in the heart of the city of London. The full car list is included below.
Beyond the cars, guests to the Honorary Artillery Company will be treated to a decadent range of food and drink options – including the all-day Club Concours hospitality experience, engaging live stage discussions, as well as a carefully selected line-up of luxury brands and boutiques. London Concours 2024 is set to be another unforgettable occasion of automotive indulgence.
Full Car List
1. British Racing
1962 Lotus Elite Type 14
1967 Ford Escort Mk1
1971 Surtees TS9
1972 Surtees TS9B
1978 Hesketh 308E
1986 Jaguar XJR-9
1986 MG Metro 6R4
1969 Chevron B16
1951 Jaguar XK120
2. Carnaby Street
1956 Porsche 356 Speedster
1960 Mercedes-Benz 190SL
1961 Harrington Le Mans
1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale
1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III
1966 Citroen DS Chapron
1966 Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback
1966 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante
1967 Jensen FF
1968 Volvo P1800S
1970 Ferrari 365 GTC
1970 Ferrari Dino 246 GT
1977 Meyers Manx Buggy
3. Coachbuilders - Zagato
1958 Abarth 750 Zagato DB
1960 Bristol 406 Zagato
1972 Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato
1991 Alfa Romeo SZ ES30
1993 Alfa Romeo RZ
2001 Ferrari 550 GTZ Barchetta
2012 Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato
2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Speedster
4. Purple Reign
1964 Aston Martin DB5
1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 "Daytona"
1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring
1985 Porsche 930 Turbo RWB
1994 Lamborghini Diablo SE30 Supercharged
1995 Lamborghini Diablo SE30 Jota
2013 McLaren P1
2022 Ferrari 812 Competizione
2022 Zenvo TSR-S
5. Hypercars
2006 Porsche Carrera GT
2004 Ferrari Enzo
2007 Bugatti Veyron
2008 Koeniggsegg CCXR Edition
2013 McLaren P1 XP05
2014 Mclaren P1 HDK MSO
2015 Jaguar C-X75
2015 Porsche 918
2020 Ferrari SP2 Monza
2021 Ford GT
2023 Ferrari SP3 Daytona
6. Chevrolet Corvette
1957 Chevrolet Corvette C1 Fuelie Convertible
1959 Chevrolet Corvette C1
1963 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Split Screen Coupe
1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Stingray
1971 Chevrolet Corvette C3 Stingray LT-1
1991 Chevrolet Corvette C4 ZR1
2004 Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06 Le Mans Edition
2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06
2019 Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1
2022 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z51 Stingray
7. Aero - Front Enlightened
1967 Lamborghini Miura P400
1969 Maserati Ghibli Spyder
1970 Dodge Charger 440 R/T SE 500 Magnum
1971 Maserati Indy
1973 De Tomaso Pantera GTS Group 4
1973 Lotus Elan Sprint
1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale
1988 Aston Martin Lagonda
1990 Ferrari F40 LM
1991 Porsche 928 S4
8. Legendary V12s
1972 The Beast
1979 Ferrari 512 BB
1989 Ferrari Testarossa
1997 Lamborghini Diablo SV
1999 Ferrari F50
2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S
2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series
2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
9. Wild Cards
1958 Chevrolet Corvette C1
1958 Mercedes-Benz 220 S ‘Ponton’ Cabriolet
1961 Jaguar E-Type S1 'Pinto'
1965 Costin-Nathan Prototype
1966 Iso Grifo GL350
1974 Porsche 911 RSR Art Car
1977 Jaguar XJC
1982 Lotus Esprit - Bond Replica
2007 TVR Scamander Amphibious
10. Scooters - Carnaby Street
1958 Lambretta Li 150 Series 1
1960 Lambretta TV 175 Series 2
1961 Vespa
1964 Lambretta Li 150 Pacemaker
1964 Lambretta TV 200
1964 Lambretta TV175 Series 3
1966 Lambretta SX 200 Series 3
