Competing with the Rugby World Cup Final and awful wet and blustery weather was not good for the 2019 running of this event but “the show went on”.
Not sure if sporting and meteorological factors also impacted the vehicular variety and turn-out but the show seemed a bit more flat than normal, particularly in terms the non-veteran element of the cars on show.
Healeys
A gaggle of “Big” Austin Healey cars (a 100M and a couple of 3000 cars) is always welcome sight as they are true ’50’s/’60’s classics.
Reliant Scimitar
The group of Reliant Scimitars was an oddity and could have benefited from earlier models and maybe a Sabre 6 to provide a more varied display of these plastic classics.
Ford Capri’s? Not my cup of tea but they did seem to attract a lot of attention, possibly form former in-period owners of progeny of former owners. No photos……..sadly.
Lambo, Ferrari & De Tomaso
A random smattering of older Supercars were on display including the mad, bad Lamborghini Diablo, a Ferrari 275 GTB and a De Tomaso Pantera .
Footballers Cars
Further up the road was a gaggle of more contemporary sports cars which are an all too common sight roaring around Bond Street, Knightsbridge and Premier League Football training grounds near you…………yawn!
Ford GT
The latest incarnation of the Ford GT did at least have a connection the nearby promotion of the new Ford Versus Ferrari film which tells the story o Henry Ford’s revenge upon Enzo Ferrari by supplanting them as Le Mans winners with the GT40. Give me a GT40 anyway instead of the rather large and brutally styled modern GT!
Proper Fords!
Just to illustrate this point these presumably original GT40’s were parked next to the big TV screens showing clips of the Ford Versus Ferrari movie involving Matt Damon and Christian Bale’s enactment of the often fraught relationship between Yank chicken farmer Carroll Shelby and uncompromising Brummie Ken Miles.
The Vets
The display of Veteran Cars also seemed to be a bit depleted and lots of cars had their vital bits (beautiful brass acetylene lamps and controls) covered by plastic bags but who could blame them given the need to vacate Regent Street under there own power (or quite literally own steam in some instances) later in the day. They were also faced with the daunting challenge of starting and ideally completing to throne to Brighton the following day!
Not sure if the Penny Farthing was seriously intending to complete the run to Brighton. Imagine the effect of cross winds at that height! Parachute required?
jyg
One is normally most concerned about mechanical failure on the London to Brighton run but it’s good to see that this year they were prepared for all eventualities!
Duncan Pittaway, resurrector and enthusiastic driver of the monumental Beast of Turin brought his wonderful “agriculture meets the industrial revolution” steam car along.
Fire!
This wonderful old fire engine graced the upper part of Regent Street.
Porsche
Thankfully the display of old and some more recent race cars was brightened up by this race prepped Porsche 911.
Isn’t it funny how cars in motoring event car park or in nearby back-streets often steal the show?
This gorgeous Porsche 356 turned up at the London Region Porsche Club GB Out East meeting a couple of weeks back. It attracted a lot of interest then and it was amazing how few people failed to walk past it parked unobtrusively on Air Street without taking a photograph!
I want one!