The Lost Marques class will feature the most attractive vehicles created by manufacturers that have sadly departed from forecourts.
The London Concours 2021 lately have announced the final class in the upcoming event being the ‘Lost Marques’ class. The class pays tribute to the finest marques of yesteryears. From June 8-10, the rare classics will feature at the lawns of the Honourable Artillery Company HQ as exquisite remembrances of days gone by.
One of the main highlights on display is the 1923 Packard 426 Boat Tail.
The example is a gorgeously crafted hand-bodied Packard. The current owner of the Packard is a boatbuilder who rescued the example in an almost derelict, fire-damaged state.
The owner recreated the boat-tail using traditional boat-building techniques. To replicate the original automobile, the owner used the ‘Labourdette’ style and produced the gorgeous design using layers of mahogany veneer. Each veneer is screwed and rivetted to small oak ribs and placed onto a mahogany and oak frame, which is finally completed with layers of traditional yacht varnish.
Another standout vehicle to going on display is the exquisite 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite. A rare sight on the roads today, the Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite is a wonderful underpowered diminutive lightweight car.
The Austin-Healey marque started in 1952 after the Earls Court Motor Show. They partnered with the British Motor Corporation to manufacture the Austin Healey 100 which was the predecessor to the Sprite.
The marque only operated for 20 years until 1972.
Along with the Austin-Healey will be a rather unique 1966 Unipower GT.
The GT that will be put on display is the first automobile that was built and sold by Universal Power Drives Ltd in 1966. Only 73 units of a mix of road and race cars were manufactured, of which the example is the first.
The car is Historic compliant, and as a Factory entry, it has raced in prominent races in the UK and Europe like the Nürburgring 500kms, the 1969 World Championship of Makes, and the Barcelona 12 hours.
Its current owner came second in class in the 1986 HSCC Historic two-liter Championship and claimed victory at the Brighton Speed Trials, Forrest Lycett Trophy, from 1978-1982
A total of 440 units of the Bristol 400 were constructed during its two-production series from 1946 to 1949, with only about 130 models remaining today.
The example displayed at the 2021 London Concours, ‘KSK 417”, was manufactured during the middle of the production period as it features some of the Series 2 modifications. These alterations include an opening rear window, a heater, and a boot lid-mounted spare wheel.
The Bristol 400 was first registered in 1948, and it sets itself apart from the other 400 models as it’s the only one equipped with wind-down door windows.
It is also notable that the car has a complete and continuous ownership history from new, with 14 differed custodians, including the Bristol Aeroplane Company’s previous test pilot, Cyril Unwin.
Each of these unique automobiles will form part of the great Lost Marques line-up that will bring to mind the bygone era of motoring.
The Lost Marques class is one of the eleven classes and features that will be part of the 2021 London Concours scheduled for June 8-10 at the Honourable Artillery Company HQ.
“At London Concours we always like to pay our dues to the manufacturers that are sadly no longer producing cars today. The manufacturers may be gone, but the enthusiasm for these cars most certainly has not, and this year in the Lost Marques class, we have some of the finest cars ever made. We can’t wait to welcome some of the greats from the likes of AC, Austin-Healey, Bristol, Sunbeam and Triumph, to the stunning grounds of the Honourable Artillery Club this June.”
London Concours Director, Andrew Evans.
[Source: London Concours]
