The London Concours will have a class entirely dedicated to Iconic British Designs, as well as the Brits behind them. The curated collection forms one of three special London Concours features for 2021, sitting alongside a further seven classes for a total of nearly 100 rare and exotic vehicles on display.
The collection begins with two vehicles that transcend their status as British icons and into the realm of global legend. Sir Alec Issigonis’ Mini – a timeless and ingenious design – is joined by the ever-green lines of Malcolm Sayer’s Jaguar E-type Series I, penned with the eye of a man with a history in aviation design and a rigorous scientific method for aerodynamics.
From there, the class takes in some of the lesser known work of South African-born British designer, Gordon Murray. Famed for the McLaren F1 – appearing elsewhere at London Concours – Murray also worked on the little known Light Car Company Rocket. Weighing in at 340kg, the two-seater Rocket is powered by a 1.0-litre Yamaha engine with less than 150hp – enough to launch it from 0-60mph in around four seconds.
Murray’s co-designer for the McLaren F1, Peter Stevens, will also feature at the London Concours for his work with the Jaguar XJR-15. The world’s first road car with a carbon fibre chassis and body, the one-of-53 XJR-15 borrows extensively from the Le Mans-winning XJR-9, fitted with a 6.0-litre V12 producing around 450hp.
For essentially creating the luxury SUV, London Concours will also pay homage to the Range Rover and its designer Charles Spencer King. On display at the event will be a one-of-200 Range Rover CSK, a tribute to ‘Spen’ King that was – in 1990 – the fastest Range Rover yet built. The V8 was tweaked to produce 185hp, handling was sharpened with changes to the suspension and dampers, and the CSK was finished in Beluga Black, silver pinstripes and chrome bumpers.
Also joining the British Design Icons class will be a 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé, penned by Ian Cameron, as part of the rebirth of Rolls-Royce under BMW ownership. Assertive, timeless and elegant it was, even at a glance, everything a Rolls-Royce should be. Alongside it, London Concours welcomes the Aston Martin One-77, designed by Marek Reichman as the ultimate expression of Aston Martin; a completely bespoke hand-crafted showcase of British design and engineering, limited to just 77 units worldwide.
Completing the class is the Morgan Aeromax, a design by Matthew Humphries, and the McLaren 12C – the car to rebirth McLaren’s roadgoing range, and designed by Frank Stephenson.
The Iconic British Designs is one of eleven classes and features that will grace this year’s London Concours, hosted 8-10 June at the Honourable Artillery Company HQ. Visitors will also find classes dedicated to 200mph supercars, a celebration of Porsche, the most beautiful Italian Berlinettas of the ‘60s and ‘The Youngtimers’, focused on the most powerful German saloon cars of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Andrew Evans, London Concours Director, said: “On the global stage, Great Britain has always punched above its weight when it comes to automotive design and innovation. What we really wanted to do with the Iconic British Designs class was shine a light not just on the cars themselves but on some of the people responsible for these achievements – without them the UK automotive scene wouldn’t be quite the same.”
Previously held over two days, the London Concours 2021 shifts to a three-day event to capitalise on visitor demand for more luxury brand content – from jewellery to bespoke suits – and modern supercars. The three days will be a VIP Preview Day, Style Edition and Supercar Day. At the heart of each day will remain the collection of nearly 100 rare and iconic luxury cars of all ages that has quickly cemented London Concours as one of the UK’s top motoring events.
The London Concours takes place from 8-10 June 2021, as one of the first major events of 2021 to run.
