London Concours – Pursuit of Speed
July 1, 2020
The London Concours, presented by Montres Breguet, has announced its The Pursuit of Speed display; which will feature some of the biggest hitters from the automotive world. From the still magnificent Jaguar XK120 to the absolutely iconic Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing’ and on to the latest Bugatti Veyron and Chiron. ‘The Pursuit of Speed’ is a display that sets out to celebrate the journey of the machine from fast, to fastest. How they got here, how they evolved and how the technology has adapted to facilitate the speeds of cars like the Veyron – it’ll all be here.
Taking place from 19-20 August, the London Concours will gather these speed machines and nearly 100 others into the Honourable Artillery Company HQ – a five-acre splash of green nestled among the tall buildings of the City of London. Classes are dedicated to elegance, or to innovation, design and – in this case – speed.
From naturally aspirated six-cylinder engines to quad-turbocharged W16 engines, the fastest cars on the road have quickly shifted gears from 100mph to just over 300mph in less than 100 years, and The Pursuit of Speed will chart each momentous leap. Below, we’ve listed the cars that have us the most, dare we say, revved up:
1950s Mercedes 300SL Gullwing
Arguably one of the most beautiful cars ever created, the Mercedes 300SL kickstarted a model line – the SL – that continues in the Mercedes range to this day. At the time, it wasn’t just a stunning and innovative piece of design (including those iconic gullwing doors), it was actually the fastest car in the world, capable of hitting over 160mph with the right gearing.
1970s Lamborghini Countach LP400 (Periscopio)
The unmistakable, aggressive, wedge-shaped Lamborghini Countach was built on a tubular space-frame chassis with dramatic alloy bodywork draped over it. But never one to skimp on drama, Lamborghini also equipped the Countach with a pair of magnificent scissor doors. Fitted with a longitudinal 4.0-litre V12, the early LP400 ‘Periscopio’ was capable of reaching around 180mph, but the pièce de résistance of these 150 early models is the periscope rear-view mirror which was replaced shortly afterwards.
1980s Ferrari F40
The final car that got Enzo Ferrari’s personal sign off was to be an absolute powerhouse. Celebrating 40 years of Ferrari, the powerful twin-turbo V8 was fitted to a lightweight Kevlar, carbon fibre and aluminium body meaning it was the fastest, most powerful and most expensive car for sale at the time. The amount of weight saving was made apparent by the spartan interior – no door handles, no glove box, carpets or trim. Even today, the Ferrari F40 will keep modern supercars honest with a top speed over 200mph. For many, this car is still the ultimate expression of speed and design.
2000s Bugatti Veyron
As the first car to officially break the 250mph barrier, the Bugatti Veyron was a seminal moment in automotive history. It’s 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine generated 1001PS, with Super Sport versions boasting 1,200PS. In 2005, it set an average top speed record of 253.81mph, before the later ‘World Record Edition’ model hit a blistering 268mph.
The London Concours 2020 is taking place from 19-20 August. Tickets are available to buy now via the Car & Classic link that will secure you 20% off the cover price (make sure to enter code CARANDCLASSICVIP).
