One of the absolute stars of this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este will be the Bugatti 59 once owned by King Leopold III of Belgium. We met the remarkable car and its owner for a last shakedown in the Swiss Alps.
There is no doubt that this will be the star of the next Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, taking place on the shores of Lake Como from 20 to 22 May 2022. But what is it? The car before you is nothing less than the very first of the six Type 59 Bugatti Grand Prix cars, and the one that’s considered the most desirable of all, due to its remarkable race records, its captivating history, and its extraordinary condition.
A BRM V16 at the 2022 BRMA Track Day, held at Blyton Park.
1950s
The V16 is very much still in development and despite Raymond Mays protestations, the V16 makes its racing debut at Silverstone in 1950 in front of a record crowd of over 150,000 and Their Majesties the King and Queen. The V16 shears a driveshaft and the Alfas dominate. It is later established that it failed due to the steel not being to specification. The Trust sells BRM to Sir Alfred Owen (the great Midlands industrialist) in 1952. Regulations are changed to F2 rules (2 litre un-supercharged) leaving the V16 with no long term Formula One race prospects just as its development was providing positive results on the track. Parnell wins the Goodwood Trophy in the V16. The last of the front engine BRMs and the birth of the new P25 with a 2.5 litre straight 4-cylinder engine. The P25 was to herald a change in BRM’s fortunes with Jo Bonnier winning their first Grand Prix at Zandvoort in 1959.
Tim and Fuzz are taking on their 100th car: a 1978 MGB, which is also going to be their first electric conversion. The car formerly belonged to family man, Jeff. When Jeff sadly passed away, he left his unfinished MG project to his daughter, Caroline, who promised her father she would complete the restoration of his car. Can the Car S.O.S team help Caroline fulfil her father’s last dying wish? For more incredible car renovations, amazing engineering and heartfelt stories, watch brand new episodes of Car S.O.S. Thursdays at 8pm, on National Geographic UK. 📺
Envisioned by Enzo Ferrari and driven to victory by Alberto Ascari, this modest Ferrari 500 F2 paved the way for Maranello’s racing glory. Once gifted by ‘Il Commendatore’ to the MAUTO museum in Turin, the iconic race car will star at this year’s FuoriConcorso Open Museum exhibition at Lake Como.
Welcome to Pickersleigh Road, the historic home of the Morgan Motor Company. For the first time, we’ve flown an FPV (first-person view) drone through our workshops, giving viewers a one-take insight into our factory like never before.
Immersed in the production line, watch as you are transported through each shop including wood, sheet metal and trim. For eagle-eyed viewers, there might even be a special project or two to see. To book your own tour of the Morgan factory, head to https://www.morgan-motor.com/factoryt…
Humans are notorious for not being able to let go, so even when carmakers jump head first into the manufacturing of electric cars, we continue clinging to the models of the past. This fascination with classic designs is expected to flourish into a multibillion-dollar industry where old internal combustion cars would be retrofitted into EVs. Today we will show you the latest sprouts of this emerging class of electric cars, that combine the iconic gas guzzling looks with innovative powertrains and tech of tomorrow.
Video timeline of cars: 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Lunaz Aston Martin DB6 lunaz.design/cars/aston-martin The 1965 DB6 was the evolution of the legendary grand tourer driven by James Bond and arguably one of the most iconic shapes ever conceived in metal. The British EV builder Lunaz Design sees that this classic would be accepted on the emission free public roads of the future. 01:42 Ford F-100 Eluminator media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2021/11/02/all-electric-f-100-eluminator-concept.html This 1978 F 100 recreation demonstrates Ford’s capability to provide owners of their past models with a functional electric conversion solution. Fitted with a drivetrain from the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance, the Ford F-100 Eluminator gets a 68 or an 88 kWh battery and 2 electric motors. 02:48 Superformance MKIII E superformance.com/factory-models/mkiii-e Under this name hides a full replica of the third generation 427 Shelby Cobra, this time, however, without the usual V8 engine. Instead, Superformance works with the Florida-based GoTech Performance to turn the roadster into a bullet fast EV. 03:53 Bronco Electric zerolabs.com Starting from 2022, any classic can be electric thanks to the skateboard platform designed by the LA Zero Labs. They demonstrate the capabilities of their EV chassis by reviving the 1960s and 70s legend, the original Ford Bronco. 05:13 Porsche 356 Electrogenic electrogenic.co.uk The British electric-vehicle conversion specialist Electrogenic delivered the first fully electric example of the Porsche 356. 06:20 Ava Defenders studioava.com/arctic Hidden in the wilds of the Wicklow mountains of Ireland, the Ava Studio follows the path of transforming the world’s most desirable classic cars to electric. At the core of their portfolio are original Land Rover Defenders in 90 and 110 bodies. 07:30 Electrogenic Karmann Ghia electrogenic.co.uk/about-us/what-we-do Made for one of the company’s founders, Steve Drummond, the Electrogenic Karmann Ghia builds on the 1970 VW Karmann Ghia. First, the model was restored to the perfect condition by another UK-based shop, Type 2 Detectives. 08:28 E-Legend EL1 e-legends.de E-Legend EL1 is not a simple retrofit or a restomod, but an all-new supercar that borrows inspiration from the rally-bred Audi Sport Quattro from the 1980s era. The EV is the creation of a former VW designed Marcus Holzinger, and it is built in cooperation with German technological specialist Roding Automobile. 09:35 Lingenfelter eLcamino EV facebook.com/lpehp/posts/4776373869075599 One of classiest and most popular models of the past gets a new life with the help of the US tuner Lingenfelter and Chevrolet Performance. eLcamino EV relies on a new electric powertrain, that looks nearly identical to the setup showcased by GM at the 2020 SEMA show. 10:30 Hyundai Grandeur Electric hyundai.com/worldwide/en/brand/heritage-series-grandeur Introduced to the market in 1986, Hyundai Grandeur was a flagship executive sedan that was offered to buyers with 4-cyllinder and V6 power. To mark its 35th anniversary, Hyundai is reimagining the car as an EV with original chassis, minimal bodywork changes, and a modernized interior.
In 1955 this glorious Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 was purchased new by Ken Carter, a former Works driver for the Cooper racing team, who acquired this very car to compete in the 1956 Monte Carlo Rally with his friend Robert Ropner. Join Commander Timothy ‘Tiny’ Brompton-Belcher RN and Aston Martin specialist Dylan Miles and take a journey back in time with this wonderfully historic Aston Martin
Autoworld, “Treasury of the history of the automobile”
Autoworld is a private museum that rents its buildings from the community. Its passionate and experienced staff are committed to making Autoworld a leading location in both the automobile and events sector, that draws its legitimacy from its rich history.
The Mahy collection Autoworld was built on the extensive and well preserved car collection of the Mahy family, one of the largest in the world. Founder Ghislain Mahy (1907-1999) was a passionate mechanic from a young age and went on to restore dozens of cars throughout his life. Together with his sons Hans and Ivan, he built a collection of about 1000 vehicles, amongst which you can find many Belgian brands such as Minerva, Germain, FN, Imperia, Fondu, Vivinus, Nagant, Belga-Rise and Miesse. When the Autoworld museum was established in 1986, it incorporated 200 automobiles from the Mahy collection. The opening in 1986 While the passion and collection of the Mahy family forms the heart of the museum, it were the dedication and perseverance of late King Albert II, Minister Louis Olivier and Herman De Croo that ensured Autoworld officially came to life in 1986. The majestic esplanade, triumphal arch and colonnades of the Parc du Cinquantenaire proved to be the ideal location for the treasury of the automobile history. The main purpose of Autoworld was and remains to display decades of evolution in technology, comfort, safety and environment.
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