Revving up fot the Queen’s 90th

David Williams

T IS the Concours of Elegance at Windsor Castle this weekend, with nearly 1,000 super-special cars on display in the precincts of the historic landmark. The main focus of the event will be 60 of the world’s most incredible cars, but this year there are additional events, including the Club Trophy, Jagu ar Trophy and Bentley Trophy of Elegance, which each gather together 90 cars to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday.

It’s the second time the Concours, running from tomorrow until Sunday, has come to Windsor Castle, following its debut there in 2012 to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

This time, the Concours will also star a selection of cars from 1926, the year of the Queen’s birth, and a line-up of key cars of the past 90 years.

Running from the Bentley 3 Litre of the 1920s, through to the Land Rover Series I, the Mini and the McLaren F1, the feature will showcase Brit ain’s pivotal role in the motor industry.

This year’s event will have a feature lawn showcasing the latest supercars from brands such as Ferrari, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.

Visitors also have the opportunity to see four of the remaining 1926 British Grand Prix cars in one place. Organised by the Royal Automobile Club, the first British Grand Prix took place at Brooklands Motor Circuit, Surrey, in 1926. Just three cars finished out of those that took part, a n d n ow a Del a ge 155 B, Tal bot 700, Thomas Special and Halford Special will be on show, offering a unique opportunity to see where top -level British motorsport began.

Great models on show include Bentley Speed Six ‘Old No 2’, one of the finest Bentleys in existence, having finished second at the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours race, just behind Speed Six ‘Old No 1’.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom III Thrupp & Maberly, one of three roadsters built on the Phantom III chassis, is guaranteed to stop showgoers in their tracks. Another stunner is the Aston Martin Ulster Competition. Built in 1935, along with only 20 others, it has competed in more than 100 races, including an eighth-place finish at Le Mans in 1935. The Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spyder will also prove a major draw, as will the venerable Talbot Lago Pourtout Coupé, one of the finest aerodynamic designs ever. A one-off Hispano-Suiza H6C Dubonnet Xenia, meanwhile, has eye-catching art deco, aircraft-inspired bodywork.

This year’s event will be raising funds for The Queen’s Choral Foundation, The Household Cavalry Foundation and Springfield Youth Club in Hackney.