UK - Chelsea Auto Legends Show
The inaugural Chelsea AutoLegends has been hailed as a great
success by all involved. Staged at the Royal Hospital Chelsea,
London, the new car-themed festival featured one of the most
comprehensive collections of road and track sportscars ever
displayed; drew a vast crowd and raised significant funds for the
Chelsea Pensioners via a charity auction and other fund raising
activities.
Undoubted highlight was a glittering grid showcasing more than 50
iconic race cars from the Le Mans 24 Hours. The comprehensive
line-up spanned nearly 90 years of history and embraced many of the
true greats. Aston Martins, Audis, Bentleys, Ferraris, Ford GTs,
Jaguars, McLarens, Porsches and a host of other equally evocative
machines were all on show. Adding to the special occasion a host of
renowned Le Mans drivers were also in attendance - many
appearing on stage recounting their personal experiences of racing
right through the night for 24 hours. Five-time Le Mans winner
Derek Bell MBE, Sir Stirling Moss OBE, who officially opened the
show, and Richard Attwood, the man who gave Porsche its first
victory 40 years ago in 1970, were among those sharing their
memories with show-goers. Other famous faces enjoying the friendly
atmosphere included TV chef James Martin, music stars Jay Kay of
Jamiroquai and Nick Mason of Pink Floyd plus BBC presenter Kate
Silverton.
While Le Mans cars were on pole position on the Royal Hospital's
spectacular South Grounds - home to the annual Chelsea Flower Show
- they were surrounded by hundreds of classic and supercars, the
majority driven to Chelsea AutoLegends by enthusiastic owners from
London and much further afield. All the renowned marques were out
in force: Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Corvette,
Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, MG, Porsche and
Rolls Royce alongside creations from more specialist manufacturers
such as Abarth, AC, Ariel, Bristol, De Tomaso, Lagonda, Lola,
Marcos and Tesla. The result was one of the broadest collections of
sports and performance cars ever assembled in UK.
The new event proved to be an instant success with visitors, too.
More than 5000 flocked into the Royal Hospital's grounds to savour
the spectacle and help to raise much-needed funds for the
refurbishment of the Chelsea Pensioners' home. Two auctions
overseen by Bonhams raised more than £11,000 in donations.
What they said…
Sir Stirling Moss OBE:
"I'm very honoured to be opening such a fantastic event. I've lived
in London all my life and have always believed it to be the
greatest place in the world. There's no other city like it - even
more so now it finally has a high-class motoring event like this. I
do feel a bit of a fraud, though, as I never won Le Mans!"
Derek Bell MBE, five time Le Mans 24 Hours winner:
"What a fantastic show! I don't think I've ever seen quite so many
Le Mans cars in one place before outside France. It was also the
perfect place to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the making of
Steve McQueen's Le Mans movie. I have so many great
memories of the months we took making the film with Steve back in
1970 - he was a true legend."
Dominic Lancaster, general manager H.R. Owen Plc:
"Congratulations on putting together such a fantastic show at the
Royal Hospital. Clearly you have a brilliant event on our hands and
we hope you will be able to build this into a major annual
attraction. Feedback from our customers who attended has been
universally excellent. Aside from the amazing collection of cars,
the visibility of so many great drivers to the public and the
variety of trade stands all combined to make this a very special
event."
Major General APN Currie CB, Lieutenant Governor Royal Hospital
Chelsea
Michael Scott, Chelsea AutoLegends founder:
"As a lifetime Chelsea resident, I've always dreamed of bringing Le
Mans cars to London but, from a standing start just a few months
ago, what's been achieved has exceeded even my wildest
expectations. It's clear we have created an event that now can grow
over the years and become a regular diary date in early September.
I'd like to thank all those who've made Chelsea AutoLegends
possible, not least the public for turning up in their many
thousands and playing their part in helping us to raise funds for
the Pensioners. We hope to see everyone again at the second Chelsea
AutoLegends on Sunday 4 September 2011."
Pictures: © Photos Chelsea Auto Legends Show
www.chelseaautolegends.com
