Page 125 - Cool Britannia

Barnett and I arrived at the show bright and early on Tuesday mornings’ opening press day, having driven down on Sunday evening in what we both agree is probably the best car in the world, the Range Rover. First stop was Ferrari for some real Italian coffee and croissants, the covers were still on the Superfast but the stand was looking typically fabulous. Being regular customers we were welcomed, as always, to the peaceful tranquillity of the client-lounge. The 488 shinning under the show lights still has a jaw dropping effect. We continued our circuit of the show circling round past Mercedes to see the G class Pickup concept, then to Jaguar Land Rover to have real look at new discovery and the oddly positioned (and named) Range Rover Velar. The Jaguar F Type R is such a pretty car delivering huge bang for your buck and the E Pace concept looked amazing. So onwards to Ford, who are doing some really cool stuff at the moment. They have such a rich history and are being smart enough to use it. The introduction of the all new Ford GT supercar at last year’s show set the bar and the new Mustangs are real fun, I wonder how long it’ll be before they do a retro styled “re-imagining” of the MK 1 Escort rally cars…? Lunch was provided by Rolls Royce, whose theme was fashion. Three glorious pearl white Dawns with hoods that matched interior detail looked stunning on the font of the stand. The blue, I thought was particularly excellent and with attention to detail that you would only expect from Rolls Royce with the elegant ladies whose shoes perfectly matched the hoods of their respective cars. Rolls Royce had repeated last year’s mood wall in the VIP lounge only this time in white. As ever we were very well looked after by Steven Foulds from HR Owen Berkeley Square Showroom in London.Barnett and I both instantly agreed on the “show stopper” car as soon as we laid eyes on it. David Brown Automobiles Speedback GT, based on Jaguar XKR running gear and chassis the British coach builder has, as the name would suggest, presented a car in the form of the classic DB4 or 5 using British coachbuilding craftsmanship to update the design in subtle and elegant ways to make a beautiful and very drivable modern classic. (Interior picture on opposite page) The rear tailgate drops down to reveal a fold out dicky seat for watching the races. Two cars were on the stand in a deep red and pale blue, both stunning. Without doubt the highlight of the show and we can’t wait to visit their new Silverstone factory and drive the car for the next issue.125