CONCOURS ENJOYS ROYAL SURROUNDINGS
St James ’ s Palace once again provides the backdrop for a very special display of veteran cars , as Jonathan Gill discovers .
Staged less than 24 hours before the RM Sotheby ’ s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run , the prestigious St James ’ s International Concours acts as the perfect curtain-raiser for the remarkable veteran vehicles setting out from Hyde Park at dawn on Sunday morning .
This concours of 100 pioneering vehicles will again be held on Marlborough Road next to St James ’ s Palace , just a short walk from the Royal Automobile Club on Pall Mall and the stately grounds of Marlborough House , which will provide the setting for RM Sotheby ’ s ’ major London sale of standout collector ’ s cars .
Built by Henry VIII in the early 1530s and located close to the latterly-built Buckingham Palace , St James ’ s Palace is one of London ’ s oldest royal residences where Kings and Queens of England have resided for more than 300 years . The stature and provenance of the historic red brick building provide a fitting backdrop for a display of remarkable pre-1905 vehicles , all dating back to the dawn of motoring .
A particular highlight this year is the participation of the two movie star cars from the classic British film Genevieve , first shown in cinemas in 1953 - another royal coronation year . The much-loved comedy caper follows two couples participating in the London to Brighton Run aboard a pair of veteran cars : a Darracq nicknamed Genevieve and a charismatic Spyker . To mark the film ’ s 70th anniversary , the cars will be reunited in their silver-screen incarnations for this year ’ s RM Sotheby ’ s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and , as a high-profile preview , both will be back in
36 The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run