Chelsea Auto Legends 2012

As seen in Classic Cars magazine

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It was very much an all-stars Sunday with a sunny jug of Pims at London’s Chelsea Auto Legends now in its 3rd year. The Chelsea Hospital gardens full to the brim with a fabulous line up of historic Le Mans racing cars, contemporary super cars and a welcome display of customised and celebrated classics. In celebration of 50 years of the BRDC some of its members opened the day with a supercar run through the streets of London driving the latest cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce and Maserati.

Young racing drivers mixed with the more experienced, such as Ecurrie Ecosse’s Joe Twyman and Ollie Bryant, whilst Anthony Reid raced with its founder Hugh McCaig, “Alistair McCaig used to wash the cars in his father’s garage, now he is racing with Joe and Ollie, whilst I am racing a Chevron in the same GT series this year”.

Derek Bell’s 1982 Works Rothmans Porsche 956 was famously driven to victory by Bell in 1982, during a period when Porsche was the dominant force in 24 hour racing. On top of this incredible feat, the German legend also holds the fastest ever lap time around the Nürburgring ‘Nordschleife’ at 6 minutes and 11 seconds.

These gardens lends itself to the more obtainable cars too such as Lee Bowen’s, Riley, a car that had lived in a barn for 30 years and needed a total restoration bar the back axle. However, Chelsea Pensioner Bill Bullick decided in the 1970’s that when he came across a Riley for sale, that with the rust flying off of the door he thought it best to leave it alone!

Make a date in your diary for next year, it’s a treat to have this show in London.