CONCOURS OF ELEGANCE, HAMPTON COURT, 5-7 SEPTEMBER 2025 5th Sep 2025

When I think of Talbots, I don’t think of Concours events, but of George Roesch’s engineering, simplicity and reliability and of the company’s motorsport success throughout the ’30s; one of the most celebrated British sports cars of the period with Talbot teams consistently securing podium finishes at Le Mans, the Irish Grand Prix at Phoenix Park in Dublin, the Tourist Trophy and at Brooklands. In Alpine Trials, London-built Talbot 105’s of course dominated the Coupes des Alpes, with Talbot carrying the flag for Britain in international competition, demonstrating remarkable endurance and reliability.

Indeed, I think Talbots are more suited to driving than polishing but, that said, after a ground-up restoration, it was an honour for the car and the marque to be invited to the prestigious Concours of Elegance event, spanning three days, in the wonderful grounds of Hampton Court Palace.

AYE 70, my 1933 Talbot-London AV105 VDP Tourer, is well known to the Club, and I have heard so many great stories about the car in the capable hands of the previous owner, Tom Whatton, and particularly on European tours over many years. Supplied by Warwick Wright of New Bond Street, the car is fitted with its original Vanden Plas lightweight sports tourer body, number 3062, having left the factory on 5th August 1933 and looking very correct today. Extensively campaigned with the VSCC during the 1970s, the car was returned to its original specification in the 1990s and acquired by us in 2023 from Tom’s family. Fully restored from a bare powder-coated chassis in 2024/25, we have tried to preserve some patina and the car retains a nice leather interior and carpets from long ago.

This concours event began thirteen years ago within the grounds of Windsor Castle's historic quadrangle, with the Castle as the impressive backdrop: a new UK event to compare with the Pebble Beach Concours and the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Since that first year, the event has been presented in St James’s Palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and then more recently at Hampton Court. A Concours Steering Committee carefully selects the cars to be displayed, and those chosen cars are then not eligible to return for ten years. I think the appeal of our 105 for the Concours of Elegance organisers is the relative rarity of this original Vanden Plas 105 Tourer and the fact that it presents so nicely after its fresh restoration.

Featured as entry number 40 of 81 cars within the catalogue, AYE 70 was the only Talbot. The weather was glorious, and we began with “Owners Day”, a very relaxed “Grand Arrival” to our chosen position, where the car remained until the “Grand Depart” on Sunday afternoon and was only driven over those days to and from the stage where the car was presented to the crowd. The owners were given the responsibility of choosing the Show Winner, and a 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 “The Phantom of Love” was the ultimate choice.

This was a beautifully orchestrated, grand event, with a wonderful display of cars and owners from around the world. It was a privilege to have been involved.

David James

Photos courtesy of Tim Scott Photography