Motorsports

Fritz Burkard announced as ‘The Collector’ at Concours of Elegance

London, UK (26th July 2023): This 12 months’s Concours of Elegance will welcome one of Switzerland’s most prolific traditional automobile aficionados, Fritz Burkard, as ‘The Collector’. Presented by A. Lange & Söhne, the concours will happen at the celebrated Hampton Court Palace close to London, UK from September 1st-Third, 2023.

Fritz Burkard: “The Collector”

Burkard’s splendidly numerous Pearl Collection spans the a long time from the daybreak of the automotive age to the present day. The ever-growing, Switzerland-based assortment consists of every little thing from historic Grand Prix equipment to idiosyncratic Nineteen Sixties one-offs and 21st century hypercars.

Burkard is keen about all his acquisitions, firmly believing {that a} love of such equipment comes from the center. In truth, he doesn’t even suppose of himself as a collector, within the conventional sense: “I see myself more as a custodian, as somebody who has fun for myself and the people around me,” he advised film-maker Luca Pieri Pilotti. “I get very emotional around my cars, especially when I can see their history, when I can smell it.”

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The Pearl Collection is understood for utilizing its autos enthusiastically, quite than simply leaving them on static show, as Burkard explains: “Cars combine several passions: history, design, innovation, the feeling when you drive them, the sound… a car has its own aura. You feel it or you don’t. We at the Pearl Collection love quirky and unusual models. We show them, we race them and we use them.”

This 12 months, the Concours of Elegance will rejoice such an admirably open-minded method, by highlighting an eclectic choice of Fritz’s automobiles courting from 1897 to 2022.

1897 Prinetti & Stucchi Tricycle

Established in Milan in 1883, Italy’s Prinetti & Stucchi was a giant identify in stitching machines, bicycles and, ultimately, by approach of manufacturing of licenced DeDion tricycles, motorised autos. But it was additionally the place to begin for one Ettore Bugatti, a teenaged apprentice destined for automotive excellence.

1897 Prinetti Stucchi Tricycle. Photo by Tim Scott

Exhibiting innovation and mechanical ability past his years, at the behest of the Automobile Club of Italy Bugatti developed a two-engined racing model of the tricycle – specifically, the inaugural Bugatti Type 1. In 1899 it received its first race in Reggio Emili in opposition to very stiff competitors, at a world-record common pace of 64kp/h over 90km. This was a outstanding feat – one which set the tone for a lot of extra unbelievable automobiles and motor-racing victories to return for Ettore.

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1933 Alfa Romeo 8C Monza

Moving ahead a number of a long time, the subsequent show automobile from the Pearl Collection is the 1933 8C 2300 Monza operating a 2866cc straight-eight engine. Designed by the legendary Vittorio Jano, this supercharged, Brianza-bodied competitors machine was registered to Scuderia Ferrari. It was raced within the Monaco Grand Prix by Tazio Nuvolari, and went on to win the Swedish GP in August 1933. It additionally competed within the Mont Ventoux and San Sebastian hillclimbs.

1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza. Photo by Tim Scott

After mechanical upgrades, and now renamed SF28, it took half within the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, and at the Circuito di Varese. Over the succeeding a long time the Alfa moved between a number of house owners, and ultimately it underwent a full restoration. Since then it has been a daily in historic motor sport, and in 2012 it was pushed from Germany to the Goodwood Revival. It duly received its race, earlier than being pushed again to Germany.

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1934 Bugatti Type 59

Returning to the Bugatti story is the Pearl Collection’s Type 59, produced in 1934 in reply to growing competitors from Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz. With its dropped physique, decrease centre of gravity, longer wheelbase and supercharged straight-eight, it’s thought of each a technical marvel and a masterpiece of industrial design. Only six had been constructed, and this instance took third at the Monaco GP and general victory in Belgium. The T59 was Bugatti’s final GP automobile, and is taken into account to be essentially the most elegant of all pre-war competitors machines.

1934 Bugatti T59
1934 Bugatti T59. Photo by Tim Scott

This instance was then redeveloped for sports activities automobile racing, with the supercharger eliminated, a dry-sump gearbox put in, and closely revised chassis and bodywork. Through a sequence of successes it grew to become France’s quickest sports activities automobile. It even had a stint within the possession of King Leopold III of Belgium. Endlessly fascinating this historic, singular machine, which is introduced in very authentic situation, embodies the ineffable magic of the Bugatti marque, ‘le pur-sang des automobiles’.

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1939 Maserati 4CL Monoposto

While the Maserati marque was nonetheless comparatively new by the point the 4CL arrived in 1939, it had already constructed a reputation for itself in competitors circles. With its four-valves-per-cylinder straight-four engine, the mannequin debuted at the Tripoli GP, and simply seven had been constructed earlier than the beginning of World War Two. This specific 4CL Monoposto, chassis 1564, was the prototype. It would see ‘Works’ workforce motion at Naples, Abbazia and Livorno, with the likes of Carlo Felice Trossi, Franco Cortese and Luigi Villoresi at the wheel.

1939 Maserati 4CL
1939 Maserati 4CL. Credit Dino Eisele 2022 The Ice St. Moritz

It continued to race post-war below the command of such names as ‘Raph’ and Maurice Trintignant, earlier than beginning a much less frenetic profession as, variously, a hillclimber, a VSCC trials machine and a museum exhibit. At the flip of the millennium it resumed its rightful place on the circuit, and it will definitely joined the Pearl Collection in 2019.

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1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental

The Phantom II Continental strikes the main focus of the gathering’s show automobiles from mainland Europe to Britain. Proving an excellent swan music for Rolls-Royce’s venerable six-cylinder side-valve engine, this Continental boasts uncommon wind-tunnel-honed Streamlined Saloon coachwork from Park Ward. With a boosted compression ratio and high-lift camshaft for its 7,668cc engine, the automobile may attain a really swift 92mph in interval.

After taking satisfaction of place on Park Ward’s stand at the 1934 Olympia Motor Show, the Phantom II had a distinguished possession profession, ultimately settling throughout the Atlantic. In the early 2000s, after a full restoration, it appeared at each the Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance occasions.

1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental
1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental. Photo from Concours of Elegance

Further Pearl Collection reveals at the 2023 Concours of Elegance will embrace the gorgeous 1936 Bugatti T57S Atalante, together with the super-slippery, Pininfarina-designed Abarth 1000 document automobile ‘La Principessa’ from the Nineteen Sixties. Bringing the gathering updated is the limited-edition 2022 Bugatti Centodieci, constructed to rejoice 110 years of the marque’s distinctive design and efficiency.

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“The variety and high quality of the Pearl Collection, together with Fritz Burkard’s clear ardour for the topic and delight of possession, exemplify all that’s nice about traditional automobiles.”

“From Ettore Bugatti’s first-ever racing machine to its 2022 Centodieci non secular successor, the choice of autos Fritz has chosen to exhibit at the Concours of Elegance embodies British and European automotive historical past each on-road and on-track. We are delighted to play host to such a beautiful show for this 12 months’s The Collector function.”

“Britain’s ultimate automotive extravaganza will take place at Hampton Court Palace in September. We look forward to welcoming guests from around the world to the show in just over a month’s time.”

James Brooks-Ward, Concours of Elegance CEO

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Star reveals embrace some of the world’s most revered Ferraris, Le Mans Centenary equipment, 30 Under 30 classics from the subsequent era of motoring lovers and the all-female Levitt Concours. Further classes, automobiles and options will likely be announced within the coming weeks, as we construct in direction of September’s occasion.

Away from the automotive shows, Concours of Elegance 2023 will once more be an event of pure luxurious, with champagne supplied by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, and a group of artwork, jewelry and vogue shows. Presenting Partner A. Lange & Söhne will as soon as once more showcase some of its most intricate timepieces.

ALSO READ: Guinness household assortment of historic traditional automobiles goes to public sale

Published by Concours of Elegance on Newspress

For extra information in regards to the world’s most stunning traditional automobiles and the place to see them, comply with our motoring web page.


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