David Piper Lola T70 Mk IIIB at Chelsea Auto Legends 2012 (photo: LS-3 Photography)
The Chelsea Auto Legends 2012 event was held Sunday, 2nd September at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home to the Chelsea Pensioners. This year marked the third running of event, attracting more than 500 collector cars, motorcycles and racing cars to central London.
The key themes for Chelsea Auto Legends 2012 were ’70s Cool, Stars’ Cars, Le Mans and Formula 1, while the 50th anniversary of the British Women Racing Drivers Club was also celebrated. Many of the club’s members, including British Female Rally Champion Louise Cook and American Le Mans Series veteran Liz Halliday, took part on the day, with a number of members also displaying their vehicles at the event.
A new addition this year was the Techno Park, an area of Chelsea Auto Legends concentrating on the future of the automotive industry and celebrating British innovation in engineering. The World Land Speed Record-attempting Bloodhound SSC and the 200 mph full-electric car from Drayson Racing Technologies were the highlights for visitors, with members from both teams answering questions throughout the day. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) also provided younger visitors with information about careers in motorsport and engineering, as well as the international Formula Student programme.
While the current F1 drivers were competing in Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix, Chelsea Auto Legends had its own crop of Formula 1 cars on show. The 2012 Marussia F1 Team car proved popular with visitors, displaying the intricacies of Formula 1 in the 21st century, while the Benettons driven by Michael Schumacher and Nelson Piquet in the early 1990s also proved a hit with the crowds. Visitors were in for a special treat shortly before 4pm, when the ex-Piquet Benetton was fired up and the grounds of the Royal Hospital were alive to the sound of Formula 1.
There was also a selection of Le Mans racers, ranging from the 1927 winning Bentley 3-Litre Sport to the Aston Martin DBR9 that was victorious in 2007. The Ace Cafe Motorcycle Paddock featured classic and contemporary machines from manufacturers across the world, while the Supercar Paddock was home to the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Maserati.
Porsche GT-1 at Chelsea Auto Legends 2012 (photo: Steve Daszko)
Chelsea Auto Legends 2012 (photo: LS-3 Photography)
Chelsea Auto Legends 2012 (photo: Steve Daszko)
Chelsea Auto Legends Organiser Max Wakefield, commented, “Each year, we get bigger and better and we had to turn away some really fantastic vehicles, such was the quality of the cars and bikes we already had on show. I was able to talk to some of the visitors and have been assured that the 2013 event is already in their diaries. A really positive result for what is only the third year of the event and something we could not have achieved without the support and dedication of all of our partners, sponsors and organising crew.”
Chelsea Auto Legends will return in September 2013, a year that will see the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini and mark 110 years of Harley Davidson.
For more information, visit www.chelseaautolegends.com.
[Source: Chelsea Auto Legends]
