Zoute Grand Prix Concours Sees Old Ferraris
Knokke-Heist, a fashionable city in the Belgian littoral, hosted the eighth edition of the Zoute Grand Prix Rally and Concours d’Elegance on 7-8 October, 2017. This event, which aims for automotive refinement and class, presented exhibits of the most prestigious brands, of both classic and modern GTs.
The prominent Marques parked their cars on the two most fashionable avenues of the city, using spectacular podiums for presenting their last creations: Alpine, Bentley, Jaguar, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini… and of course, Ferrari with a 488 Spider and the latest 812 Superfast.
On Fairway 1 and 4 of the Royal Zoute Golf Club was displayed the Concours d’Elegance. More than 100 exclusive classic cars were subjected to the severe verdict of an international jury composed by many specialists. The organizing committee decided this year to pay homage to BMW 507 and Mercedes 300 SL which celebrated their 60 years.
Among the twelve classes which composed the concours, three were reserved to Ferraris! The 195 Inter Berlinetta Ghia of 1950 (0109 S) of Dik Lievaart gained a win in the Class Ferrari 70: The Early Years. It’s a very rare Ferrari with a body drawn by Ghia. In Class Ferrari 70: The Legendary 250 GT, the 250 GT Cabriolet Pinin Farina (S1) of 1957 (0729 GT) received the Special Prize for Most Exciting Design; this car had been part of the collection of Greg Garrison. The Special Prize for the Most Iconic Car went to the 250 GT Berlinetta Scaglietti (SWB) steel of 1961 (3087 GT). And the winner of this class was 250 GT Cabriolet Pininfarina (S2) of 1960 (1925 GT). Finally, in the class Ferrari 70: The Modern Era, the first place went to the 288 GTO of 1985 (55555) delivered by the Francorchamps Garage to the Belgian pilot Jean “Beurlys” Blaton.
This Concours d’Elegance was the occasion to discover a new specimen of the rare Touring Berlinetta Lusso realized by Touring Superleggera on the frame of F12 Berlinetta. Here was a gray specimen (224993) of 2017, the third example seen in public of the five which should be built. See our recent news item Touring Shows Design Skills at Zoute Concours.
The Best of Show was the Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 of James Bond of 1965, from the famous Louwman Collection.
The Zoute Grand Prix also is the occasion for a gathering of classics and GTs which take part in a touristic rally to discover the beautiful areas of Belgium as well.
Report by Arnaud Meunier. Images by Vincent Yernaux.
