‘The Collector’ Harry Metcalfe at London Concours
- London Concours reveals details of its perennial feature ‘The Collector’, which shines a light on one individual’s car collection
- Co-founder of evo magazine and Harry’s Garage, Harry Metcalfe will display some gems from his garage, including his recently restored London Concours-award-winning Lamborghini Espada
- The display will also feature two icons of ‘80s excess: the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari Testarossa
- Metcalfe will also display among his eclectic car selection, a mix of Paris Dakar winning motorbikes from 1979 – 1998
- Hosted at the Honorable Artillery Company HQ from 8-10 June, the London Concours is the finest automotive garden party
- Tickets are available now, from London Concours
The London Concours presented by Montres Breguet, each year, places one individual’s car collection firmly in the limelight, revealing the personal stories and immense passion which created it. This year The Collector celebrates Oxfordshire-based automotive aficionado, co-founder of evo magazine and Harry’s Garage, Harry Metcalfe, and his eclectic car collection.
Setting the tone nicely is Harry’s Ferrari Testarossa ‘Monodado’, a car which featured heavily in the Harry’s Garage YouTube channel as it undertook a legendary journey from Harry’s home in the Cotswolds to the Sahara Desert. The Pininfarina-designed car was launched at the Paris Motor Show in 1984 and is the epitome of ‘80s indulgence and excess. Harry’s car is a 1987 Ferrari Testarossa, powered by a naturally aspirated dry-sump 4.9-litre Flat-12 engine – which is capable of propelling the car from 0-60mph in just over five seconds.
Alongside it, another ‘80s poster car, the Lamborghini Countach. Harry’s car is a 5000 Quattrovalvole – meaning 4 valves per cylinder. This is the highest horsepower version of the Countach ever made, producing 449hp. One of the most recognizable cars in recent history, the Countach epitomizes the decade of the 1980s, despite having been in production since 1974, where it remained until 1990. Harry’s particular car was the car that launched the Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole at the London Motor Show in 1987, and he also had legendary Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni sign the interior during one if its many trips to Italy – a very special car indeed.
The display will also include several of Harry’s Jaguars. Most notable among them are two Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) cars. These are limited edition, fettled versions of Jaguar’s finest motor cars designed purely for motoring pleasure, in this instance Harry is bringing along a Jaguar F-TYPE ‘Project 7’ and a Jaguar XE SV ‘Project 8’.
The Jaguar F-TYPE is a limited-edition car, with only 250 ever made. Project 7 was inspired Jaguar’s racing pedigree. Its name derived from the seven times Jaguar has won the famous Le Mans 24-hour race. Three of those historic wins were in the iconic D‑type, and the brief to Jaguar’s designers with the Project 7 was to conceive a modern-day D‑type. Harry was involved in the car from its formative days, providing feedback on the first prototype vehicles. Harry’s car is number 1 of 250, and as such has a few special features including the striking orange detailing on the front grille, calipers, mirrors and the underside of the rear spoiler. Inside the boot, every member of Jaguar’s SVO team has signed the vehicle, making it truly unique.
The Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is the most powerful road legal Jaguar in history – producing 592hp from a 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 engine. The car is a limited production run of just 300 cars worldwide, each one hand-assembled at the SVO Technical Centre in Warwickshire, England. The Project 8 still holds the fastest ever lap for a four-door production sedan at the Nürburgring Nordschleife – having beaten many renowned supercars in the process. Harry’s car is the first ever Project 8 and is a bespoke version in a striking deep purple with a distinctive black stripe, it is a four-seater version with a black roof and lightweight forged black alloy wheels.
Harry is also bringing with him a selection of six Paris Dakar winning motorbikes from 1979 – 1998. Harry has had a longstanding love of motorbikes having spent a lot of time during his formative years at his parents’ house in Wales riding motorbikes around the nearby forests and fields. Bikes that visitors can expect to see on the stand include a 1978 Yamaha XT500, a 1984 BMW R80 G/S Paris Dakar, a Honda XL500R Paris Dakar, a 1989 Honda Africa Twin 650 Marathon, a 1989 Yamaha Super Tenere 750 and a 1991 Cagiva Elefant 900ie – which all help to chronicle the legendary off-road rally event which started out in 1978 pitting competitors against each other on the toughest off-road terrain from Paris France to Dakar, Senegal. He is also bringing along two of his favorite road bikes, a 1974 Kawasaki KH750 (the biggest two-stroke production superbike), which has a fearsome reputation and was banned in the US in 1976 for breaching emissions regulations, and a 1979 Honda CBX which is well-known for being the first ever six-cylinder production bike.
Rounding out a collection of eight cars and eight bikes, Harry is also bringing his 1978 Jaguar XJC V12 manual, which is currently undergoing a thorough restoration in the hands of Painting Classic Cars in Eastbourne, his recently restored 1971 Lamborghini Espada Series 2, which took home class honors at last year’s show, as well as his two Lotus models, a beautiful 1973 Lotus Elan Sprint and a classic 1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo HC.
Andrew Evans, London Concours Director, said: “We always want our ‘The Collector’ feature to showcase a really personal selection of vehicles. And this year we are very pleased to welcome automotive afficionado Harry Metcalfe to join us at London Concours. What’s clear is that each of Harry’s cars and bikes is chosen for a reason; every single one has a story behind it, creating not just a spectacular visual display but a fantastic talking point, too. Harry’s collection has been collected and curated over many years and perfected over many more – and we look forward to welcoming him onto the manicured lawns of the HAC’s Artillery Gardens once more.”
Previously held over two days, the London Concours 2021 shifts to a three-day event to capitalize on visitor demand for more luxury brand content – from jewelry to bespoke suits – and modern supercars. The three days will be a VIP Preview Day, Style Edition and Supercar Day. At the heart of each day will remain the collection of nearly 100 rare and iconic luxury cars of all ages that has quickly cemented London Concours as one of the UK’s top motoring events.
The London Concours takes place from 8-10 June 2021. Tickets are available from London Concours.
The Collector – Harry Metcalfe
The Cars
- 1978 Jaguar XJC V12 manual (TBC)
- 1971 Lamborghini Espada S2
- 1987 Ferrari Testarossa
- 1987 Lamborghini Countach QV
- 1973 Lotus Elan Sprint
- 1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo HC
- 2015 Jaguar Project 7
- 2018 Jaguar Project 8
The Motorbikes – Dakar’ Collection 1978 – 1991
- 1978 Yamaha XT500
- 1986 BMW R80 G/S Paris-Dakar (a limited run model brought out to celebrate BMW’s 4 wins at Dakar)
- 1984 Honda XL500R Paris Dakar
- 1989 Honda Africa Twin 650 Marathon
- 1989 Yamaha Super Tenere 750
- 1991 Cagiva Elefant 900ie
The Road Bikes
- 1974 Kawasaki KH750 H2
- 1979 Honda CBX
