Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Plays Host to a Trio of Special DK Provided Entrants

Starting off the month of September at the former home of the flamboyant King Henry VIII, Hampton Court Palace hosted the Concours of Elegance, over the course of three days. The 12th edition of the annual event welcomed 15,000 visitors to the beautiful Palace gardens, for a display of rare and significant road and competition machinery.

Included in the impressive variety of automobiles were three very special examples, all of which have been in the care of DK whether within our own workshops, or indeed stored on behalf of our clients.

The oldest Concours entrant hosted by DK on display was our 1954 Jaguar D-type ‘OKV 3’, which made its first ever public appearance after a painstaking and meticulous four-year restoration. Chassis XKC404 has significant provenance, being the first D-type to win a race, when it emerged victorious from the 1954 Reims 12 hours. The restoration was highly conservation–focused, and the car retains its asymmetrical headlight and hinged Le Mans specification tonneau cover.

Next, in chronological order, was a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso that is looked after by DK’s storage facility. Never fully restored, this example of "La Dolce Vita" is a remarkably original car, even retaining its first registration, as marked on the 9th of October in 1963. In 1972, the 250 GT was sold to Malcolm Clarke of BMW dealership fame by David Cottingham - before the formation of DK Engineering as a company had even occurred - and today the car remains in the care of his children Alistair, Ed, and Harriet.

Bringing us closer to the modern era, was a DK supplied 2005 Maserati MC12 which was displayed in the ‘Future Classics’ class. This example was sold to its current owner in mid-2022 and remains in the care of our storage department to this day. Being one of just 50 examples worldwide, it’s a rare occasion to see an MC12 on display, which clearly impressed its Concours peers, with the car scooping Second Best in Class.

Image credit - Concours of Elegance / Charlie Brenninkmeijer