On Sydney's Cockatoo Island last weekend the Sydney Harbour Concours d'Elegance had all the stuff Tay Tay didn't, plus the News Corporation's own Warren Brown who is driving a replica of the Bean car Francis Birtles drove from London to Melbourne 97 years ago at age 46.
Frank Birtles was an Australian adventurer, photographer, cyclist, and filmmaker, who set a heap of long-distance cycling and driving records and retired rich from discovering gold in the NT. Wocka Brown is a Daily Telegraph cartoonist, is unlikely to retire and will drive the 26,000km to mark his 60th birthday.
Concours founder James Nicholls managed to barge 75 classics on to the island including a 1945 Bugatti Type 57, a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupr, a 2015 McLaren P1, a 1991 Lamborghini Diablo, a 1951 Porsche 356 Cabriolet and three Ferrari Dino 246 GTs.
The judges picked the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM. A good choice. This is a $30m car. Owned by legendary car and yacht racer Peter Harburg, it was driven by Britain's John Surtees, the only person ever to win World Championships on both two and four wheels. He was a seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion and an F1 world champ and as far as we know didn't send dick pics to anyone.
Look, this was an invitation-only affair for classy people not unlike the readers of this column. Don't feel bad if you weren't invited and missed the free Champagne Pommery and the equally fine Chateau La Gordonne rose, and the sensational cooking by Sean Connelly (no relation so the food was fine to eat).
But I did see Spencer Martin who raced a Feezer 250LM at Le Mans; Ampol chairman Steve Gregg; former optician, luxury real estate salesperson and classic collector Ken Jacobs; Sydney FC chairman, Scott Barlow; former law clerk and now real estate gun Shaun Bonnet and Dr Umberto Galloni from San Marino. Umberto was fresh from his second place, with daughter Alice, at the 1000 Miglia Experience UAE, in his 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Turismo which he then drove to Cockatoo Island.
Now organisers did want me to highlight that there was a large collection of highly priced electric vehicles, particularly the Rolls-Royce Spectre which can be yours on the road for a close to $900k. I did notice the Spectre has a redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy on the top of the bonnet. The SoE was originally designed by Chuck Sykes in the shape Elanor the secret lover of Baron Montagu of Beaulieu.
On the Sceptre, the flowing robes (often mistaken for outstretched wings), have been reshaped for a realistic look, with a lower and more dynamic stance, which makes her (the SoE, not Elanor) more aerodynamic.
Cockatoo Island is the perfect place for an exclusive car event. Not only could you walk around a lot of serious old and new cars, but most of them also went for a drive around. And the army band alone was worth the price of admission.