The carefully curated category will bring together the finest examples of France’s ingenious, idiosyncratic automobiles through the decades; cars that do things their own way, often with a dash of madness and always with consummate style.
The gallic machines will join a display of close to 100 fabulous privately owned cars in the immaculate grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company, from June 6th-8th, at what is set to be London’s best automotive garden party yet.
The class will include one of the most elegant French GT cars of all: the Facel Vega Facel II.
Introduced at the Paris Motor Show in 1961, the grand, Chrysler V8 powered machine was billed as the fastest four-seater coupé in the world; the top speed was billed as 150mph for the 390bhp, four-speed manual-equipped cars.
In its time, the Facel II was not only one of the fastest cars in terms of top speed, but also one of the fastest accelerating; it was quicker from 0-60mph than the Aston Martin DB4 and Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.
Such performance came with an imposing price tag: this car cost fifty percent more than its direct rivals, and three times more than a Jaguar E-Type.
Owners in the period included Pablo Picasso, Christian Dior and Sir Stirling Moss. It remains one of the greatest - and one of the last - substantial French coupés. Facel Vega declared bankruptcy shortly after the 180-car production run ended, making this the last of an era.
This variant featured a soulful V6 under the stunning bodywork - sourced from Maserati, who the French marque had bought in 1968.
The SM, with an impossibly sleek body and a supremely smooth ride, was designed to cruise across Europe at high speeds, in total comfort, thanks to its innovative hydro-pneumatic suspension.
The compellingly stylish package proved irresistible to many famous faces; a Citroen SM owners’ club might have counted football star Johan Cruyff, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, musician Carlos Santana, and the Shah of Iran as members.Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was perhaps the most committed SM enthusiast of all though, at one point reportedly owning seven of the sleek French machines.
The long-serving A110 was in production from 1963 until 1977, using diminutive dimensions and featherlight weight to deliver superb performance, whether on the road or a rally special stage.
Many consider the GT Légende to be the sweet spot of the range, combining the softer suspension of the standard A110 with the punchier, ‘S’ spec, 296bhp version of the 1.8-litre turbocharged four.
Mounted amidships, it drives through a snappy dual-clutch ‘box. With only 1,134kg to motivate performance is serious: 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. June’s show will offer a great opportunity to examine this modern Alpine alongside its ancestor.
The display of French icons will also include a contender for the coolest ‘80s car of all: the Renault 5 Turbo. Introduced in 1980 the wild, mid-engined rear-wheel drive machines bore little resemblance to the cooking Renault 5s.
Aluminium was used for the Turbo’s roof and doors, while the shell was strengthened and widened to give a cartoonish stance.
The 1.4-litre boosted motor put out 160bhp on road trim, and with just 900kg to shift, gave the pugnacious looking hatch a real turn of pace: it could hit 0-60mph in just 6.6 seconds, at a time when a conventionally quick car, the Golf GTI, took 9 seconds.
The 5 Turbo will be joined by its mad spiritual successor, the Clio V6, which arrived on the scene in 2001.
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This is just a taste of what to expect from this June’s event which will feature a spectacular range of machinery from a range of exotic marques.
Further class announcements will follow in the coming weeks and months, as we build towards the 7th edition of this unmissable event.
Andrew Evans, London Concours Director, said:
“We’re delighted to announce that our event this June will celebrate the most fabulous French cars ever produced.
“The Grand Toursime line-up, carefully curated by our team, will highlight the consistently idiosyncratic genius of the French automotive industry, machines that delight with both their engineering ingenuity and stunning looks.
They’re going to add real colour and gallic charm to our show which is now under two months away. It’s going to be our most spectacular yet! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for further exciting class announcements.”
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In addition to a fantastic selection of cars - the best yet assembled - guests to the Honorary Artillery Company will be treated to a decadent range of food and drink options - including a brand-new Club Concours hospitality experience, engaging live stage discussions, as well as a carefully selected line-up of luxury brands and boutiques.
London Concours 2023 is set to be another occasion of total automotive indulgence.
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