Navigating the inner-city streets of England’s capital generally is a daunting job, particularly in case you’re behind the wheel. However in West London, automotive fans have a haven on the Duke of London.
Throughout my latest go to to the UK for the 2024 Goodwood Competition of Velocity, I used to be excited to take a look at this famend London automotive spot.
Positioned in Brentford, close to the historic Brentford Docks, the Duke of London is a novel traditional and collectable automotive hub. Established by Merlin McCormack in 2014, it has grown in measurement and recognition, lately relocating to a brand new facility. Whereas some areas are nonetheless underneath building, the showroom and epic rooftop are already open.
My go to coincided with a particular occasion showcasing Oilstainlab’s ‘Half11,’ which had competed on the Competition of Velocity the earlier week. Speedhunters took its first have a look at this creation whereas it was nonetheless underneath building in 2021. It’s now full, and I’ve shot a full function – look out for that quickly!
Arriving round 7:00pm, I used to be instantly drawn to a Lamborghini Countach, basking in the summertime night solar. I’d be again up right here quickly sufficient, however first I needed to take a look at the indoor shows beginning just a few ranges down.
On Stage 6, you’ll discover a mixture of vehicles, each on the market and being saved. These autos may not be the Duke of London’s crown jewels however they’re nonetheless spectacular.
One flooring up, on Stage 7, the area is enclosed and homes some distinctive vehicles, together with the in-house café. Right here, I noticed a Bullitt Mustang, a Morgan, a pair of old-school Vary Rovers, and a number of other traditional BMWs.
The choice additionally included quite a lot of bikes and a unusual Barbie-themed three-wheeler. When did you final see a type of?
My favorite automotive on this flooring? That will be the groovy (sure, that’s the solely phrase to explain it) Meyers Manx.
Shifting as much as Stage 7.5, you’ll discover vehicles encased in climate-controlled plastic bubbles to make sure their safety from the weather. The Duke of London has plans to finally maintain all its saved vehicles like this.
After exploring the decrease ranges, I made my solution to the rooftop. By now, it was stuffed with attendees, a lot of who had arrived in their very own vehicles. Unsurprisingly, the area was teeming with Porsches, from classic 911s to trendy variants, together with less-celebrated however equally-cool-in-my-mind fashions just like the 944.
If I might’ve chosen one automotive to take dwelling although, it might be this gorgeous 964 Carrera 2 with simply the correct amount of modification.
Whereas all this was occurring, the workforce at Tico’s have been onsite cooking up some scrumptious sizzling canine for everybody. It might have been impolite to not indulge.
The perfect half about this occasion was the exceptional number of vehicles, notably the traditional gems like this mint Volvo P1800S, an E38 BMW, and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. The adage ‘they don’t make them like they used to’ nonetheless rings true.
Assembly fellow fans is among the joys of automotive tradition. Few hobbies carry collectively such a various group of individuals, and the ambiance at this occasion was good for that.
Spending my final night time in England surrounded by gorgeous machines was the best farewell earlier than heading dwelling to South Africa.
Should you’re a Londoner or simply visiting the town and searching for a cool place to hang around, you may need to put the Duke of London in your to-do listing.
Stefan Kotzé
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