Toledo Elegance Contest
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VIII International Elegance Contest in Toledo

On Saturday May 23, the VIII International Elegance Contest was held. In this edition the organization decided to change the date, from September to May, and the headquarters, from Madrid to Toledo.

Mixed feelings

An act like this needs a suitable and glamorous venue that is up to the task and that helps bring out the beauty and elegance of the competing cars. Therefore, the organizers - the Spanish Association of Sports Classics y Publialbatros- They chose one of the most charismatic corners of the city, the Alcazar; specifically the terrace on the east side, with spectacular views, undoubtedly a privileged place.

But the reality is that we continue to miss a greater and better participation… Every year we are left with mixed feelings a bit; We like what we see but at the same time we expect a leap in quality that does not come: We want the event to get closer, even if only a little, to other similar events on the international scene.

Nor do we expect, let's face it, that it will become like Villa d´Este, but it is clear that there is scope to get more out of it and, above all, to get Spanish collectors to finally remove certain jewels from their garages, that there are.

This criticism does not intend, far from it, to despise the work done; Much merit has to have materialized the initiative in a country like this, with little automotive culture and where, in these times, the fact of owning a classic luxury car is sometimes ostentatious or even scandalous. Our intention is not to put sticks in the wheels but simply animate to whom it belongs to keep moving in the right direction.

Toledo Elegance Contest
The Alcazar of Toledo (Photo: Anchoafoto)

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Two surprises at the Museum

The current construction of the Alcazar was built during the reign of Carlos I on the successive fortresses that had been located on the hill of the city since Roman times due to its strategic location. It was almost completely destroyed during the siege of the republican troops in the Civil War, finishing its reconstruction in 1961. It currently houses the Army Museum.

Since the contest was held in such an illustrious monument, we took the opportunity to visit its interior; but as in the end the goat always pulls to the mountain, what most demanded our attention were the two historic cars that they jealously keep in the museum's premises.

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Toledo Elegance Contest
The Marmon 34 of 1917 where Eduardo Dato was assassinated (Photo: Anchoafoto)

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It is an American Marmon 34 and bodied by Hermanos Lamarca, which belonged to Don Eduardo Dato, president of the Spanish government between 1912 and 1921, the year in which he was assassinated inside by some anarchists as he passed through the door of Alcalá in Madrid .

The other is a Peugeot Type 15 Phaeton from 1898, which claims to be the first vehicle of the Spanish army, having been donated by the Marquis of Puerto Seguro in 1903.

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classic car contest toledo

Contestants

Those registered in the contest, in addition to having the possibility of taking home a prize, had a long day of celebration with a guided tour of the city and the Army Museum, lunch at the Hotel Carlos V and, as a culmination, a dinner show at the Hotel Cigarral el Bosque where the trophies were presented to the winners.

Participating cars they were exposed all day on two terraces at different heights; but the best, the ones with the best chance of success, were at the top.

There were few really old vehicles, they did not reach a dozen, and it was very clear that among them was what would end up being the "Best of Show": Hispanic Swiss presented by the RACE Foundation. It was a 20-30HP Torpedo that they keep in their museum, under the main stand of the Jarama circuit; a car that claims to be one of the oldest of the brand preserved in running order. With a 4-cylinder 3.768cc engine it can reach a top speed of 70km / h, a real gem.

Very interesting units accompanied him, like a 135 Delahaye 1938M with Chapron bodywork in excellent magazine condition. Its admirable restoration allowed us to contemplate the elegance of its lines and its exquisite details.

Also a 100 Jaguar SS1936, which, being one of the units manufactured before World War II, is actually an SS (Standard Swalow) Jaguar 100 model. Only after the war and for obvious reasons the SS brand was abandoned to be replaced by Jaguar. The denomination 100 came from its top speed: Thanks to its 6 2/1 liter inline 2-cylinder engine it reached 100 miles per hour.

On the other hand, two Citroen 11 Traction Avant, a beautiful 1937 Cabriolet and a 1955 two-color saloon with its oversized trunk were competing, as well as one of its French rivals of the time, the Renault Type ADC1 Celtaquatre from 1936, a little-seen model in our country and in perfect condition.

There were two exceptional American cars; Those of us who were in the past ClassicAuto Madrid had the opportunity to see them in the contest that was held there. We are talking about a 55 Cadillac V1917 Roadster and a 1939 LaSalle, a subsidiary brand of the previous one.

One of the vehicles that attracted the most attention, and not only because of its size, was a recently restored bus. It's a 1938 Chevrolet TD truck, probably one of the many who arrived in Spain in the midst of the civil war to serve on one of the opposing sides and who was later converted into a coach in the XNUMXs by a specialized national body builder.


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An exception replica

Around the aforementioned stars were a few exclusive but much more modern cars, among which a Ferrari 412, a Mondial Cabrio, a 308 and an F430 Spider stood out; several Jaguars, two XK 150s, an E Type Roadster from the first series and another from the second; Porsche 930 Turbo; some Mercedes SL from different generations and a spectacular red 220 180S Convertible (W1956); a pristine '66 Ford Mustang Convertible; a cute Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider; a Lancia Gamma Coupé; a Honda NSX; an Alpina B12 based on BMW series 8 E31 and some more.

Lastly, another really interesting car: A replica of the Pegasus Z-103 made by the IAD company in the United Kingdom in 1991, which incorporates a 8cc Rover V3948 engine with 170hp. You have to look to see the differences from the original Serra design, such as the windshield frame, the triple taillights and some details in the interior that reveal its "repro" condition.

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Classifications

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1st Hispano Suiza 20/30 1907

2nd LaSalle 1939

3rd Delahaye 135M 1938

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1st Jaguar XK 150 1960

2nd Jaguar SS 100 1936

3rd Citroen 11 Cabriolet 1937

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1st Ferrari 308 GTBi 1981

2nd Ferrari 328 GTS 1986

3rd Ferrari Mondial T Cabrio 1989

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1st Ferrari 412 1986

2nd Mercedes SL 1991

3rd Mercedes CL 55 AMG 2003

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What do you think?

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Written by Carlos Sanz placeholder image

I was born in Madrid in 1964, the wrong time and place for a car enthusiast. It is well known that at that time, despite coinciding with the Spanish economic expansion and the car fleet increased considerably, the supply of models was ... Read more

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