A rare Aston Martin convertible will be auctioned at Silverstone. Image credit: Silverstone Auctions
The 2018 Silverstone Classic is attracting several luxury automakers as the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival prepares to welcome more than 100,000 visitors.
The festival, which will take place at the home of the British Grand Prix from July 20 to 22, is an opportunity for automakers to celebrate important milestones and anniversaries of famous cars. Many legacy automakers will be represented in the Silverstone Classic Sale, including Aston Martin, Mercedes, Land Rover and Ferrari.
"Nowhere on the globe will you see so much motor racing history in place at one time," said Jonathan Gill, consultant at MPA Creative, Surrey, England.
Car celebrations
More than 120 car clubs will be attendance at Silverstone, including the Porsche Club of Great Britain.
The club will be honoring Porsche's first model, the 356, which was originally introduced in 1948. In honor of its 70th anniversary, the brand recently enlisted Peter Lindbergh to photograph the 911 sports car and the Mission E, Porsche’s first fully electric vehicle (see story).
Several Porsches will be auctioned at Silverstone, including a 1993 Porsche 911 (964) Turbo 3.6s, 1989 Porsche 911 (930) Turbo G50 and a 1986 Porsche 911 (930) Turbo SE "Flat Nose."
Fifty years after its debut at the 1968 Paris Motor Show, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 will be celebrated. Also known as the Ferrari Daytona, only 1,406 were built before production ended in 1973.
The Aston Martin Owners Club will be celebrating two vehicle milestones: 70 years of the DB1 and 60 years of the DB4.
A rare Aston Martin is also included at the Silverstone auction. One of 78 ever built, the 1987 Aston Martin Vantage Volante X-Pack is expected to fetch at least 280,000 pounds, or about $365,00 at current exchange.
A Range Rover belonging to the British Royal family will be auctioned. Image credit: Silverstone Auctions
Other auction highlights include a 1975 Range Rover once owned by the British Royal family. A very rare 1958 Mercedes 300SL Roadster is estimated to sell for at least 700,000 pounds, or about $912,000 at current exchange.
Collectible cars are not the only draw at Silverstone, as some luxury automakers are choosing to draw attention to vehicles still in production.
Silverstone attendees will be able to test drive Lexus hybrid vehicles. Image credit: Lexus
Toyota Corp.’s Lexus is celebrating 10 years of its F performance brand at Silverstone, and will be displaying the RC F 10th anniversary edition and RC F Cup car.
Lexus is also Silverstone’s exclusive manufacturer for Drive Live, which gives attendees the opportunity to take free 30-minute test drives around the countryside. Among the models available to drive are the LC 500h self-charging hybrid, three self-charging sports utility vehicles and the RC 300h coupe.
Summer festivals
Summer is peak season for large-scale automotive festivals and events.
Earlier this summer, the Goodwood Festival of Speed marked its silver jubilee. Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce and McLaren were among the automakers that had new releases on display at Goodwood, while Land Rover and Porsche both held parades to mark their 70th anniversaries (see story).
Next month, automakers will flock to California for Monterey Car Week.
One of the highly-anticipated events in Monterey is the debut of Buggati's new ultra-exclusive model, the Divo. The new model is named after Albert Divo, a French driver who raced Buggatis in the 1920s (see story).
Silverstone's emphasis on automotive history and large media presence sets the festival apart.
"Luxury manufacturers love the Classic as it gives them the perfect platform to showcase their heritage," Mr. Gill said.