La Folie des Grandeurs
Chantilly Arts & Elegance September 13th - 15th
Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club French Section
The Château de Chantilly
The Chantilly Arts & Elegance has now been established for
ten years within the grounds an inestimable château, opulent gardens and
palatial stables. The château as we see it, was the fifth on this site. The
present French Renaissance construction, built from 1875-1881, was determined
by an extraordinary man, one of the world's greatest collectors, Prince Henri of Orléans, Duke of Aumale, the fourth
son of Louis Philippe.
This fierce custodian of French culture died in 1897 and he bequeathed
the château, its entire contents and gardens to the Institute of France on condition
nothing was changed. His très riches heures château is filled with
priceless paintings, furniture and artistic treasures that sets it apart from
anything conceivable in everyday life. One of the greatest museums in Europe.
As I attend the great Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on Lake
Como every year, comparisons were inevitable. However, this event is on an
immense scale and the cars are displayed with expansive space between them permitting
comfortable admiration of design details. The formal French gardens laid out by
the immortal André Le Nôtre (1613-1700) of Versailles are an aesthetic delight
to wander through in slow motion.
In modern times, the estate has evolved to satisfy the demands of different
venues and activities. My visit to Chantilly Arts & Elegance, created
by the historic racing organizer Patrick Peter and the watch designer Richard
Mille, embraces one of the finest classic car concours and gracious multi-faceted
events in the European calendar. This remarkable phenomenon is a welcome
reminder of the nature of true civilization; the ascent of man in the face of the
brutal current events we are witnessing.
[RREC
French Section photos]
As Secretary of the Polish Section of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club
(RREC), I had received the kindest and most charming, even glamorous,
invitation to attend the concours from the French Section, together with a
gourmet picnic lunch and champagne. Representatives of the
German Section were also particularly well represented, headed by the charming
Klaus Konopizky. I was also gratified to renew my friendship with Rajiv Kehr, Chair
of the newly formed RREC Indian Section and introduced him to the friendly
French Section Committee.
The functional nature of air travel has become an anathema for me. When
I first contemplated the driving distance from Warsaw to the château, located
just north-west of Paris, I blanched with apprehension. The round trip would be
close on 4000 kilometers. Could I risk driving there in my original,
unrestored, fifty year old Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow which I have owned for forty
years ? The answer was 'no'. If you will forgive me, I finally decided to drive
my 'modern classic', a 2010 Jaguar XKR.
I planned an historic sightseeing route of six days driving to Chantilly, spending four nights there and then six days returning to Warsaw. First to Potsdam from Warsaw, then Marburg and down the glorious Moselle Valley to Trier and finally Chantilly - some 1,800 kms. Months before I had booked an intimate and artistic, in fact superb B&B only 10 minutes walk from the château. I am all too aware of the paralyzing traffic at such events!
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The superb Manoir des Cavaliers, Vineuil-Saint-Firmin, close by the château My accommodation  |
The Prince's Chamber in the Château de Chantilly
Raphael The Three Graces (1503-4) painted when he was barely twenty in a remarkable frame by the goldsmiths Froment-Meurice
Piero de Cosimo's radiant portrait of the beautiful Simonetta Vespucci (b. 1453), the most beautiful woman in Florence who inspired many artists but who died prematurely in 1476
Raphael - The divine Madonna of the House of Orléans
.jpg)
Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily (1752-1814) painted in 1791 by my favorite female painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842)
L'Amante Inquiète Jean
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Le Donneur de Sérénades by Jean Antoine Watteau 1684-1721 |
.jpg)
A most extraordinarily sweet, affectionate, warm and empathetic dual portrait - Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792)
In this treasure house there was also a superb exhibition of Boulle
furniture outclassing by far the Wallace Collection at Hertford House in
London.
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One of the stained glass panels from the unique Cupid and Psyche series |
The sun rises on a sublime Chantilly Arts & Elegance
[Benoit Dujardin photo]
The illustrated dress code and table napery was to be of elegant
formality in the colour pink merging to orange. Ah, the aesthetically
inspirational French ! How they love, even insist on, elevating matters out of
the customary and humdrum to the very height of fashion. Wonderful !
Observing
the dress code to the letter !
Dress code with, oh so French, Mimes
[RREC French Section
photo]
In
addition to the RREC cars, there were numerous examples of other famous marques
from English, French, Italian and German manufacturers such as Bugatti, Lancia,
Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Morgan, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Facel Vega,
Mercedes, Porsche, BMW and more ! The RREC French Section delighted in a large
grassy enclosure with decorated, artistically laid tables situated adjacent to
the château, basking in
warm, bright sunshine.
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| Superb Facel Vegas on display |
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
A très charmante group seated in conversation beside an iconic Aston Martin
Château de Chantilly
My favourite motor car from the French Section RREC
display
A superb 'Chinese Eye' Silver Cloud III Cabriolet. This model was used eloquently in the brilliant Michelangelo Antonioni film Blow-up (1966)
.jpg) |
| Astons on display but no sign of Bond |
This is a year of significant anniversaries which were highlighted. First for us of course, the 120th anniversary of the meeting of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce at the Midland Hotel, Manchester. This Chantilly event is having its tenth anniversary.
Also to be massively celebrated is 100 years of the Bugatti Type 35
50 years of the
Lamborghini Countach, 110 years of Maserati and finally 30 years have passed since
the untimely death at Imola of the great Brazilian Formula 1 driver and
national symbol, Ayrton Senna. There were various activities and displays on
the fringes - hot air balloon flights, sailing on the garden lake, trumpet
recitals in scarlet and brass costume on period instruments.
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| Ballooning nearby ... |
Simon Kidston driving his 'family' 1925 Bugatti Type 35T at the Château de Chantilly
[VeloceToday photo]
The introduction of the Type 35 caused a revolution in the world of car racing through its advanced engineering, design and appearance. The sensibility of artistic creation had been applied to racing motor cars for the first time. This Grand Prix racing car could be sold to many ambitious, wealthy privateers seeking novelty, speed, excitement and sexual allure. Weekend racing in the 1920s became fashionable at the first established car racing circuit Brooklands. Drivers and spectators kept company with, as was often said, “The right crowd and no crowding”. Bugatti built over 250 versions of the Type 35.
In
this Concours d'Etat of varied
classes, the Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars were designated to be included
in either La Folie des Grandeurs Avant-Guerre
(Pre-war) or Après-Guerre (Post-war).
The extraordinary and strikingly original 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II
Continental H.J.Mulliner Weymann Sports Saloon 49GX, entered by RREC Indian
Section Chair Rajiv Kehr, was awarded second prize in
the Avant-Guerre class.
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| Judging, judging, judging ..... |
1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental H.J.Mulliner
Weymann Sports Saloon 49GX entered by the RREC Indian Section Chair, Rajiv Kehr
The ultra-rare (one of two) 1931 Tatra T 80 Cabriolet, a marvel of
restoration by Pawel Kasik, won this class and was awarded the Special Prize
Restoration. The project had taken him over twenty years with an attention
to detail that bordered on the obsessional. I was unaware that Tatra also manufactured
limousine-type cars besides the familiar air-cooled V8s such as the T 87.
1931 Tatra T 80 Cabriolet entered by Pawel Kasik on parade
Also in this group was an astonishing 1932 Phantom II Letourneur &
Marchand Brougham de Ville 25JS (Lawrence Dalton Derby Phantoms p.292). This car was originally built for Armand Esders, the individualistic
French industrialist, patron of water sports,
automobiles and aeronautics. He also owned a Bugatti Royale and insisted that the Rolls-Royce was also supplied
devoid of headlamps since he did not drive at night. Also the rear door handles
were removed, the chrome hub caps and the Spirit of Ecstasy.
Period photograph of 1932 the ultra-rare Phantom II Letourneur & Marchand Brougham de Ville 25JS
Two cars were of interest in the Après-Guerre group. Nadar Gohar, one of the French Section members, took part the first Rallye Le Nôtre in his rare 1950 Bentley Mark VI Park Ward Coupé.
Third prize in this group was awarded to a remarkably stylish and
rare 1961 Rolls-Royce Henri Chapron Phantom V Limousine entered by Bernard
Lhuillier.
1961
Rolls-Royce Henri Chapron Phantom V Limousine
1928 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix
I found the
1928 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix car that won Best of Show Concours
d'Etat Pre-war to be one of the most memorable of the entire event. The
time warp contrast with the restored cars and its performance and sound on the
dusty presentation track alerted me to the priceless value of preserving
original evidence of the passing of time and its aesthetic effects it has on
the imagination. Only a few of these cars remain in aged condition, unrestored.
The
Best of Show Post-war was awarded to the 1949 Talbot-Largo T26 GS
The
Best of Show Post-war was awarded to the 1949 Talbot-Largo T26 GS, a grande
routière in the classic sense. This intensely luxurious Parisian conception
was of an originally English brand then based in Suresnes and managed by the
Venetian Antonio Lago. The coachbuilder Antem followed a design by the
Belarusian Jacques Saoutchik that was crisp and sporting in style yet at the
same time refined.
The monumental stables at Château de Chantilly
The immaculate stalls of the stables at Château de Chantilly
[FILMFRANCE photo]
The magnificent dressage indoor riding school of the
Château de Chantilly
Horses have been a passion at the Château de Chantilly for hundreds of
years. The monumental stables could be considered a château in itself ! The
varied activities associated with the horse, together with the many futuristic
and classic cars displayed, transports one if lamentably briefly, into another
world of the artistic sensibility of movement. During the presentation of cars,
there was a breathtaking equestrian acrobatic, stunt riding and classical dressage
demonstration by Mario Luraschi's professional
team.
A picturesque group of wandering horsewomen at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance
A remarkable display by Mario Luraschi's team at the
Château de Chantilly
En route during the long return to Warsaw through Luxembourg via Vianden, Urspelt, Daun and Potsdam.
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Chateau d'Urspelt accommodation en route to Warsaw   |
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The castle of Vianden, a Luxembourg icon in the north-east of the country, built between the 11th and 14th centuries, remains one of the most beautiful feudal residences of the Roman and Gothic periods in Europe I could not resist driving a fast lap on the wild Nordschleife section of the Nürburgring which seemed a fitting conclusion to this magnificent classic car adventure.  Assembling for the so-called Nordschleife 'Tourist Drive' 
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Words: Michael Moran
Photographs: Michael Moran unless otherwise indicated
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