The beautiful Ferrari 166MM was hosted by Gieves & Hawkes.
The beautiful Ferrari 166MM was hosted by Gieves & Hawkes.
Image: Supplied

We are all used to cars and coffee or car and watches events, but what about cars and tailors? Yes it’s a new one on us and actually it is a new one altogether because for the first time the famous Savile Row in London was closed recently to host the inaugural Concours of Savile Row event.

The famous road’s tailors have a long history of working with the auto industry and its designers, producing anything from bespoke cloth for suits or driving overalls to full car interiors. The illustrious history of coachbuilt models that began early in the last century often features the names of some of Savile Row’s famous tenants. Then who can forget the Jaguar E-Type used in the movie Kingsman, which stood proudly at the concours outside H.Huntsman and Sons, the tailor that featured in the movie.

A very traditional form of portrait photography alongside the famous Kingsman Jaguar and the new Morgan Super 3.
A very traditional form of portrait photography alongside the famous Kingsman Jaguar and the new Morgan Super 3.
Image: Supplied

We dropped into Huntsman, which has created suits for such famous names as Coco Chanel, David Bowie and Sir Winston Churchill. One of the tailors explained that lockdown hit them hard, after all you can’t reach across the internet to take someone’s measurements, can you? Yes they could have done it online and had clients measure themselves, but it’s not the way the business works. That created huge pent up demand and most of the tailors we spoke to explained that they are busier than ever.

H.Huntsman & Co featured in the Kingsman movie and retains patterns of many suits made for clients who have passed away as a memorial to them.
H.Huntsman & Co featured in the Kingsman movie and retains patterns of many suits made for clients who have passed away as a memorial to them.
Image: Supplied

Like many of the tailors on the Row, Huntsman has a distinctly old-school charm about it but it is a business that many use through generations. Once a pattern is created, it is regularly altered to meet the changing needs and shape of a client. They even keep the patterns after a client dies and hang them in the ceiling as a memorial. Often a family member will come in and say they want the same cut or cloth as a relative and so the patterns live on.

Outside Hunstman sat not only the E-Type, but the new Bentley Mulliner Bentayga Outdoor Pursuits. It wasn’t all about classic cars: as well as the Bentley, a new Czinger 21C hypercar was hosted by Norton and Sons, the McLaren Artura made its public debut with Oswald Boateng, a Morgan Super 3 was outside Dege and Skinner and of course the latest Aston Martins were displayed in front of JP Hackett.

The 3D printed Czinger 21C hypercar made its debut outside Norton & Sons.
The 3D printed Czinger 21C hypercar made its debut outside Norton & Sons.
Image: Supplied
An eclectic mix of old and new models lines the famous street in London.
An eclectic mix of old and new models lines the famous street in London.
Image: Supplied

Henry Poole & Co played host to the Everrati Land Rover Series IIA, one of the many models that the company is converting to electric power. There’s an SA connection here too because Everrati is sourcing Ford GT40 replicas from Hi-Tech Automotive in Port Elizabeth to create electric versions of the iconic sportscar.

In the tailors, things are so busy that a famous premiership footballer was turned away as we arrived because they just can’t take on immediate work. Henry Poole has a great connection to the auto industry in that Jaguar Land Rover’s chief creative officer, Gerry McGovern, commissioned them to make a unique cloth that reflected the colours of the original 1970 Range Rover in Tuscan Blue, Davos White and Bahama Gold.

Then there’s Scabal tailors, which has one of the best automotive connections of all because early in the last century it was a Mercedes-Benz dealership and sold the first electric Mercedes, a car which even 100 years ago could do drive a similar distance on one charge to many modern electric vehicles. It wasn’t a Mercedes that sat outside the storefront though, but a new Caton Healey, a modern interpretation of the famous Austin Healey 100 that combines traditional craftsmanship with the latest know-how.


It was a beautiful summer’s day in London and the Row was packed with those who had come specifically for the event and others who were just curious to find out what was going on. They were treated to some great icons of automotive history, including a fabulous 1950 Ferrari 166MM Barchetta outside Gieves and Hawkes, which also hosted a rare 1986 Ferrari Testarossa Spider and a 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT. A 1950 Frazer Nash Le Mans replica looked stunning outside Cad and The Dandy.


The Jaguar E-Type from the movie Kingsman was present on Savile Row.
The Jaguar E-Type from the movie Kingsman was present on Savile Row.
Image: Matt Howell

Many of the tailors put on displays of models and automobilia and some hosted artists, such as Simon Britnell who spent the day painting a commissioned picture of an Aston Martin. Artworks were being produced in Argent too, which was busy all day as customers looked at the range of classic motoring accessories and fashion on offer.

Savile Row has been quiet for the past couple of years and many of the tailors we spoke to were thoroughly enjoying the famous street so busy and being able to interact with both the cars and the people. It was something a bit different and an extremely well tailored event.

It was a beautiful summer’s day in London and the Row was packed with those who had come specifically for the event and others who were just curious to find out what was going on. They were treated to some great icons of automotive history, including a fabulous 1950 Ferrari 166MM Barchetta outside Gieves and Hawkes, which also hosted a rare 1986 Ferrari Testarossa Spider and a 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT. A 1950 Frazer Nash Le Mans replica looked stunning outside Cad and The Dandy.

Artist Simon Britnell creating one of his superb automotive artworks.
Artist Simon Britnell creating one of his superb automotive artworks.
Image: Supplied

Many of the tailors put on displays of models and automobilia and some hosted artists, such as Simon Britnell who spent the day painting a commissioned picture of an Aston Martin. Artworks were being produced in Argent too, which was busy all day as customers looked at the range of classic motoring accessories and fashion on offer.

Savile Row has been quiet for the past couple of years and many of the tailors we spoke to were thoroughly enjoying the famous street so busy and being able to interact with both the cars and the people. It was something a bit different and an extremely well tailored event.

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