Having driven her stock four-door A40 for years with disintegrating trim, a tired engine and battle scars from an unfortunate track-day roll, the owner embarked on a three-year customisation job to transform the Austin into a Kustom in the traditional style of its 1950s American counterparts. Completed with her father in his home workshop, the result is a subtle, tasteful and classy two-door coupe with a chopped and shortened roof, lowered suspension, shaved door handles and its number plate mounted behind glass. The paint is original 1940s Plymouth Sumac Red, and the cabin has been retrimmed in metallic copper and cream. (Pic credit: @timscott)

The 1961 AC Ace, winner of The Lost Marques class. The owner of this 60-year-old AC Ace first bought it when it was 12 months old, when he was a 20-year-old student. He competed in his first race in the car at Silverstone in 1962 – and won. In 1968, the owner went out to Hong Kong to work and was forced to sell his beloved AC, but on his return to the UK in 1995 he set about tracking it down and then repurchased it. It is a glorious but lovingly used model in which the owner has completed tens of thousands of miles. A cherished car indeed. (Pic credit: @amyshorephotography)

Kustom legends. (Pic credit: @amyshorephotography)

This Sprint Speciale is directly descended from the iconic Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica (BAT) design studies of the mid-1950s, penned by Franco Scaglione. With its low drag coefficient of 0.29 this Alfa Romeo was intended for competition, and a limited number were produced to meet FIA homologation rules. The Giulietta’s 1290cc, all-alloy, four-cylinder powerplant – which was fitted with Weber sidedraught carburettors – was enough to propel the Sprint Speciale to almost 120mph. The plastic air deflector located ahead of the windscreen – and more commonly seen on competition Ferraris of the era – only adds to the car’s racy flavour. (Pic credit: @amyshorephotography)

Founded in 1974 by racing driver and German Mountain Champion Willy König, Koenig Specials modified the country’s first Ferrari 365BB. The specialist is known for its outrageous styling and high-performance reworking of marques such as Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lamborghini, Jaguar and Porsche, including a 1000bhp Testarossa and a 962 road machine.This car started life as a 1991 560SEC with modifications including a full Widebody conversion, uprated suspension, wider wheels and, most importantly, the extremely rare 400bhp supercharged V8. At 57,000 miles it’s presented in its original unrestored condition, and comes with its Koenig Specials certificate of origin. (Pic credit: @timscott)

The V8 version of the Sunbeam Alpine was created to win sales in the US. Dreamed up by Jack Brabham and engineered by Carroll Shelby, it has quite a pedigree. The Ford V8 gave the car around 200bhp, with each one built for Rootes Group under licence by Jensen Motors in West Bromwich. A total of only 568 Mk2 Tigers were made, of which this 1966 example was the 20th. It left the UK at less than a year old, when it was exported to California in 1967. Hampton Motors in Burbank supplied it to the actor Roddy McDowall, as a gift from his then-close friend Liz Taylor. The Sunbeam has since had three more keepers, and has undergone at least three restorations to put it into the standard you see today, featuring original elements such as side stripes, eggbox grille and chrome arch mouldings. (Pic credit: @timscott)

Earlier this summer, we opened the doors to the first major automotive event of the year.   Watch the highlights from the luxurious automotive garden party hosted in the heart of the City of London, where the world’s most precious cars gathered in the gardens of the historic and beautiful Honourable Artillery Company headquarters.

🏆 At @concours_of_elegance 2021, where nearly 1,000 cars were on show across the three days, awards were also given by decade, with the original Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost taking home the pre-1915s category. Congratulations to all the winners. ▪️Pre-1915s – 1907 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 40/50 HP ▪️1920s – 1921 Bamford & Martin Aston Martin A3 ▪️1930s – 1932 Alfa Tipo P3 Tipo B ▪️1940s – 1948 Delahaye 135M Fixed Head Coupé by Chapron  ▪️1950s – 1950 Ferrari 166 Inter Cabriolet Farina ▪️1960s – 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato ▪️1970s – 1970 Porsche 917K Rofgo ▪️Post-1980s – 1997 Ferrari F50 Berlinetta (Pic credit: @timscott)

This unique Voisin C-27 Aérosport was awarded ‘Best in Show’ at our sister event, Concours of Elegance. Designed and built by one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th Century, Gabriel Voisin, the art deco masterpiece, lovingly restored by extremely fastidious custodians, captured the hearts of guests. (Pic credit: @charlieb.photography)

Magnificent cars and glorious sunshine. What more could you want? (Pic credit: @timscott)

The Lancia Flaminia range was launched in 1957 as the V6-engined successor to the fabled Aurelia. Initially offered as a Berlina, by 1959 it was joined by a Pininfarina-bodied coupé, a Touring-bodied GT in coupé and convertible forms, and a Zagato ‘Sport’ coupé. By 1965, when the last Flaminias were built, Touring had made 2748 examples on its Superleggera principle of aluminium skins stretched over a tubular-steel frame. This 1961 example is an early 2.5-litre 3C, or triple-carburettor, model; this increased power by about 20bhp to 140bhp over the single-carburettor models. (Pic credit: @timscott)

The 1968 Lamborghini 400GT 2+2, the replacement for Ferruccio Lamborghini’s first car, the 350GT, was revealed at the 1966 Geneva Salon. The fresh 400GT’s styling was near-identical to that of its predecessor, but the now-steel panels (bonnet and bootlid remained in alloy) were all new, as were a higher roofline and twin headlamps rather than single units. A 3929cc V12 replaced the 350GT’s 3464cc engine, while power was up from 280bhp to 320bhp. All this was good for a 0-60mph sprint time of 7.5 seconds and an impressive 156mph maximum speed. Fewer than 250 400GTs were manufactured, but this – no. 01342 – is one of only nine right-hand-drive examples. (Pic credit: @timscott)

Our sister event, @concours_of_elegance, is just 9️⃣ days away. A total of nearly 1,000 cars will be on display over the course of the three days, charting the full evolution of luxury and innovation in automotive, from the pioneers right through to the modern day. Away from the automotive displays, Concours of Elegance remains an occasion of pure luxury, with champagne provided by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, live stage interviews with Chubb Insurance, hosted by Jodie Kidd, and a collection of art, jewellery and fashion displays. 🎟 Book your ticket today, from the link in our bio, to witness the rarest collection of cars in the world. (Pic credit: Patrick White)

Refreshments with a view. (Pic credit: @amyshorephotography)

Admiring the detail. (Pic credit: @amyshorephotography)

This year's London Concours, once again, represented the ultimate automotive garden in the heart of the City, packed full of fascinating features and the rarest cars from around the globe. In just four weeks, our sister event at the beautiful Hampton Court Palace will be in full swing. Who plans to join us for next automotive indulgence? 🎟 Tickets are available to buy today from the link in our bio. (Pic credit: @timscott)

The Ferrari 250 SWB/Comptezione '61 Sefac Hot Rod, deserving winner of this year’s Chairman’s Award. 🏆 (Pic credit: @timscott)

Special delivery. (Pic credit: @charlieb.photography)

Unveiling greatness. #bugatti #bugattichiron (Pic credit: @charlieb.photography)

Is there a better spot to enjoy champagne in the sun? (Pic credit: @amyshorephotography)

Celebrating the Kustoms, American classics customised in a traditional style dating from the middle of the last century. (Pic credit: @amyshorephotography)

Among Harry Metcalfe’s spectacular collection at London Concours were two Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) cars. These are limited edition, fettled versions of Jaguar’s finest motor cars designed purely for motoring pleasure. This is Harry's 2015 Project 7. #jaguar #jaguarproject7 (Pic credit: @timscott)

The idea behind this Ford ‘Showbox’ Sedan was to create a traditional Kustom in the style of the early 1950s using period techniques and parts from that time. The stock car went to Marco Warren at Juarez Fabrication in Lancing, West Sussex, where he restored the body and performed all the custom modifications. As you can see, the result is spectacular. (Pic credit: @timscott)

A lifetime of mesmerising passersby. (Pic credit: @amyshorephotography)