Navigating the inner-city streets of England’s capital generally is a daunting activity, particularly when you’re behind the wheel. However in West London, automobile lovers have a haven on the Duke of London.
Throughout my current go to to the UK for the 2024 Goodwood Competition of Velocity, I used to be excited to take a look at this famend London automobile spot.
Positioned in Brentford, close to the historic Brentford Docks, the Duke of London is a novel basic and collectable automobile hub. Established by Merlin McCormack in 2014, it has grown in dimension and recognition, just lately relocating to a brand new facility. Whereas some areas are nonetheless beneath development, the showroom and epic rooftop are already open.
My go to coincided with a particular occasion showcasing Oilstainlab’s ‘Half11,’ which had competed on the Competition of Velocity the earlier week. Speedhunters took its first have a look at this creation whereas it was nonetheless beneath development in 2021. It’s now full, and I’ve shot a full characteristic – look out for that quickly!
Arriving round 7:00pm, I used to be instantly drawn to a Lamborghini Countach, basking in the summertime night solar. I’d be again up right here quickly sufficient, however first I wished to take a look at the indoor shows beginning a couple of ranges down.
On Degree 6, you’ll discover a mixture of vehicles, each on the market and being saved. These automobiles won’t be the Duke of London’s crown jewels however they’re nonetheless spectacular.
One flooring up, on Degree 7, the area is enclosed and homes some distinctive vehicles, together with the in-house café. Right here, I noticed a Bullitt Mustang, a Morgan, a pair of old-school Vary Rovers, and several other basic BMWs.
The choice additionally included quite a lot of bikes and a unusual Barbie-themed three-wheeler. When did you final see a kind of?
My favorite automobile on this flooring? That may be the groovy (sure, that’s the solely phrase to explain it) Meyers Manx.
Transferring as much as Degree 7.5, you’ll discover vehicles encased in climate-controlled plastic bubbles to make sure their safety from the weather. The Duke of London has plans to finally preserve all its saved vehicles like this.
After exploring the decrease ranges, I made my technique to the rooftop. By now, it was full of attendees, a lot of who had arrived in their very own vehicles. Unsurprisingly, the area was teeming with Porsches, from classic 911s to trendy variants, together with less-celebrated however equally-cool-in-my-mind fashions just like the 944.
If I may’ve chosen one automobile to take house although, it might be this gorgeous 964 Carrera 2 with simply the correct quantity of modification.
Whereas all this was occurring, the staff at Tico’s have been onsite cooking up some scrumptious scorching canine for everybody. It might have been impolite to not indulge.
The perfect half about this occasion was the outstanding number of vehicles, notably the basic gems like this mint Volvo P1800S, an E38 BMW, and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. The adage ‘they don’t make them like they used to’ nonetheless rings true.
Assembly fellow lovers is among the joys of automobile tradition. Few hobbies convey collectively such a various group of individuals, and the ambiance at this occasion was excellent for that.
Spending my final evening in England surrounded by gorgeous machines was the best farewell earlier than heading house to South Africa.
When you’re a Londoner or simply visiting town and on the lookout for a cool place to hang around, you may need to put the Duke of London in your to-do record.
Stefan Kotzé
Instagram:Â stefankotzemedia
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www.stefankotzemedia.com
