With an attendance of more than 11,500 spectators and everything from a 1903 Humber Humberette to a Ferrari 330GT Vignale-bodied shooting brake taking to the famous hill, this year’s Kop Hill Climb has gone down as the best to date.
The third running of the retrospective event in Princes Risborough took place on 24-25 September, with the selection of more than 300 cars and 55 motorbikes helping to raise a record £40,000 – some £10,000 more than last year’s fundraising total – for local charities.
Joining Henry Brooks’ 1903 Humber for the 800m blast up the challenging Chilterns hill was John Dennis’ 8-litre 1907 Berliet/Curtiss racer and Hicky Hickling’s 1911 Sunbeam 16/20, plus local Lucas Daglish’s 1955 Volkswagen Beetle and Philip Hobbs’ 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350.
Other standouts included several 1930s rarities, from Richard Hughes’ 1936 Railton Light Sports and Richard Johns ‘ 1935 Brough Superior Drop Head Coupé to Rod Biggerstaff’s 1934 Riley Sprite TT Special, while C&SC’s Simon Taylor was in action in his HWM-Chevrolet Stovebolt Special.
The untimed event, which is run on the public roads, also attracted some Ferrari-owning celebrities, including Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay in the Vignale 330GT and DJ Chris Evans in a 412.
Also attracting attention was Dick Skipworth’s Ecurie Ecosse transporter, complete with an array of the Scottish racing team’s cars including the 1961 Toijero-Buick raced by former F1 World Champ Jackie Stewart and the team’s 1956 Jaguar D-type, the latter being blasted up the hill by historic racing hotshoe Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams, to the delight of the crowds.
The Kop Hill Climb – which was first held in 1908 before the RAC’s ban on motor sport on public roads came into effect in 1925 – takes place next year 22-23 September.
A selection of photos from the event’s facebook site follows. For more information see Kop Hill Climb 2011.
Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams waves a Bugatti off the start line.
Fantastic turn out of Ecurie Ecosse race cars.
C&SC's Simon Taylor in his HWM-Chevrolet Stovebolt Special.
Great display of classics in the car park.
