Words: Nathan Chadwick | Pictures: Christoph Lehmann
A 1930 MG Type M 12/12, one of two built for the Le Mans 24 Hours that year, was awarded Best of Show at the Ascona Classic Car Award concours d’elegance over the weekend, despite the best efforts of the Swiss weather to cancel the event.
The event was due to take place at its usual home, on the lawns of the Castello del Sole, but with rain forecast for the Saturday, the organisers moved the event to Sunday and the Lungolago. It proved to be the correct decision, as Sunday was rain-free.
The concours-winning MG was one of two works entries based on the Double Twelve models. These car had won the Brooklands Team Prize in the famous Double Twelve endurance event, which was determined by aggregate over two 12-hour races.
British cars finished well in other categories too – a 1949 Bentley Special MkVI won the public prize, while a 1959 Jaguar MkIX was awarded the Best Unrestored prize. The event also celebrated SS Cars/Jaguar’s 100-year anniversary, and fittingly Captain Black – a 1935 SS 90 that was the first car sold by SS Cars to a paying member of the public – took home the win in this class.
Other highlights included a rare Monteverdi 375 L Highspeed and Alpina B3 4×4 E30 in a varied line-up of cars.
Ascona Classic Car Award 2022
Best of Show: 1930 MG M 12/12. Also won Pre-War class.
Special Awards
Public Prize by Belmot: 1949 Bentley Special Mark VI.
Special Prize Auto-Illustrierte: 1988 BMW-Alpina B3 4×4 E30.
Best Unrestored: 1959 Jaguar Mark IX.
100 Years of Jaguar/SS: 1935 SS Cars SS 90 Captain Black
Class Awards
Postwar to 1959: 1957 Porsche 356A (pre T2).
1960s: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Split Window.
1970s: 1975 Monteverdi 375 L Highspeed.
1980 to 2005: 1983 Porsche 944.
