The ‘Enlightened: All About Aero’ class will delve into the age of the pop-up headlight, which was popular from the late 1960s and early 1970s onwards.

When car manufacturers were looking for a way to simplify and streamline their designs, the pop-up headlight was born and created some of the most beautiful cars we’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, safety regulations meant that the pop-up light wouldn’t last forever but the London Concours event in June will provide the opportunity to see some of the best examples up close.

One of the most intriguing examples is the Lotus Elan, which was first introduced in 1962 and weighed under 700kg. Its lightness and 1.6-litre engine, combined with brilliant aerodynamics aided by its folded away headlights meant that the Elan was one of the most deceptively powerful cars on the market, able to go from 0-60 in under 7 seconds. The car coming to the event in June is a ‘sprint’ variant owned by former EVO editor Harry Metcalfe who we now all know from the Harry’s Garage YouTube channel.

The London Concours event will also showcase a streamlined and stylish Lancia Stratos. Designed to challenge at the World Rally Championship, the car was styled by Marcello Gandini at Bertone and was powered by a mid-mounted 190bhp Ferrari Dino sourced V6. It won the rally championship title in 1974, 1975 and 1976 and was in production as a road car with only 492 ever made between 1973 and 1978.

Another of Gandini’s pop-up light-designed cars, the Lamborghini Miura P400, will also be on display and the example at London Concours was the first ever right-hand drive Miura in the UK. Only 26 right hand drive Miuras were made out of a production run of 762 and was an instant success when unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1967.

Also at the show is a 1973 De Tomaso Pantera GTS. The Pantera was introduced in 1971 and combined Italian styling with a variety of American V8 engines. The sportier GTS model came a year later and was rapid on track with 345bhp in standard form. The example on display has been significantly upgraded, however, and features Webber carbs boosting its output to 490bhp with a top speed of over 200mph.

Finally, the display will be completed with the elegant Maserati Ghibli Spider. Launched in 1968, it was adapted into a drop top and built on the success of the Berlinetta. Its stylish pop-up lights and sleek profile saw it enjoy huge popularity in the USA but they remained a rare find in Europe. Only 125 Spiders were made, compared to over 1250 coupes, and the example at the London Concours will be one of them.

The pop-up light display is just a small part of the event which will assemble 80 cars in total. From classic cars to modern hypercars, the event will cover a wide range of offerings as well as live stage discussions from well known figures in the automotive world.

The 8th annual London Concours will run from June 4-6, 2024 at the Honourable Artillery Company near Old Street in the heart of The City.

words: Mike Booth
pictures: London Concours
video: Harry’s Garage