A rare 1953 Sinatra 207 CS Balbo, one of nine ever made and only seven currently in existence will feature on the lawns of Hampton Court Palace at the Concours of Elegance.

Sure to be one of the highlights of the event, the car was once referred to be Steve McQueen as his ‘little Ferrari’ and is powered by a Fiat 8V eight-cylinder engine. This particular example - chassis number CS 071 - has been owned by a single family since 1959.

It was initially imported into the United States by renowned dealer Tony Pompeo and was entered into racing events. Including the Floyd Bennett Grand Prize Cup and Keene Mountain Hill Climb, from 1953 to 1959. Later, it was found by Dr Julius Eisenstark on a used car lot in Queens who immediately bought the car and kept it in the family for decades, modifying it into a GT for every day use.

The Siata has been the star of many prestigious events ever since such as Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as well as an episode of ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’ with Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Martin.

It is one of 70 rare cars that will be showcased at the Hampton Court Palace event in a celebration of automotive history at the grandest of locations.

The Concours of Elegance takes place at Hampton Court Palace from 30th August to 1st September.

Words: Mike Booth

Pictures: Concours of Elegance