Coming back to a place or a certain event which has previously been a mainstay in ones life is always going to flood you with not only memories but also emotions. This was certainly the case for me as I drove over the small stone bridge and onto the beautiful grounds of Gavnø Castle on the southern coast of Zealand in Denmark.
I’m sure it would have felt like a rather special occasion for most participants as this – at least to the best of my knowledge – marked the first larger scale classic car meet in Denmark after Covid-19 restrictions were eased (let’s see how long that lasts…?), but it had also been a full seven years since my last visit to Gavnø. That made my day even more special as Gavnø Classic Autojumble & Concours de Charme was the very first classic car event which I ever attended with my own car – my NullZwei of course. That was back in 1995 – all of 25 years ago! Subsequently, I became a regular at Gavnø for several years, but as we moved abroad, it became increasingly difficult for me to continue prioritising my Gavnø visits during our short summer breaks in Denmark. I believe I was there in 2009 and then 2013 became my last visit – until now.
But it’s not just my personal history with the Gavnø Classic Autojumble which makes it special for me – it’s also what the event has on offer.
The main building at Gavnø Castle was established in the very early 1400-hundreds as a fortress, and was expanded numerous times in the following centuries until Count Otto Thott acquired the castle in 1737 and during the mid-1750’s rebuilt the castle to its current three-winged Rococo style manor. Situated on the tiny island of Gavnø, the castle also still retains a historic chapel, a butterfly house and perhaps most importantly, it’s hugely charming park comprising an idyllic English garden full of rare trees, a rose garden and not least their world famous display of tulips. Today, the castle is still the residence of Baron Reedtz-Thott and his family, and no doubt due to the baron’s love for classic cars, they have hosted the Classic Autojumble & Concours de Charme since 1988. As such, Gavnø Castle and the tranquil atmosphere of the park represents what must surely be the perfect setting for the 1,000 classic vehicles which show up every year…
Did I mention that it was good to back…?
It’s also the perfect event to attend with the whole family, so with my wife and two daughters riding shotgun, we entered the park in our Reliant Scimitar GTE and found our way past the French and German sections and into the English section where we set camp between a group of grand old Rovers and a whole hoard of Minis. With the event having been postponed from its original June date and into September, we weren’t quite sure what the weather gods had planned for us, so we erected a small pop-up gazebo and promptly invited old friends over who had parked elsewhere in the park with their classic BMW’s, a Datsun and a De Tomaso.
Besides the park being divided up into different sections based on each car’s country of origin; within these sections, the cars also tend to group according to the marque or car club. The MG Car Club have always been avid supporters of the Gavnø Classic Autojumble and obviously helped by being Denmark’s largest car club they were certainly well represented. So was both Jaguar, Triumph and Opel, but it was really the Mazda Club which managed to impress me. Rather unexpected, there must have been about 15 classic Mazdas on display. When did you last see two very original and beautifully presented Wankel-engined RX-4’s parked side by side? The 818 Coupé made do with a conventional 4-stroke engine but looked no less appealing for it, while a first generation 323 marked the end of an era where 3-door hatchbacks could be rear-wheel drive – the fact that it was a rare and range-topping 1.4 Sp with vivid go-faster stripes down the flanks and tartan interior had me utterly transfixed. But best of all was of course Mazda’s very first car; a cute and entirely stylish little kei-car called the R360 Coupé in red over red and sporting rare factory wheel trims. I strongly doubt my 6’2″ frame would fit in one, but I so wanted to take it out for a spin along the nearby picturesque backroads…
While most of the classic vehicles on display are just there for a casual day in the castle park, there is of course also the Concours de Charme to consider. It was quite a diverse group of cars and while they were all suitably polished for the job, it’s amusing that there’s really more focus on the overall presentation including period dresscode for the owner and not least setting the scene with a few choice accessories. Somehow it manages to bring the whole concours element back down to earth again where it’s just a bit of lighthearted fun.
However, my favourite among the Concours de Charme was the one with the most patina. It was also the oldest car at Gavnø – a 1907 Cadillac Model M which was reported to have covered a mere 1,000km during its long life. What a wonderfully bizarre contraption! I just hope the modern day Health and Safety bureaucrats don’t spot that open and very accessible chain-drive…
True to tradition, the lawn immediately in front of the castle was reserved for the most precious and exclusive vehicles. The bar was set high by a Ford GT40 parked in front of my mate’s perfect De Tomaso Pantera GTS which I hadn’t seen for a couple of years now. But I was distracted by a Maserati Ghibli and not least by the shapely and truly droolworthy Lamborghini 400GT – surely Lamborghini’s first is also one of the most elegant GT’s ever produced.
Even so – and I just knew this was going to happen the moment I spotted the distinctive shape of that roofline – it was one of my all-time favourites which despite it’s slightly awkward and quirky lines kept me fixated for the longest. I have always adored the AC Aceca which I rate much higher than its open sibling, the Ace. I know few people will agree with me and market values certainly make it very clear that the lack of a roof is preferred among collectors. But I really don’t care. If I hit jackpot some day, it’ll be an Aceca which joins my garage space. It’s unlike anything else and it has real presence.
The thing is though, even without that jackpot prize, there is so much loveliness to be found among the more achievable classic Fords, FIATs, Toyotas, Renaults and Simcas. And the broad display at Gavnø made it clear that “Any Classic is Better than No Classic“… Now where have I heard that slogan before?
Either way, it was good to be back at Gavnø and I shall ensure that it won’t be another seven years until I return again.
