These London Concours cars are pretty special

Where better to start than with the iconic 288 GTO. The one you see here is number 22 of the 272 built to homologate the car for the ill-fated Group B series. The headline numbers? 400bhp from a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V8 back in 1985. Ooof.

Officially produced by Jaguar’s predecessor, the Swallow Sidecar Company, this SS1 will be taking things back to the Thirties on the concours lawns of the Honourable Artillery Company. Think you’ve got a project car on the go? This one took eight years to rebuild in the 2000s.

The Miura barely needs an introduction these days. It’s the daddy of all mid-engined, two seat supercars, and to celebrate fifty years of The Italian Job opening scene there’ll be seven different cars at the concours. What’s the collective noun we wonder?

It may not be one for the purists, but how cool is this Aurelia Outlaw? The lowered roof and racing modifications pay homage to the 1951 car that competed in Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and the Carrera Panamericana.

In the early 90s, five prototypes of the McLaren F1 were built in order to test and develop the then fastest car in the world. This was number five…

Corrr. Is it just us or is the SLR getting better with age? This is a 2007 ‘722’ edition, built to pay homage to the great Stirling Moss.

Another car built for homologation purposes, this Carrera RS looks resplendent in its original, lightweight condition. Also, just check out that ducktail.

Another Porsche! But something quite different to what you might have expected. The 904 GTS was powered by a 180bhp four-cylinder engine and took a one-two in its class at Le Mans. Also, this one has been raced – we salute you.

Would it be a true British concours without an Aston? The DB5 is an icon, and this one is near perfect. It’ll be a hit with the judges for sure.

Some car/paint combinations just work don’t they. This purple Daytona is perhaps the perfect example. But which car will take top spot at the concours next week? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…