Article by Evan McMullen

Special to Sports Car Market
Published on Thursday, June 24, 2010

By Evan McMullen: Special to Sports Car Market

The annual Valetta Grand Prix—and associated Concours D’Elegance of Malta—culminated in a gala awards dinner May 9th with a rich and sophisticated grace note. The dinner successfully capped an event and festivities that exuded a sense of casual sophistication, panache and great European style.

Located in the midst of the deep, azure Mediterranean Sea, Malta is a small island below Sicily, the proud home of 400,000 inhabitants which stretches a mere 17 miles in length.

Breathtaking in its natural beauty and imbued with a deep sense of history, Malta provides a hilly and majestic backdrop for automotive competition along with a profound sense of place matched only by the warmth, character and devotion of its locals.

Prior to this year’s events, there were tours organized around the area with enthusiasts and local car clubs. The tours included visits to the historic Silent City of M’dina, the Presidential Gardens and to the local artisans at M’dina Glass. M’dina’s fortress still retains extraordinary architecture from the Middle Ages and the Baroque Period.

Both the race and the Concours were breathtakingly situated amongst the waterfront and historic bastions dating back to the Knights of Malta and before. The Concours was majestically placed at the piers alongside the mammoth tour boats.

A Petite Jewel

This year, Malta’s small but impressive Concours D’Elegance featured nearly one hundred cars, and about 45 competed. The entrants were judged by three Brits and one American — yours truly, Evan McMullen, SCMer and Managing Member of Cosmopolitan Motors LLC.

The turnout was remarkable. A Mustang, Corvette, and Jaguar placed in the top three awards. All were fabulously restored. Avid local car collectors were out in force among the assorted local car clubs—and they were especially serious competitors both on and off the track.

The Show and the Race

Against this epic Mediterranean backdrop, foreigners and locals alike aggressively competed for placement in the Saturday hill climb event. Results determined placement for the Sunday historic Grand Prix.

The race included dozens of English cars - from Austin-Healey to Jaguars to Jensen Interceptors and even three Rolls- Royce cars. The two Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows and one Spur were driven extraordinarily hard - but with great skill. One car’s smoking brakes covered the finish line – and prompted the local fire brigade to arrive with extinguishers.

There was indeed no issue, but as a replica Jaguar C-Type had been badly wrecked during the hill climbs, the organizers were very alert and cautious. Other cars on the track included many Alfas, a Lancia, some American cars, and a 1970s Mercedes 280 that was once a taxi cab. The Mercedes, which featured the standard six-cylinder gasoline engine and an automatic transmission, was extraordinarily fast and won the entire event. It’s worth noting that the car’s owner hired a local professional hill climb driver for the race, and he pummeled the competition in this Mercedes, which did have a modified exhaust.

The “People’s Choice” was a tiny 1934 Austin Sultana, complete with picnic basket, that completed the track to rousing cheers.

These events promise to grow, and visitors are welcome to participate and come next year. It is an event that will surely please all - in one of the most preserved historical spots on earth.

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