Hong Kong’s ‘phenomenal’ classic car showcase at Gold Coast Motor Festival: Prince Michael of Kent and billionaire Michael Kadoorie admired vintage Porches, Mercedes-Benz and McLarens

Nov 15 , 2023

A group of Hong Kong car enthusiasts showed off some of the world’s rarest classics at an event over the weekend, underscoring the depth of the city’s vintage car collection.

Among the vehicles on display at the Gold Coast Motor Festival, where attendees included Prince Michael of Kent and billionaire Michael Kadoorie and his son, were three of the most celebrated Le Mans racing cars: the Porsche 911 GT1, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and McLaren F1, estimated by vintage car brokers to be worth as much as US$45 million combined.

The Gold Coast Motor Festival in Hong Kong showed off rare cars by the likes of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren.

Only 25 of the Porsche, 26 of the Mercedes and 64 McLaren F1 road cars were ever produced, and there are probably no more than three collectors in the world who have all three, according to Max Girardo of Girardo & Co., a specialist in sourcing classic cars.

“The range on display is phenomenal, completely unexpected in Hong Kong,” said Girardo, who flew from London to attend the event held in the private Gold Coast estate in western Hong Kong.

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The three cars belonged to a local collector who didn’t want to be identified, the festival organiser said.

In all, there were nearly 100 classic and racing cars including Rolls-Royces and Ferraris at the event, which was last held in 2017.

Visitors were treated to the rare sight of the complete series of the Porsche RS, including a yellow 1974 RS 3.0 that British F1 driver James Hunt used for travelling between races.

Unbeknown to many, Hong Kong is actually home to car collections that are impressive on a global level.

“I’ve followed Porsche history as a hobby for some time and I’ve never seen all these cars together,” said Antares Au, a Hong Kong racing car driver and the principal of private investment office Alpha Scorpii Ltd.

“It’s not a very well known fact that there is a deep pool of car collectors here in Hong Kong,” he said. “Some of their collections are genuinely notable on an international level.”

Hong Kong’s car aficionados are also the top clients in Asia for Gunther Werks LLC, a California-based company that customises Porsche 993 coupes by hand. Its only dealer in the region is SPS Automotive Performance in Hong Kong, which has sold more than 10 of the reworked vehicles, according to Gunther Werks Chief Executive Officer Peter Nam.

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SPS Auto also handles Italian supercar manufacturer Pagani SpA. Alberto Giovanelli, the brand’s Asia-Pacific director, launched the Huayra R at the festival to a cheering crowd, marking the car’s debut in the region. It has a limited run of 30, starting at €3.1 million (US$3.3 million) before tax.

The Pagani Huayra R was launched at the recent Gold Coast Motor Festival in Hong Kong to great aplomb.

Four out of the 30 were customised into right-hand drive on request from buyers, two from Hong Kong, one from Australia and one in Singapore. That modification alone adds €400,000 to the price tag, Giovanelli said.

Only about five women in the world own a Pagani, and one is in Hong Kong, Giovanelli said, declining to identify the owner.

“What I can tell you is that she matched her Birkin bag to the Pagani,” he said. “A blue colour with some gold accents.”

Luxury cars

Celebrated Le Mans racing cars – the Porsche 911 GT1, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and McLaren F1, worth US$45 million together – were just on show in Hong Kong
The limited-edition Pagani Huayra R was launched at the festival, marking its debut in Asia; only 5 women in the world own a Pagani, and 1 lives in Hong Kong – she even matches her Birkin to her car