Review of 2009

4th January 2010

I find it hard to believe that it has been a year since I sat and wrote my review of 2008. How time has flown. We are just a couple of days into the New Year so I thought it was time to collate my thoughts on the year that was 2009. Frank Dale & Stepsons had a busy year attending many concours events and motoring shows around Europe, something we have been doing for approaching thirty years now. As always, our travels began in Belgium in March where we exhibited two Bentleys at the Antwerp Classic Salon. The three day show was well attended and we were fortunate enough to win a concours prize for the 1938 Bentley 4 ¼ Litre Drophead by Hooper we had on display, finishing second to a fabulous Alvis that had been extensively restored. In April we travelled to Germany to exhibit five Bentleys at the Techno Classica in Essen. This fantastic event is a must for all classic car enthusiasts and some of the cars on display throughout the twelve halls were quite superb. We were delighted to be given first place in the concours d’elegance coupe section for the 1948 Bentley Cresta by Facel/Farina we had on display. With approximately 4,000 cars to choose from, the judges must have had a great deal to ponder, but we were very pleased to be rewarded in this way. Domestically speaking we attended the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club Annual Rally in June before exhibiting at the Bentley Drivers Club Annual Rally for the first time, which was a very pleasant day in the lovely surroundings of Broughton Castle. The Frank Dale & Stepsons Trophy was presented for the first time in the BDC annual concours d’elegance, awarded to the best Bentley R or S Type Continental. It was nice to see so many fabulous Rolls-Royce and Bentleys on display and it was a day I greatly enjoyed. In July we provided two cars for the Cartier Style et Luxe concours at Goodwoods very popular Festival of Speed at the request of Lord March. A number of coachbuilt Rolls-Royces were invited to attend and we were delighted to see two of our Silver Wraiths by Hooper taking part on Goodwoods sun scorched lawns. In September we held our first Open Day at our West London headquarters which was a great success. We had around twenty cars on display in our main showroom, made up of some cars from our own personal collection, some cars from our current inventory and a selection of cars that were kindly loaned to us for the day by their proud owners. There was something for everybody, with a beautiful Silver Ghost sitting alongside our own Phantom I, Phantom II, Phantom II Continental and Phantom III. Pre-war Bentley fans also had a 3 Litre, 4 ½ Litre, Speed Six replica and both 3 ½ and 4 ¼ Litre models to view. We had an extensive selection of 1950’s Bentley Continentals on the premises, including three R Type Continentals, two S1 Continental convertibles and seven S1 Continental fastbacks, together with a selection of other coachbuilt classics from this fabulous chapter in the company’s history. With some fifty cars on display throughout our buildings, there was something for everyone. Our guests were also free to view our fully functioning workshop and trimming shop and were invited to enjoy chauffeur driven trips with my drivers in both a Rolls-Royce Phantom III and a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, which proved to be very popular. With somewhere in the region of 400 people attending throughout the day, it was a great success, and an event we will be repeating this coming year on Sunday May the 9th. If you would like to attend please contact our London office for an invitation. Our final event of the year was once again at Goodwood, for the Revival meeting in late September. We provided a number of cars for Lord March and his guests as well as exhibiting a dozen cars in the main field across from the circuit, next to the pre 1966 car park. The event was once again graced by good weather and was attended by vast crowds. So as you can see, it was a busy year for us attending a great number of marvellous events. 2008 was obviously a difficult year for many industries, and 2009 was also a testing time for many companies. However for Frank Dale & Stepsons it was once again a very productive twelve months, surpassing our achievements of the previous year. The trends set in late 2007 and throughout 2008 continued into 2009 in my opinion. Those being that the most stylish cars, built in relatively few numbers, in good to excellent condition continued to find new homes, with values continuing to appreciate at a sensible but steady pace. I personally see this trend continuing onwards into the future, with certain classic models holding their value and others that buyers find more desirable continuing to appreciate. The end of the global recession and the return to financial growth that is predicted in 2010 will no doubt help the classic car market further, even though it has more than held its own during recessionary times. A good quality vintage or classic Rolls-Royce or Bentley motor car has continued to attract the attention of investors and enthusiasts alike, with more and more people appreciating the enjoyment that can be attained when owning such a motor car. We have sold a record number of Bentley Continentals over the past twelve months, both in the public market place and also by private treaty. The weakness of Sterling has clearly assisted us, with our cars looking more attractively priced to buyers abroad. A great number of our cars have found new homes all over Europe, in Switzerland, Northern America and Australasia, keeping our shippers very busy. So it has been a busy period of trading and I put this down to the excellent selection of rare and desirable cars in top condition that we have consistently been able to offer for sale. We have specialised in finding the very best cars for our showroom and we continue to do so, so if you are considering selling or consigning your current Rolls-Royce or Bentley motor car either I, my co-director James Crickmay or his son Giles would be pleased to hear from you. Aside from the sales department, the workshop and trimming shop have also had a very busy year, restoring a number of cars of great importance including several 1950’s Bentley Continentals and a number of pre-war Rolls-Royces. My workshop manager Vincent Roma has once again done a great job in overseeing these projects, along with taking care of the usual day to day servicing and maintenance of our customer’s cars. We are also now capable of servicing the most modern Bentleys, the Continental GT’s and modern Flying Spurs in our workshop. So there has been a great deal to reflect upon when considering the past twelve months and I am looking forward to the New Year and the new decade very much. Hopefully the spring will bring some better weather to London so I can begin to use my own Bentley once again on a more consistent basis. I would like to wish you a happy and healthy 2010 and look forward to perhaps seeing you at either our West London headquarters or at one of the various motoring events I will be attending. Happy driving and best wishes. Ivor Gordon (Chairman of Frank Dale & Stepsons)