Gallery: Ford jazzes up Earls Court
Walking into the Earls Court Motor Show at the Goodwood Revival is always an exciting moment. It’s a world within a world and always feels that extra bit special once you plant your feet on the red carpet. This year, the motor show celebrates Steve McQueen’s greatest movie moments with iconic cars, naturally, so that makes it all the better.
Once you funnel through the art deco entrance one of the first things to hit your is the sound of swing music reverberating from the back of the building. Follow your ears and it won’t be long until you find yourself at the Henry Ford Jazz Lounge.
Judging by the snaking line of revellers being entertained by a live jazz band and energetic jive-dance demonstration as they wait for a vintage photoshoot, Henry’s Lounge is a popular little joint.
Aside from the iconic Steve McQueen Ford Mustang we spotted housed nearby, Ford has also brought along a lovely, if a little subtler, Consul MkII convertible. Originally launched at the London Olympia Motor Show of 1955, the radically new Americana styling was an instant hit and brought a US-style car to British roads for the first time. Only 9,398 of the Consul 375 Convertible MkIIs were ever produced before production halted in 1962, making it somewhat of a rare bird these days.
The 1700cc four-cylinder example on display is certainly worth a closer inspection. If you can pull your eyes away from the fancy footwork and general excited hubbub from the rest of the Henry Ford Jazz Lounge.
Photography by James Lynch
