Visit to Duncan Hamilton & Company.

In September 2013, I was lucky enough to visit Duncan Hamilton & Company. For those of you that don't know, Duncan Hamilton & Company have been buying and selling classic cars for over 65 years. Founded in 1948 by Duncan Hamilton, a man with a love for Classic cars and a racing driver who won Le Mans in 1953 in a C-Type Jaguar and the 1956 12 Hours Reims at the wheel of a D-Type Jaguar. He also raced in Formula 1. Duncan Hamilton retired in 1975 handing the company over to his son Adrian Hamilton. 

In recent years Duncan Hamilton & Company have been buying examples of classic cars that were sponsored by Gulf Oil for a private collector. In just 3 years, Adrian Hamilton purchased 32 cars dating from 1967 - 2012.

Today my host is Mr Nick Maton, the sales manager of Duncan Hamilton & Company. He greets me with a big handshake and from the off beginning he makes me feel very welcome. We begin by talking about the history of the company and the various cars that they have sold in the past. We then go on to chat about the Gulf cars. 

We then walk past the house with Adrian Hamilton's Ferrari parked outside, towards the offices and garages. 

Walking past the offices in a beautiful garden we walk past a car transporter and stunning E-Type Jaguar with it's roof down.

Mr Maton then opens the garage doors to present a pair of Aston Martins, still dirty from being at Le Mans and winning their class, a Gulf sponsored McLaren driven by Peter Revson and a great looking E-Type Jaguar. With my camera at the ready I begin to take some photos. 

Once the photos are taken, we move onto the next garage. In here there are a lot of pictures on the walls and various other items. Onto the cars and we have a Porsche 917 and a McLaren F1 both have raced at Le Mans in the Gulf livery. There is also a stunning Ferrari replica from the 1950's. Although this car is a replica, it was built using genuine Ferrari parts that made the original.

We chat about the cars while I take more photos.

I am then invited to sit in the McLaren F1. Given how rare an opportunity this is I jump at the chance. In the road car, you have one seat in the front situated in the middle of the car and two seats behind the driver. This was to give the driver a better view of the road. Getting in to this F1 is not that easy as the driving seat is in the middle of the car. Once in it's a snug fit with the steering wheel in front of you along with a digital dial that I assume would give different readouts at the touch of a button, and to the right, a myriad of switches and the gear stick. Just as I get in, my host is called away to take a phone call. So here I am alone in a Le Mans racing car. It's easy to imagine driving around Le Mans in this car at high speed. 

My host soon returns and it's time to get out. My exit is even less graceful than getting into the car, we do have a bit if a laugh and joke about it. 

I am lead back outside again and spy a Ford GT on a ramp, Mr Maton explains that they are trying to find an oil leak on the car.

 I take a couple of photos and it's then on to the final garage where I see a lot of car parts and work benches, the Howmet TX is parked here and Jacky Ickx Brabham is being stripped down for maintenance. I am introduced to the mechanic who tells me a little of what he is doing. Mr Maton and the mechanic have a quick chat while I take some photos and it's interesting listening.

It's time for me to make my goodbyes to the mechanic and to thank him for his time. 

As we leave the garage its time that I left. Mr Maton walks me back to my car and a final quick chat. With a final handshake the visit is finished.

I would like to thank the staff of Duncan Hamilton and Company especially Mr Maton for allowing me to visit. I am an enthusiast not someone with lots of money who has the ability to buy one of the cars they have for sale, but they welcomed me in and took great care of me.