2011 Chelsea AutoLegends: Highlights & Photos

British-based auto enthusiasts are certainly accustomed to a bit of rain. Whether it's capturing that special car photo, going for a top-down spin on a Sunday afternoon or walking the London streets in search of a fresh copy of Evo, we've never allowed drizzle to get the better of us. And it's a good job too, as the 2011 Chelsea AutoLegends did have its fair share of moisture on Sunday 4th September but did excel in showing us a host of old and new pieces of metal.

In only its second year of existence, Chelsea AutoLegends 2011 welcomed car fans all over the country and was located in the grounds of Royal Hospital Chelsea, a fitting location to celebrate the theme of this event, the Swinging Sixties. Special Le Mans racers from the 60's along with roadcars from the same era proved to be hugely popular with the thronging crowds, and visitors also were treated with new exotic performance cars thanks to PistonHeads Supercar Run.

Instead of boring you with prose, let's get right down to the pictures which I managed to snap despite my Canon attracting more than a few drops of rain.

Welcoming visitors to the paddock was a yellow Ford GT40 (Le Mans 24 Hours Racer) coupled with a 1968 P400 Lamborghini Miura which houses a 3.9L V12 and which oozes old-school fame.

Interesting to see a Fiat 124 Abarth Rallye with amazingly chunky rubbers.

The Jag Parade made an appearance with this XK150 and a number of E-types celebrating their 50th birthdays.

A very cute Ferrari 250 TR...and look at those seats. They look like they're made for a garden picnic!

Strip of Le Mans 24 Hour Racers from a range of periods including prototypes made by Aston Martin and Peugeot. And further on down this line...

A spectacularly crazy Chevron B19 from 1971. This wedge-board styled Championship Car has a 285bhp Cosworth FVC powered engine and was instantly competitive finishing 2nd in the 1971 European 2-litre Sports Car Championship. Can you imagine racing this thing?

Ferrari Red 330GT

Onto some of the newer flesh, and Aston Martin's stall showcased the Cygnet. This was the first time I had seen one in the flesh and derived from the Toyota iQ, I'm happy to say it doesn't look too ridiculous. OK, so it's supposed to be a 2+2 hot hatch for the wary Aston owner who wants an everyday run around, but peering in through the side window and the interior is as expected, sublime. It's fairly wide for a "small car" but 400 vehicles have already been sold, so the proof is in the pudding.

More Italiano with the Alfa Romeo 8C Convertible, which looks breath-taking in the white paintjob featured here. In fact, the whole Alfa crew were present with the MiTo and Giulietta flanking the older 8C brother. A cute collection.

And now for a bit of Lamborghini lovin'...

Two Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4's, a Murcielago with racing stripe and the current wonderboy Aventador. A lot of reviewers have commented on Lambo's toned down approach with the brand new Aventador but seeing it in the flesh still makes my heart race. The polygonal intake ducts, sharp lines and stonking reworked V12 should be enough to get anyone salivating.

Any auto show would be incomplete without an appearance by the daddy Bugatti Veyron 16.4. I had heard a SuperSport would be in attendance but I couldn't find it amongst the hundreds of cars on display.

Ferrari too didn't disappoint. There were a whole host of F430s running around the paddock and a sighting of the critically acclaimed 458 Italia, but the pick of the bunch for me were a pristine F40, 550 Maranello, 360 Challenge Stradale and my favourite tech wonder, the 599 GTO. This is a roadcar primarily designed to race and is the second Grand Turismo Omologato after the 250 GTO, also in attendance.

With 1,270 produced altogether, this yellow Porsche Carrera GT held its place well on the lot. Stepping away from the usual Porsche flat 6, the GT has an extremely fast-revving V10 thanks to an immensely light flywheel. If you haven't already, check out the sounds it makes on YouTube.

Even rarer still is this shocking blue Pagani Zonda S which certainly attracted a large crowd. But, the ultimate crowd pleaser?

Yes you guessed it. The McLaren MP4-12C made an appearance twice, the second in yellow. This is a British darling and coupled with the launch of McLaren's new showroom in Knightsbridge, is sure to become a top-seller for the Woking based road and racecar manufacturer.

The MP4-12C is pitted against not only the 458, but Mercedes-Benz' SLS AMG which showed off a fantastic matt grey finish.

I've talked about modern rare, but this car tops the charts. Only 77 were made, and by me giving you that figure, I think you can guess which car I'm harping on about. Yes, the Aston Martin One-77 which costs just over £1 million to purchase. Unfortunately someone had decided to deck it in a maroon paint job which really doesn't do full justice to the Aston's sweeping lines.

To finish off, 2 final images. The penultimate is an award I want to give for most over-the-top exhaust pipes on show at Chelsea AutoLegends. A tuned Kleeman Mercedes-Benz SL AMG, this just shouts crazy.

And finally, an image which redeems Merc after the above fiasco. A truly beautiful sight to behold, the 300SL complete with gullwing doors. A hark back to days of old.

A big mention must go to Sir Stirling Moss who is the patron of this iconic yearly event, and who was up on the AutoGlym stage recounting many racing stories. This man is a true British racing legend and here is the closest I managed to get as the main man was surrounded by a scrum of autograph hunters.

I had a fantastic day out at 2011 Chelsea AutoLegends but have really only touched on a few cars we saw over the course of a soggy but surreal afternoon of supercars. For all 85 of the images we took, please take a look at the Gallery below.