One of only 240 remaining Spitfires worldwide will be displayed at Concours on Savile Row at Gieves and Hawkes tailors on the 22nd and 23rd of May.

The Spitfire is one of the most iconic British fighter planes, known for its contribution to the Battle of Britain – and the fuselage of one of the most historic Spitfires, AA810, will be exhibited at the latest edition of the Concours, along with a replica of the Merlin engine that will go into the restored plane.

At 80-plus years old, Spitfire AA810 is the world’s oldest unarmed military reconnaissance aircraft. AA810 is also the only surviving aircraft linked to any of those involved in the infamous ‘Great Escape’, commemorating the 80th anniversary this year. It has the highest operational hours flown of any surviving variant of the Mk1 Spitfire at 52 hours of operational front-line flying – a huge number for a combat aircraft of the time.

AA810 was flown operationally by one of the most famous pre-war racing drivers of all time, A.F.P. Fane, who flew the Spitfire on two occasions.

The Spitfire was also flown by Sandy Gunn, a Scottish pilot who was part of an unarmed RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Unit. He was shot down over the Trollheimen mountains of Norway and was captured. Gunn was one of 76 men who escaped the Stalag Luft III prison camp on the night of 24–25th March 1944 in the ‘Great Escape’ – sadly, he was caught after two days on the run and killed.

AA810 was discovered 76 years after the crash in July 2018 by volunteers for the Spitfire AA810 Project, who collected the wreckage to restore the Spitfire to its former glory.

Fewer than 60 Spitfires are capable of flight; the Spitfire AA810 Project is hoping to complete the restoration of AA810 so it can take to the air in late 2025. The Spitfire should be at air shows across the UK and Europe in 2026.

Specialist aircraft restoration companies all over the UK, including those with legacy links to wartime Spitfire production, are supporting the project. The structure work is primarily being completed on the Isle of White, and systems work is being completed in Oxfordshire, Luton, Glasgow, Kent, and Coventry, amongst others.

The restoration has been able to reuse about 35% of the original wreckage, which has passed airworthy inspection. On top of that, the project has acquired other serviceable wartime parts and equipment, which are undergoing inspection, testing, and overhaul. Ultimately, they hope to have nearly 50% of the aircraft using parts originally manufactured in wartime.

Thomas Muers-Raby, Chief Marketing Officer of Gieves & Hawkes, said: “We are delighted to be able to showcase Project Spitfire AA810’s fuselage and replica engine to our guests and visitors during Concours on Savile Row. Our very foundation over 250 years ago was the result of two famous military tailors coming together. Gieves as a celebrated supplier to the Navy and Hawkes of the British Army. Today, the services we offer all branches of the British Armed Forces remain equally important to us, and we are immensely proud of this.

“Maintaining our reputation and the continued trust of our military customers is earnt only through years of training, dedication, and meticulous attention to detail. The same level of craftsmanship and dedication clearly visible in the AA810 Restoration Project demonstrates a tangible connection between one another, and we are honoured to pay tribute to the story behind this Spitfire and the bravery of her pilot, Sandy Gunn.”