London seminars to explore the future of motoring

How to preserve both motorcars and the planet and will be discussed at seminars on the 22nd and 23rd of May at Concours on Savile Row in London.

The seminars will be held at the Royal Academy of Arts and are sponsored by leading tax and advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg. The moderator will be motorsports journalist Simon Taylor.

Partner at the firm Simon Sutcliffe said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the two seminars at this year’s Concours on Savile Row. We have always been at the cutting edge of providing the latest tax, accounting and financial advice to classic car collectors, investors, and traders as well as working with manufacturers.”

He added: “As the world moves on, we are now looking at how modern fuels will impact not only on the classic car world but how taxes may be levied in the future to sustain road tax and provide benefits to the modern motorist which does not appear to be on the Government’s agenda.”

On Wednesday, May 22, at 10am ‘Restoration and preservation – how tailors, the automotive market and the art world approach sustainability’ will be held.

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on how the earth’s resources are consumed and how people around the world are impacted by it – including in the production of traditional and electric motorcars, and the fashion industry.

A panel of experts will discuss the approaches to restoration and preservation that are taken by the art, automotive and tailoring worlds. As well as recycling, upcycling, fast fashion, and sustainability in tailoring and future materials.

Participants are Royal Academy Senior Collections Curator Hannah Higham, Mark Henderson, Chair of the Savile Row Bespoke Association, and Bentley specialist William Medcalf.

On Thursday 23rd May at 10.00am ‘The Future of Fuel: The Road to Zero Emissions’ will be held.

The future of mobility has never been more controversial – in particular, how we fuel our cars and bikes, whether new or classic – and how we minimise their impact on the environment and our wallets.

A panel of experts will discuss short-term versus long-term solutions to our current fuel problems, lifetime carbon impact and classic car conversions. They will also compare hydrogen, electric and synthetic fuels.

Participants are Guy Lachlan, Executive Director of the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA); Simon Sutcliffe, Customs and Excise Duty Partner at leading tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg; Patrick Fairfield, Head of Commercial at Lunaz Applied Technologies, and William Medcalf.

David Lillywhite, Editorial Director of Hothouse Media said: “The long-term preservation and generally low annual mileages of classic cars means that they’re already surprisingly environmentally friendly – but how can we improve upon that? Sustainable ‘E-fuels’ are already being used in historic racing but are they the best answer?

“How about carbon-offsetting or even electric conversions? It’s crucial that we know all the facts, which is why we’ve gathered leading experts to discuss the topic at this seminar.”