The Classic

About

Jay Leno owns more then 200 and drives a different one every day. Jerry Seinfeld has more than 40 Porsches and a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder in grey like James Dean. Enzo Ferrari described the Jaguar E-type as “The most beautiful car ever made”. Roaring engines, speed and elegant lines hint at what is special about classic cars.

Almost like a moon we can view the racing insignia on the door of the 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Lightweight that Stirling Moss drove in competition. He preferred to race British cars, stating, "Better to lose honourably in a British car than win in a foreign one".

Roger Moore drove the Volvo P1800 in the 1960’s TV series The Saint with license plate ST1 and was reportedly so smitten that he bought one for his own personal use. When asked to name his favorite "movie car" many years later, Moore stated it was the Volvo P1800: "I have a great affection for the Volvo P1800, as, of course, I owned one, as well as used one in the series. It’s a beautiful car and I still drive a Volvo to this day.”

There were only 36 cars ever made like the photographed 1961 Ferrari California Spyder 250 SWB. In 2015 one these was found abandoned in a barn in France together with many other rusted vehicles. It belonged for two years to French actor Alain Delon but then disappeared. It was sold for £ 23m and it is the fifth most expensive car ever sold.

The Lotus Elite made its debut in 1957 in Earls Court London Motor Car Show. Its most distinctive feature was its highly innovative fibreglass construction for the entire load-bearing structure of the car, though the front incorporated a steel subframe supporting the engine and front suspension. The resultant body was both lighter, stiffer, and provided better driver protection in the event of a crash. The weight savings allowed the Elite to achieve outstanding sports car performance. The production of the car ended in 1963 and just over 1030 cars were ever built.

The Bentley R-Type Continental was the fastest four-seat car in production at the time. The prototype with chassis number 9-B-VI and registration number OLG-490, which earned it the nickname "Olga", was on the road by August 1951. Despite its name, the two-door Continental was produced principally for the domestic market, most of the 207 cars produced were right-hand drive, with 43 left-hand drive examples produced for use abroad. The rarity of the R Type Continental has made the car valuable to car collectors. In 2015 a 1952 R Type Continental, in unrestored condition, sold for over $1 million USD.
Compositionally bold and varied, Stuart’s compositions stand out for their elegant aesthetic, unusual perspectives and exquisite detail, accentuated by the use of sharp contrast and strong deep shadows. From striking geometric architectural structures to tumultuous landscapes, engaging portraiture and witty still lives, Stuart approaches his subjects with perceptiveness and alacrity.

After shooting with Mamiya and Leica medium format cameras, Stuart edits and hand prints each series of images, a highly important part of the process.

Having completed his photography degree at LCP, Stuart has received awards from the Association of Photographers, Graphics, PDN New York and Communication Arts, amongst others. His work is included in the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery in London and has exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Stuart has received a number of awards, including six from The Association of Photographers who awarded him Gold for his portfolio of architectural images.

Stuart has just been shortlisted for the Travel Photographer Of The Year Awards with entries coming in from 114 countries. The categories he has been shortlisted for are Faces, People, Encounters (2 portfolios), Monochrome (2 portfolios) and A Moment in Light (1 image).