5 QUESTIONS WITH Simon Kidston

5 Questions with Simon Kidston

1. First, you're one of the most respected names in the collector car world. Please tell us a bit about yourself and how it all began.

For as long as I can remember I loved cars: fast ones, luxurious ones, racing cars, basically anything unusual. I grew up on farms in the countryside, first in England then in Italy, so I only learned about cars from books and TV. My Dad was much older and had owned many sports cars when they were still new, from the late 1920s to the 1970s, and that started me researching them in my spare time and learning more about older cars and not just the latest ones most of us follow when we’re young.

After dropping out of university I decided I wanted to work in the classic car world, and luckily got a junior position at a famous dealership in a London mews which also organized auctions. I worked there for eight years, got to understand the business and built up a network especially of European clients as I spoke French and Italian.

A rival auction house then headhunted me to start a business in Geneva which I ran for ten years before taking the plunge and starting my own company in 2006. Our specialty is researching and finding the rarest cars around the world for high level collectors, which has led to also publishing books, making short films and owning a restoration business in Italy. We like to celebrate the fun and romantic side of classic cars, not the investment angle which is short term and superficial.

2. How would you describe your personal approach to dressing — and has your world of classic cars shaped it in any way?

Our business is about history, rarity, elegance, authenticity and attention to detail. We move between the modern world and the past throughout every working day. It’s inevitable that those qualities- maybe you’d call them weaknesses, or at least quirks- filter through to daily style choices. When I was starting out, many of my clothes were ‘borrowed’ from my Dad- lots of tweed jackets and ties which nobody wears any more except at Goodwood!

3. In your world, provenance and patina define value. Do you see the same logic in menswear?

Authenticity is probably the most important ingredient. Personally I like brands with a story and a character, not something which just relies on a logo or a price. As someone with a strong sense of history, classic style appeals the most but better still if it has a cheeky twist. British and Italian style are hard to beat.

4. What have cars taught you about buying well and building a collection meant to last?

Avoid fashions in any field: they come and go and date quickly. Look for intrinsic value and everything you collect should have a common thread, otherwise your garage (and perhaps wardrobe) will look like a warehouse.