Meet Cognoscenti – a brand new, very exclsuive car club, for those with a passion for historically important and significant motor cars, driving great roads, living the luxury lifestyle and Scotland! The organisation is set to officially launch this year, but ran its first event late in 2012, with a wonderful drive featuring some 30 incredible classics driving some of the best roads in stunning Scottish surroundings. The first drive also took in a private lunch at the stunning, brilliantly eccentric Candacraig House in the heart of Royal Deeside (Billy Connelly and Pamela Stevenson’s Highland retreat). The event organisers were coy about the value of vehicles taking part on this exclusive excursion but we are estimating somewhere in the region of £15 million!
The club says: "Although designed for those with their own classic car, people can join in by being chauffeured in a 1924 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. This is ultra exclusive and high end club – staying at the best of places not normally available to the public. The trips involve some stunning scenery with the very finest of food and drink. And it's all less than 90 mins away from the City or Gatwick Airports."
The chaps behind The Cognoscenti are David Goodwin and Raymond A Gray. If David has one passion in life, it is classic motor cars and he will drove the launch event in a stunning 1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. He said: "I know that there are many people in Scotland and the UK who share my passion for wonderful automobiles. The problem has been getting like-minded people together to share their memories and experiences of their pride and joy. As I regard Scotland has having some of the finest driving roads and some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, I decided to set up The Cognoscenti to allow fellow enthusiasts the chance to actually drive some of these wonderful cars and enjoy the very best that Scotland has to offer."
The Cognoscenti already has plans for more one-day events such as dinners, whisky tastings and distillery visits but also extensive three and five night tours next year with several routes planned around Scotland staying in some of Scotland’s most iconic properties such as Gleneagles Hotel, Aldourie Castle, Fasque House and Drummuir Castle. Ultimately, it is hoped that historic car enthusiasts from all over the world will travel to Scotland to take part.
Cognoscenti consultant Helen McKenzie-Smith said: "Although we haven’t yet officially launched The Cognoscenti, word has already began to spread and we have received a number of enquiries from as far away as America and the Far East."
The first drive was filmed by Aberdeen based B4 Films for North American TV channel PBS as part of their TV series ‘Great Estates’ about Scottish Country Estates, to be broadcast coast to coast prime time. later this year
Mike Cantlay, Chairman, Visit Scotland is extremely supportive of The Cognoscenti and their vision of showing the best of Scotland in this unique way. He said: "Scotland is in the fortunate position to be home to a plethora of great driving roads made all the better by some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery. This event and those that are planned for the future will showcase Scotland’s at its very best and act a great endorsement of Scottish tourism."
For more information, please do email
david@the-cognoscenti.com or
helen@the-cognoscenti.com Cars included in the first rally included:
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, AC Le Mans Coupe 1964 ‘A98’, Ferrari 250 GT Ellena, Ferrari 246 GT Dino, Maserati Mistral Spyder, Jaguar E-Type Low Drag Coupe, Aston Martin DB6 Volante, Jaguar E-Type S1 Coupe FHC, AC Ace Bristol, AC Cobra 427, Aston Martin DB4 Series V, E-Type Lightweight, Austin Healey 3000 Mk 1 Rally Rep, Jaguar E-Type SIII V12 2+2 Coupe, Rolls Royce Silver Ghost (Ex Maharaja), Bentley 3 / 4 ½, Bentley Continental S1 DHC, Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental, Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III, Rolls-Royce 4 door Barker cabriolet, Austin Healey 100M
Jaguar E-Type SIII Roadster Commemorative.
