SIX OF THE BEST GO ALL THE WAY TO ELEVEN AS CENTRAL DISPLAY EXPANDS

• The 'Perfect Ten' classic categories grow with Ferrari tribute

• Sixty-six special cars – some unique – represent 100 years of motoring

• All will be paraded along The Grand Avenue throughout the show

• Full list of star cars at end of release

Sixty-six of the world's most intriguing, unusual, exotic and genre defining cars will come under the spotlight at the London Classic Car Show (23-26 February, London ExCeL).

Ranging from a 1904 British-built 9.6-litre Maudsley – the supercar of its day – to a Ferrari Enzo built almost 100 years later, they will form one of the show's central features, The Grand Avenue.

Sixty of the cars have been split into 10 different categories, six to a group, to produce a provocative automotive history embracing the expected, unexpected and the controversial, to form this year's theme: The Perfect Ten.

The Perfect Ten categories are saloon, coupé, four-seat convertible, sports car, supercar, hatchback, shooting brake, sports racer, single seater and aerodynamic pioneers.

And, as a last-minute surprise extra, an 11th category will join the Perfect Ten: a Ferrari Tribute, featuring six of the best cars ever to wear the Prancing Horse badge.

The cars will not only be on static display in an expanded Open Paddock but will also be driven along The Grand Avenue, an indoor highway at the centre of the exhibition hall, at regular intervals during the four days of the show.

Representing saloons are cars as diverse as a Hooper-bodied Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith from 1955, the avant-garde NSU Ro80 which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and arguably the most famous Ford Escort of them all, FEV 1H, the actual car that won the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally.

Coupés range from the unusual 1966 Mazda Cosmo via the ever-popular Ford Capri to the fearsome Audi Sport Quattro, while convertibles include the 1931 Invicta S Type, the sophisticated Alvis Short Chassis 4.3 Lancefield Concealed Hood from 1937 and the stunning tulip wood-bodied Hispano Suiza HC6.

The sports car category includes the lithe Lotus Elan and the car it inspired, the Mk 1 Mazda MX-5 which appears in its orange and green Le Mans limited edition colours, while supercars range from the remarkable 1904 Maudsley to the rare Monteverdi 375L 'High Speed' via Porsches and Lamborghinis.

Hatchbacks include the expected Mk1 VW Golf GTi and Ford Escort Cosworth (the only example painted bright yellow) but also includes the Aston Martin DB2/4, arguably the first hatchback ever made.

Before the hatchback came the estate or shooting brake and the Perfect Ten includes an early Land Rover once owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, and no fewer than three 'woodies', one each from Bentley, Morris (Mini) and Ford.

Although competition cars often feature in other categories, the sports racer group ranges from a Brooklands Alvis to a Porsche 911 Le Mans racer via a Jaguar C-type.

Single-seaters include another Brooklands racer, the famous Aston Martin 'Razor Blade', said to be the narrowest racing car ever built. Its distinctive shape inspired the racing car silhouette featured on the badge of the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC). The category also includes a fabulous Ferrari 246 Dino, Lotus 21 and a Crosslé 32F FF1600 in which Nigel Mansell cut his racing teeth.

The tenth category, for aerodynamic pioneers, includes several slippery customers features the rear-engined Tatra T97, the pioneering Audi 100 saloon and the extraordinary Alfa Romeo 6C Aerodinamica Spider, with its low drag body and centrally-mounted driving position. The Alfa looks as if it comes from the 1960s, but is, in fact, a pre-war design.

There will be four Grand Avenue outings for cars from The Perfect Ten (+1) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and one on the opening Thursday evening. A complete list of the 66 cars can be found at the end of this release.

“None of the cars chosen for the Perfect Ten and for the Ferrari Tribute can be classed as ordinary. We have gone to extreme lengths to gather unusual examples under the different headings,” said Bas Bungish, event director.

“For example, the hatchback category includes a Vauxhall Astra GTE, but this is no ordinary GTE. It's the rare 'Hide and Sleek' special edition, built to mark John Cleland's victory in the 1989 British Touring Car Championship and colloquially known as the Astra Champion. One of its special features was leather badges. On the outside-”

Now in its third year, the London Classic Car Show is bigger than ever and will have more than 700 stunning classic cars on display, some for sale from leading dealers in the classic world. The show has always attracted star names and this year's visitors will include Le Mans Legends Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell as guests of honour.

This year, the London Classic Car Show even incorporates a second show, Historic Motorsport International (HMI), which is devoted to historic racing and rallying.

Entry to the London Classic Car Show incorporates free entry to HMI. Historic Motorsport International will open its doors at 12 noon on Thursday, 23 February while the London Classic Car Show will burst into life at 3pm that afternoon.

Tickets to the 2017 London Classic Car Show/HMI are now available from the show website – thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk – and start at £24 for single adult entry (£27 on the door on the day). Gala Evening standard entry costs £42 or for access to the Grand Avenue Club, where the interviews take place, tickets cost £70. It's not to be missed!

PERFECT TEN CATEGORIES

Saloon
1927 Lancia Lambda
1955 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Hooper Touring limousine
1975 NSU Ro80
1979 Mercedes 450 SEL
1982 Aston Martin Lagonda (wedge)
1970 Ford Escort (London to Mexico winner)

Coupe
1965 Ford Mustang 269 GT
1966 Alvis TF21 Graber
1969 Mazda Cosmo Series II
1973 Ford Capri Mk 1 3000 GXL
1974 Bitter CD
1985 Audi Sport quattro

Convertible (4-seat)
1924 Hispano Suiza HC6 Tulip wood
1931 Invicta S Type
1934 Railton Terraplane
1937 Alvis 4.3 Lancefield
1966 Mercedes 220
1966 Citroen DS Chapron

Sports car
1913 Chalmers Model 17
1963 Lotus Elan Series 1
1965 Triumph Fury
1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda
1991 Mazda MX-5 Mk 1 Le Mans edition
1964 Austin Healey 3000 Mk3 (Alpine Rally winner)

Supercar
1904 Maudsley 9.6-litre
1938 Mercedes 540K
1968 Lamborghini Miura S
1971 Monteverdi 375L High Speed
1973 Porsche 911 RS
1988 Lamborghini Countach Anniversary

Hatchback
1953 Aston Martin DB2/4
1983 VW Golf GTi Mk 1
1990 Vauxhall Astra GTE Champion Edition
1992 Peugeot 205 GTI 1FM edition
1993 Ford Escort Cosworth
1986 MG Metro 6R4 GpB

Shooting Brake
1929 Ford Model A 'Woodie'
1949 Bentley MkVI Countryman 'Woodie'
1956 Land Rover 107 (ex-Duchy of Cornwall)
1960 Peugeot 403 'Emmanuelle'
1966 Morris Mini-Minor Mk1 Traveller 'Woodie'
1995 Audi RS2 Avant quattro

Sports Racer
1931 Alvis Powys-Lybbe Brooklands special
1953 Jaguar C-type Ecurie Ecosse
1960 Lotus Elite Le Mans
1964 Crosslé 5S V8
2002 Porsche 911 (996) Le Mans

Single-seater
1923 Aston Martin Razor Blade
1928 Maserati
1960 Ferrari 246 Dino
1961 Lotus 21
1977 Crosslé FF1600, Nigel Mansell livery
1983 Toleman F1, ex-Derek Warwick

Aerodynamic Pioneer
1936 MG PB Airline coupe
1938 Alfa 6C Aerodinamica Spider
1938 Tatra T97
1964 Jaguar E-type, Lindner-Knocker low drag coupe
1986 Ford Sierra Cosworth
1989 Audi 100 C3

Ferrari Tribute
1952 Ferrari 212 Inter
1965 Ferrari 330 Vignale Shooting Brake
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB4
1971 Ferrari 246 Dino
1990 Ferrari F40
2002 Ferrari Enzo

Please note: The final 'Perfect 10' selection is subject to change