Duke of London’s new classic and supercar showroom is a V12-sized boost for the Brentford Riviera

Duke of London uses its coffee shop and mezzanine bar to curate its rotating stock of sales cars; photograph Alex Penfold

Hidden in a reimagined multi-storey car park, the car dealership and events emporium are open for business

Think of Grace Kelly in To Catch A Thief as she winds along the cliff-side road in her sapphire blue 1953 Sunbeam Alpine. A ripple of pleasure pulsates through me as I imagine that scene; the cream leather steering wheel slipping through my gloved hands and my silk scarf fluttering.

That nimble convertible wouldn’t be the only TV/film car to set hearts fluttering. Who doesn’t love Starsky and Hutch’s red 1976 Ford Grand Torino – known affectionately as ‘The Striped Tomato’ – or James Bond’s gadget-packed Aston Martin DB5?

Duke of London has, for the last 12 years, tapped into the British motorist’s and movie-lover’s dream of owning a collectable car like no other vintage car specialist.

Duke of London, together with Ballymore and The Brentford Project, has transformed a newly built but unused multi-storey car park

An industrial setting

Now, in an unused car park, the clever petrolheads have paid homage to the design and engineering of the automotive world’s best-loved cars. The concrete industrial space is the perfect backdrop for Mini Coopers and Rolls-Royces and everything in between.

And you could easily imagine the next James Bond rocking up!

So, it is with huge excitement that I headed to their bunker showroom, which opened just a month ago, having migrated from warehouse premises nearby.

Duke of London has a proven track record and has sold over 1,000 vehicles since its inception; photographs Alex Penfold

Big numbers

The team was busy prepping for their monthly Classics & Cake car meet where 200-plus classic and supercars and motorbikes will be shown off on the car park rooftop by proud owners.

A fee of £10 is charged for cars, £5 for bikes and £2 for wannabes like me just coming along to drool. What could be better than hanging out with besotted owners?

Visitors are well fed and watered with beverages from a Duke pop-up bar as well jerk chicken from Mr Roy, cakes from Kew’s Original Maids of Honour and pastries from Rye By The Water. Ticket proceeds go to local charity Cocoon Care After Care.

READ MORE: about other local events for car enthusiasts.

Barista Justyna Such in the café which, if you follow the sign, you’ll find on the south-facing side

A family affair

Founded by Merlin McCormack in 2014, this family-run business began as a humble car dealership. It has now evolved into a purpose-built hybrid space composed of classic car showrooms, state-of-the-art storage facilities, event and creative spaces, a co-working centre, three bars and a coffee shop.

Nearby there are other enterprises that are part of the McCormack portfolio including The Brewery Tap pub, car workshops and Romance of Rust. The latter is the classic car restoration business founded 35 years ago by Lance McCormack, Merlin’s father, that set sons Algy, a talented metal worker, and of course Merlin on their journey.

At just 11-years-of age, Merlin bought a Peugeot 205 for £31, fixed it up and sold it on for £500, encouraged by dad. The rest is history.

READ MORE: about the McCormack links to Brentford Dock.

Now in his early thirties, Merlin has come a long way from that beat-up Peugeot because every model on Duke of London’s sales list is sensational: current stock includes a 1963 Ferrari 330 America (£299,995), a 1973 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe (£17,750) and a 2022 Maserati MC20 (£164,995).

The classic and supercar dealership can source specific vehicles for those who know exactly what they’re looking for; photograph Alex Penfold

Motoring magic

I was desperate to see the Jaguar XK120, without a doubt my favourite car, and – don’t tell my husband – but I even had fantasies of remortgaging the house and touring the French Riviera.

Surely an old fifties classic wouldn’t set me back as much as the Porsche 911 Carrera RS Clubsport (£529,995) prized for its air-cooled engine, or the sleek silver Lamborghini Aventador (£179,995) on display in their riverside coffee bar.

Disappointingly, another customer had already snapped up the Jaguar XK120 in a soft pale green, but – on a brighter note – at least my marriage is safe.

The coffee shop come car showroom on the Brent River waterfront can be flipped into an event space

Multi-purpose and multi-disciplinary

As I waited for my tour of the refurbed car park, I caught up with locals Rhiannon and Emyr Jones, who regularly drop by Corson Yard for the delicious Grind coffee with their whippet Pero.

“I love cars,” says Emyr, “so it’s the best of both worlds for me.”

“I wish it was open every single day,” adds his wife Rhiannon.

However, on Monday and Tuesday barista Justyna Such takes a well-earned break, reserving energy for the week ahead.

“There are lots of private parties, a monthly DJ event where vinyl is spun, and even a wedding coming up,” Justyna enthuses. “Tickets are selling well for the Classic & Cake event – 757 at last count!”

The genius of Duke of London’s hybrid space is that showrooms can be flipped into a party space at a moment’s notice. Vehicles are simply swapped to an upper floor that serves as a vast secure storage unit – currently holding 100+ cars.

While I sipped my decaf flat white in the car garage come café, I took a closer look at the shiny models in front of me.

Lance McCormack, founder of Romance of Rust and his prized Kustom car Planet Voodoo Mercury; photograph Juliet McDonald

Awarding-winning cars

I was instantly drawn to a mid-fifties Kustom – yes, with a K – created by Lance McCormack and, even before he explained every bit of it, I knew it was special.

“It’s an art car that started as a 1950s Mercury coupe,” says Lance, who rebuilt it into an extraordinary Kustom. “Planet Voodoo Mercury debuted at the Louis Vuitton Concours d’Elegance held at The Hurlingham Club.”

Since its debut, his uber-glamorous car has won many awards and was loaned out to French Playboy.

I was mesmerised by Lance’s descriptions – each part with its own story: the headlights of a 1953 Buick that were ‘Frenched’ like a French cuff on a shirt, the seats in green Connolly hide with bronze reptile-effect Gucci leather and, best of all, the distinctive painting on the dashboard by artist Vince Ray whose style is rooted in 1950s Americana, rockabilly, horror comics and voodoo subcultures.

When it’s time for my tour of the premises, I was salivating in anticipation at what’s to come.

Creative director and lead designer Jordan Wilkes-Siddeley is also a petrolhead and loves the Porsche 911 Carrera RS Clubsport in Riviera blue

Creative not corporate

“We’ve opened one of the coolest car showrooms ever,” says Duke of London designer Jordan Wilkes-Siddeley, who studied fashion and visual merchandising before working for Merlin.

To bring about the refurb, Jordan explains that Duke of London has had “a lot of help by a lot of different people” including Georgia at Aubrey Peck Limited and Reading & West Architects. In particular, Jordan has enjoyed that Merlin’s tastes allow for other tastes. “He’s got a distinct style, and it gave me a lot to work on.

“You go to a normal dealership and it’s boring because brands keep a tight rein, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

Plonkers Bar, open Thursday to Sunday for drinks, overlooks the showroom and has a superb viewing wall; photograph (far l) Alex Penfold

The sense of fun is everywhere

Jordon showed me into Plonkers Bar, a moody den of rich purple adjacent to the ground-floor car sales area, and I smiled at the penis and vulva signs in golden metalwork on the doors to the loos.

The sense of fun is everywhere. For party nights, there is even a photobooth where you can – for free – snap a photo with a pal. And the bars are all kitted out with audiophile-grade sound systems with speakers from Friendly Pressure and Bang & Olufsen.

“The lounge has the feeling of a speakeasy. It’s masculine, but not oppressively so, and it’s welcoming for all types of people.” A lot of care has been taken over wheelchair access which takes users through a secret door to the snug and beyond.

The mezzanine level, also known as the listening bar, is kitted out with speakers from Friendly Pressure and a rotary mixer from Varia Instruments for DJ-led events; photograph Alex Penfold

A great canvas for cars, people and music

Upstairs from Plonkers Parlour, is a creative workspace and yet another larger bar, ideal for an event, with an airy, lighter ambience and a river view. It can also be used to show cars.

There are motorcycles – also a speciality – everywhere: in the corridors, in the café bar and the co-working space.

But the stars of the show are, of course, the classic cars and supercars. From a large window in Plonkers Bar, you can view highly polished vehicles with their colours popping against the concrete.

“We had to fit a lot of elements into a pre-existing space,” explains Jordan. “The goal was to be multi-purpose and multi-disciplinary. What we’ve ended up with is a great canvas – for cars, for people, for music – and one that’s always changing.”

A stunning, ever-changing view into the sales area from Plonkers Bar; photograph Alex Penfold

Ever-changing spaces

The piece de résistance is their rooftop space with stunning views of the river and London, but it’s off-limits until the monthly car meet.

Personally, I can’t think of a more ‘wow’ space to hold a party. All I’m missing is my own classic 1950s automobile, but thankfully if you are “car mad, car curious” you are still welcome.

I’ll be there soon guys – and channelling my inner Grace Kelly!

To sign up for their next Classics & Cake event on 19 July, visit the Duke of London website or drop by the café (Wednesday to Sunday) and Plonkers Bar (from Thursday to Sunday). The showroom is to be found at The Brentford Riviera, Corson Yard, Brentford TW8 8GS.