BIO: Charles Chong
Early Life
Born in Kuala Lumpur in July 1953, Charles Chong hails from a wealthy Malaysian Chinese land owning family.
Although Malaysia was hardly a hotbed of high end motoring during the 1950s and 60s, young Chong developed a penchant for luxury and performance cars starting with a fascination for his uncle’s brand new Jaguar E-type 3.8 OTS Roadster (BG 9388). This early passion was amplified when a Jaguar D-type drove passed the family home in Kuala Lumpur one day while Chong was outside playing Badminton.
Soon afterwards, Chong had learnt to drive; as a twelve year old boy, the family chauffeur began to let him pilot an Austin Cambridge and his father’s Mercedes-Benz 220S Saloon (BG 6116) to and from evening tuition!
In January 1967 (aged 13), Chong arrived at boarding school in England. While most of his fellow boarders would return home at half-term, Chong spent time car spotting along Finchley Road in North London. He collected every piece of motoring literature available and knew performance figures for all the best sports cars by heart.
October 1968 saw Chong pay a visit to the London Motor Show at Earls Court where Lamborghini’s British concessionaire had a lime green Miura and a metal flake gold Espada on display. Along with the Ford GT40, the Miura was Chong’s favourite car and posters of both vehicles adorned his study walls at home in Malaysia.
During one half-term in 1968, Chong (along with a cousin) made his first trip to the Playboy Club on Park Lane. While in London, he also developed a passion for personalised registration plates upon seeing an Aston Martin DBS float down Baker Street adorned with the number EE 1.
Some early cars
Chong acquired his first cars in 1969 (aged 15): a silver 1968 Jaguar E-type 4.2 FHC 2+2 which he purchased from the local British Leyland dealer in Kuala Lumpur (Wearnes Bros.) and a white 1964 Triumph TR4 (DBP 130B) bought from the pages of Exchange & Mart in the UK. As he was still at school, Chong had to rent a local garage in which to keep the Triumph.
After leaving school in the summer of 1971, Chong’s TR4 was replaced with a lime green Marcos GT (XOR 1J) which he kept for a few months. Around this time (aged 18), Chong acquired the first of his eight Rolls-Royces, a Corniche convertible, which he kept for six months.
In late 1971, Chong purchased the first of his 15 Ferraris: a 1969 Dino 206 GT painted Rosso Dino (JYT 194K). The “beautifully balanced but rather placid” Dino (bought from Silvertune on New Kings Road) was swapped for a new Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (MLL 4L) through Paul Michaels at Hexagon of Highgate in August 1972.
The spring of 1973 saw the black and white Lotus replaced by a new Chevrolet Corvette 454 Stingray T-top purchased from Lendrum & Hartman. Chong said of the Corvette “it flattered to deceive, was quickly sold and I never bought another American car again. For comfortable open top cruising, the Jaguar E-type V12 Roadster was far superior!” Chong had them in Azure Blue, Heather and British Racing Green.
In mid 1974 Chong purchased a low mileage Dino 246 GTS (TGJ 230M in Rosso Corsa) from Gerry Marshall on Finchley Road. However, after a few months, the move to a twelve cylinder Ferrari beckoned…
Thoroughbreds by Volume
In early 1975, 21 year old Chong replaced the Dino with a Giallo Fly 365 GTB/4 Daytona (MYH 275L, later 45 ACE) which was another car acquired from Hexagon. Like his previous machines, the yellow Daytona was used to commute to and from all Chong’s favourite Mayfair gaming houses and clubs likes Tramps and Annabel’s.
“Filled with youthful exuberance and fervour, I took it in my stride to use this formidable Ferrari Daytona every day. From the chip shop to the casino, it went everywhere. The experience of a lifetime and one that I still cherish. The Daytona was truly a masterpiece and, with its mellifluous V12 engine note, poetry in motion. Simply perfect for trips home through London during the early morning hours.”
Despite having regarded the yellow Daytona his favourite sporting car thus far, within a few months it had vacated the garage at Chong’s Hampstead home for a pair of super exotic rarities: a white Lamborghini Miura P400 SV (NGM 100M, sourced through David Salamone of Blenheim Cars in St. Johns Wood) and a white Maserati Ghibli SS Spyder (7 BAJ purchased from a private ad in The Sunday Times).
Chong had first seen the Maserati (one of three right-hand drive SS in the UK) while out jogging one misty night in Muswell Hill three years prior. He fell in love with the design there and then, but the Ghibli proved unreliable like so many unusual Italian thoroughbreds of the era.
It was a similarly story for the Miura SV as the Italian Car Centre (Lamborghini’s British distributor on Alie Street) had closed its doors. Within a matter of months, both cars had departed to be replaced by a low mileage example of the Ferrari he should never have sold: a Nocciola M-registration Daytona sourced from David Salamone: “I welcomed the return of those dulcet tones from the fabulous Colombo V12 that I had so missed and this latest car was an absolute dream. It had majesty and ran like the wind as opposed to the mad as a hatter Miura SV. Once again, all was well at home in the garage. At least for a short while…”
1975 also saw Chong acquire the CCC 1 and CCC 2 number plates that went on to adorn several of his cars. The plates were purchased as a pair for £5000 from an advert in The Sunday Times. Included in the price was a Datsun 240Z and a Mercedes 200 saloon. Chong ventured into deepest Wales, handed over the cash on a remote farm and, having half expected to be mugged, was surprised when both cars turned up the next day on a transporter. The Datsun and Mercedes were promptly sold on for about the same £5000 that Chong had paid to get the plates.
Over the winter of 1975-1976, Chong purchased a 1300 mile Porsche 911 3.0 Turbo from 17 year old car dealer Adrian Hicks in Lanchester Road, Highgate. Chong found the Copper Brown Metallic machine (LLA 414P) “not bad at all, well built, a little sluggish until the turbo kicked in, but perfect in terms of practicality and refinement”.
Within a few weeks, the Porsche was joined by one of two Rolls-Royce Camargues that Chong owned between 1976 and 1981. Throughout that period, the Pininfarina-styled Camargue was renowned for having been the most expensive production car in the world.
Because it was nearly impossible to get hold of a brand new Camargue in the UK at the time (Rolls-Royce were only building around one car per week and most were destined for export), a handsome low mileage Cobalt Blue example with dark red upholstery was acquired from William Loughran up in Preston. Chong bought the number 772 D to adorn this elegantly configured Coupe.
The next twelve months saw Chong put around 5000 miles on the blue Camargue as it became his car of choice in which to commute from Hampstead to the clubs of central London: “It was a huge car, very wide, but a real statement piece as everyone knew what it was. Valets would give it pride of place outside any club so it always attracted a big crowd.”
Later in 1976, Chong replaced his bronze Daytona and 930 with a red Series 3 Lamborghini Espada (VCO 7) and an example of Ferrari’s latest mid-engined twelve cylinder model: a Blu Chiaro 365 GT4 BB (KPJ 966P).
The Espada was purchased from an advert in The Sunday Times. It only stayed for around three months, during which Chong found it “not at all to my liking”.
The BB was more his cup of tea. It had originally been ordered by Maranello Concessionaires boss, Colonel Ronnie Hoare, who had requested the normally black carb covers be painted body colour. Chong considered the BB “more agile than the Daytona, a perfect everyday car”.
Made to Order
On August 1st 1977 (having just turned 24) Chong took delivery of a brand new black over beige Ferrari 512 BB which had a more refined nature than the earlier Berlinetta Boxer on account of its torquier engine (which had been enlarged from 4.4 to 4.8-litres). The BB (registered TYE 512S) was purchased from Coopers in Rothley: “It was the epitome of a modern sports car which, although still needing frequent visits to Maranello Concessionaires to remain in tune, was much easier to live with than the older variant”.
The acquisition of this new Ferrari heralded a ruinously expensive passion for keeping a fleet of the very latest luxury marques (Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz), all of which were bought brand new and most configured to Chong’s exacting specification. The ensuing four years saw a flurry of cars from these manufacturers replaced on an almost yearly basis.
Chong’s obsession for mint presentation was evidenced during late September 1977 following an incident with the by now two month old Ferrari Boxer. While being washed on the sloping driveway of his Hampstead home, the car (which had not had its handbrake properly applied) rolled backwards and dinged its engine cover. A local paint repair was carried out on the affected area (about the size of a 50 pence piece) but Chong was unhappy in the knowledge his car had been repainted. Within a few days, a replacement Ferrari BB had been ordered from Maranello Concessionaires.
The new black on black Berlinetta Boxer, which arrived in February 1978, was registered 41 CYC and Chong spent many happy hours behind the wheel of what became his favourite Ferrari: “During seven to eight thousand miles I became so familiar with that car it was like an extension of my body, the muscle memory meant it was second nature to smoothly snick through the gears and perfectly match the revs”.
By the time he had taken delivery of this latest Ferrari Boxer, Chong had also ordered a new Rolls-Royce from Jack Barclay on Berkeley Square: an ivory over magnolia example of the then recently introduced Silver Shadow 2. Chong had been impressed with a Kuwaiti friend’s example (the first in London, registered NG 4) but would have to wait until the spring of 1979 before he could take delivery.
However, a few weeks later, Chong happened to be walking by the Rolls-Royce Conduit Street showroom when he noticed a Morland Green over beige Shadow 2 on the saleroom floor. By a stroke of luck, the unregistered car was up for sale. As he needed a new Roller having sold his Camargue six months prior (and as the Shadow 2 was in great demand with a circa 18 month waiting list), Chong concluded a deal to buy it on the spot reasoning he would not lose too much when he sold the car a short while later.
Chong found the Silver Shadow 2: “Practically faultless. Arguably the best Rolls-Royce ever. Its combination of build quality, comfort and elegance was unmatched at the time. Everything was perfect; not too flashy, very sturdy and just the right size for manoeuvring around London. The audio system was also great and I went on to spend many happy hours in these cars which I considered the Best of British.”
He was in fact so impressed that, when Rolls-Royce of Conduit Street informed him they had an ivory over navy blue Shadow 2 cancelled order in build and set to arrive during the summer of 1978, Chong immediately agreed to buy it as a replacement for his green example.
Shortly afterwards, on a sunny Sunday afternoon during that summer of 1978 and while out in his black Ferrari BB, Chong had a fateful encounter which inspired him to buy back one of his previous cars: the white Miura SV he had owned for a brief period in 1975. Travelling along Gloucester Road (and with Rod Stewart’s Hot Legs playing on the stereo), the Ferrari was overtaken by a rapid lime green Miura SV with the registration LUC 38K. Soon afterwards, the Lamborghini pulled into a Texaco service station where Chong discovered it was none other than Rod Stewart behind the wheel.
There and then Chong thought: “There was simply no comparison between the BB and a well-sorted Miura SV which seemed to have so much more character. On Monday morning I called the broker Malcolm Clarke and asked him to find me one”.
In a fortuitous coincidence, Clarke informed Chong that his old Miura SV had just come back onto the market. The next day, Clarke delivered the car to Chong’s residence where a deal was struck at £7000. Chong then dispatched the Lamborghini to Rardley Motors who were given free rein to: “Make it the best Miura SV in the world”.
A little later, Chong soon sent the SV (which he re-registered CCC 1) to the Rolls-Royce service centre on Hythe Road to have its gold sills repainted white and the gold wheels repainted silver.
By this time, Chong had acquired a second Hampstead property along with a Marble Arch penthouse which meant storage for his growing fleet was not a problem.
Early spring of 1979 saw the white on blue Miura SV, the black on black 512 BB, the ivory on navy Silver Shadow 2 and his blue Mercedes 450 SLC joined by the ivory with magnolia Rolls-Royce Shadow 2 that Chong had ordered a year earlier (YUU 271T).
Upon delivery, it was taken to an underground garage on Park Lane for an in-car telephone to be installed: “It was a one-way phone. You picked up the receiver and it would automatically call the operator who transferred you through to the requested number. I didn’t need it for any reason other than to let ladies know when I was at their doorstep ready to fetch them.”
In late 1979, and having purchased three new Silver Shadow 2s in quick succession, Chong was granted the opportunity to place an order for one of the first 5000-series Camargues which most notably featured independent rear suspension. Remarkably, owing to massive inflationary pressure, the Camargue’s list price had risen from a little under £30,000 back in 1975 to over £80,000, re-affirming its status as the most expensive production car in the world.
This latest Camargue (delivered in April 1980 and registered CYO 969V) was configured precisely how Chong wanted it: Fenland Sage with magnolia leather and black carpet. The exterior matched a friend’s Camargue (registered 1 MY) and the two cars were often seen together in London.
“The new Camargue was a sensation, I had spent a long time pondering the configuration; my usual choice of black on black would not have done it justice. It usually caused quite the stir as we sailed into my favourite London clubs. Upon arrival the jockeys and staff would hurry the dance attendance on us.”
Back to Business
In 1981, after ten years of London life, Chong decided the time was right to head back to Kuala Lumpur and manage his family’s real estate business. The UK properties and cars were all sold with the exception of his beloved Miura SV. The Lamborghini was kept at Rardley Motors ready for one of Chong’s occasional month-long visits to retain his UK residency when he would stay at Park Lane’s Inn on the Park.
1982 saw Chong’s Malaysian assortment of S-class Mercedes joined by a green Lamborghini Miura S purchased privately. Previously, the Mercedes shared space with a white BMW M1.
Two years later, Chong returned to the Ferrari BB fray with a Blu Chiaro 512i (CY 2) purchased from Alfred Tan at Hong Seh motors in Singapore. Chong went on to sell this car to a Japanese buyer for £350,000 at the height of the collector car boom in 1989.
For a couple of years between 1986 and ‘88, the handsome blue Boxer shared garage space with a Turbo-bodied 911 3.2 Carrera Coupe (CY 3) originally ordered through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch department.
Going back a year, soon after his marriage in 1985, Chong had returned to London, but on this occasion the previously ever reliable Miura SV broke down on Park Lane. Convinced by his wife he probably shouldn’t be messing around with such old cars, Chong called David Joliffe at Portman Lamborghini who came and paid £50,000 on the spot. Chong’s CCC 1 number plate was transferred to a brand new Masons Black Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit (purchased from HR Owen on Berkeley Square) and then a black on black Ferrari Testarossa that arrived in early 1987 (from Maranello Concessionaires).
The Testarossa, which Chong found to be “much more of a comfortable grand tourer than the BB” was kept at Maranello Concessionaires, just like the silver 1990 example that subsequently replaced it (registered CCC 2). These CCC 1 and CCC 2 plates were later joined by 1 CC which Chong purchased to grace a black Mercedes 500 SL.
Back in Malaysia, 1990 saw Chong take delivery of a Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary that he had flown direct from the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata to Hong Seh Motors. He then drove the four hour route back home to Kuala Lumpur.
Chong had first set eyes on a widebody Countach S at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1979, however, owing to the lack of UK dealer support in addition to seats that did not feature adjustable back rests (a feature addressed on the Anniversary), Chong had previously elected not to become a Countach owner. The red on black 25th Anniversary (registered CAD 25) was kept for about three years.
In 1991, the CCC 1 plate went on to another brand new Ferrari: an F40 supplied again by Maranello Concessionaires. However, the F40’s brutal and uncompromising nature was not exactly to Chong’s liking: “the savage turbo delivery meant there were no half measures; you either had to potter around or risk breaking your neck. It really was an un-tamed monster”.
On one occasion, having picked the car up from Maranello Concessionaires following a visit for a new number plate to be fitted, Chong did a double 360° spin on the M25 London ring road and narrowly missed a lorry. In 1994 the F40 was sold to his good friend, Robert Tchenguiz, by which point the car had covered around 3000 miles.
Since those days, many more cars have come and gone and now Charles Chong enjoys the quiet life in Kuala Lumpur.
