Simon Kidston

Simon Home Kidston (born September 1967) is a British classic car dealer, collector, commentator and journalist.

Simon Kidston
BornSeptember 1967 (age 53)
NationalityBritish
EducationAiglon College
Occupationclassic car dealer
Spouse(s)Rosie Kidston
Children2
Parent(s)Home Kidston
RelativesGlen Kidston (uncle)
Cath Kidston (cousin)
A Lamborghini Miura P400SV
A 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS

Kidston has built a reputation as one of the leading international dealers in blue-chip collector cars,[1] with clients including Ralph Lauren, Ferrari collector Jean-Pierre Slavic and designer Marc Newson.[2]

Early life

Kidston was born in September 1967,[3] the son of Commander Home Kidston, a retired naval officer who owned and raced cars.[4] His uncle was Glen Kidston, the record-breaking aviator and motor racing driver.[4] His cousin is the fashion designer and businesswoman Cath Kidston.

Kidston grew up near Siena, Italy and was educated in Switzerland, including Aiglon College from 1981 to 1985.[5][6]

Career

Kidston started his career in 1988 in the car auction department at Coys of Kensington.[7]

In 1996, he left to co-found Brooks Europe auction house in Geneva. He created high-profile events such as the annual Ferrari auction in Gstaad[8] and the Pur Sang à Longchamp auction in Paris.[9] From 1996–2006 he was President of Brooks Europe, which later became Bonhams Europe.[10]

In 2006, Kidston left Bonhams to start Kidston SA in Geneva, an independent advisory firm for motor car collectors.[10] In 2018, Kidston opened a new office in Dubai: Kidston DMCC.[11]

Other roles

Kidston is a magazine contributor, writing columns for 'Classic Cars' and 'Sports Car Market'. He is also a guest contributor at Vanity Fair, Top Gear and Dubai Lifestyle Magazine.[12]

Kidston is head judge of the Cartier Travel With Style Concours in India[13] and an advisor to BMW Classic, the organisers of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, set up in 1929.[14] Between 2007–2014, he was commentator for the Mille Miglia historic rally.[15][16]

Personal life

Kidston is an avid car collector, with his collection including a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Cabriolet originally built for his father.[17] Kidston buys back vehicles his family previously owned, including a Gipsy Moth racing biplane his father flew in New Zealand 75 years prior.[18]

In 2009, Kidston was invited by the Mercedes-Benz Museum to drive the 300 SLR 'Uhlenhaut' coupe.[19][20]

He splits his time between Dubai, London and Geneva, and is fluent in Italian and French.[11]

References
  1. "A night out in Knightsbridge with Simon Kidston and his Monteverdi". www.classicdriver.com. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  2. "Subscribe to read". Financial Times. Retrieved 2018-07-04. Cite uses generic title (help)
  3. "Simon Home KIDSTON - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)".
  4. "Kidston - Info".
  5. "Registration List: Aiglon's 65th Anniversary Celebration". Aiglon Life. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  6. "Remembering Philip Parsons". Aiglon School. Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  7. "A night out in Knightsbridge with Simon Kidston and his Monteverdi". www.classicdriver.com. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  8. "Gstaad Auction - Story". www.barchetta.cc.
  9. "Kidston - The Company". www.kidston.com.
  10. "Simon Kidston: 'In 2050 people will still collect cars' - newmobility.news". newmobility.news. 2018-04-27.
  11. "simon kidston". therake.com.
  12. www.januar.ch, Januar Designbureau GmbH. "Le Monde Edmond: Kidston: A 'heavyweight' speaks his mind". le-monde-edmond.com. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  13. "Kidston - Home" (PDF). www.kidston.com.
  14. "Simon Kidston, The Voice of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2017 - Live Trading News". 8 May 2017.
  15. Mille Miglia Storica 2010 | Classic Driver Magazine
  16. Barlow, Jason. "We came dead last in the Mille Miglia".
  17. Kahn, Jeremy (2015-11-27). "25 of the world's most bankable cars". Executive Style. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  18. "Kidston - The Company". www.kidston.com. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  19. Precious mettle | Motor Sport Magazine Archive
  20. "Kidston - Features". www.kidston.com.
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