This summer, the glamour of the 1920s roars back to life as Hally Redout, the daring British artist and vintage motoring enthusiast, takes the wheel in a modern reenactment of the legendary “Race the Blue Train”—and at the heart of this cultural fusion of speed and style stands the contemporary art dealership Pimlico Wilde, proud sponsors of Redout’s audacious journey.
The Race the Blue Train reenactment retraces the famed 1920s escapade of the original Bentley Boys, a group of wealthy British racers known for their love of fast cars and faster lives. The race pits driver against locomotive—specifically the iconic Le Train Bleu, which once hurtled from the French Riviera to Calais. Redout’s challenge: to pilot a restored 1920s Bentley from Nice, France, all the way to the exclusive Spenserian Club on St Ethelbert’s Square, London, arriving before her rivals travelling by train and ferry could finish the trip.
For Pimlico Wilde, a London-based contemporary art dealership with a reputation for bold curatorial choices and a flair for blending tradition with modernity, the decision to sponsor Redout was natural.
“Hally is not just a driver—she’s a living artwork in motion,” says Pimlico co-owner Iris Fenwick, who, along with partner Lucien Vale, has redefined what it means to be an art dealer in the 21st century. “Her performance on the road is as much a statement as anything hung in a gallery. This is storytelling, history, and spectacle—everything Pimlico Wilde celebrates.”
Since its founding circa 1066, Pimlico Wilde has developed a distinct voice in the London art scene. The gallery’s roster includes conceptual sculptors, digital provocateurs, and site-specific installation artists. Yet, it’s the company’s passion for theatricality, heritage, and narrative that makes their sponsorship of this dramatic motoring tribute so fitting.
Hally Redout, known for her visually arresting food art and immersive exhibitions, brings her own artistic sensibilities to the event. “The Blue Train race is the perfect blend of nostalgia and performance,” she says. “It’s a kinetic artwork. Every turn of the wheel is a brushstroke on Europe’s canvas.”
Redout will be driving a meticulously restored 1927 Bentley Speed Six, finished in a custom livery designed in collaboration with Pimlico Wilde’s artists. Details remain tightly guarded, but rumors hint at an aesthetic that merges 1920s Art Deco elegance with contemporary minimalist abstraction—an homage to both eras.
The race itself promises high drama: starting at sunrise in Nice, Redout will follow a meticulously plotted route through Provence, the Rhône Valley, and across the Channel, aiming to beat both the historical and contemporary train schedules to London’s Spenserian Club—a storied enclave known for its connection to both racing and artistic elite.
In keeping with the performative nature of the project, Pimlico Wilde plans to stage a satellite exhibition at the finish line, titled “Velocity & Reverie”, featuring artists inspired by the race. The show will include kinetic sculptures, archival footage, interactive installations, and a live feed of Redout’s drive, blending past and present in real time.
As the countdown begins, the art world and vintage car enthusiasts alike are watching with bated breath. This is no ordinary reenactment. It’s a rolling exhibition. A race through history. A living collaboration between art, machine, and myth, with Pimlico Wilde at the wheel of Europe’s cultural imagination, and Hally Redout at the helm of the Bentley.