Richard Mille joins the Chantilly Arts and Élégance for a weekend of gorgeous automobiles
Watchmaker Richard Mille joins the Chantilly Arts and Élégance once again for a weekend of gorgeous automobiles and the art de vivre
WIDELY REGARDED AS the epicentre for all things beautiful, both in design and motoring, it’s no surprise that Chantilly, France was chosen as the location for a biannual event to celebrate carmakers and collectors alike. A treat for any petrolhead, the gardens of the château were lined with a juxtaposition of vintage automobiles and modern concept cars, making for the world’s most elegant car show to date.
In its fifth edition this year, the Chantilly Arts and Élégance drew more than 80,000 spectators, who took in the sheer beauty of these automobiles alongside a number of Richard Mille partners. On Saturday, a supercar rally completely transformed the Mortefontaine track into a wonderland for car enthusiasts, showcasing some of the world’s most impressive vehicles – in particular, a wide
array of McLarens. Speed demons such as skiing champion Alexis Pinturault, behind the wheel of a 720S Spider, took to the track to push their cars to the limits.
Meanwhile, Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake attended a lunch at the Palais de Compiègne to draw to a close the Rallye des Collectionneurs, where some of the rarest automobiles were on display. The public was able to admire the likes of the McLaren P1 GTR and 720S; Ferrari’s LaFerrari, Enzo and 288 GTO models, the Porsche 918; and an array of Mercedes-Benz SLR McLarens.
Soon enough, night fell and the famed traditional gala dinner took place at the Grandes Écuries de Chantilly, where German dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl dazzled the 500 guests with a spectacular performance. A magnificent culinary journey created by three chefs led guests further into the French art de vivre.
The Sunday festivities kicked off with the Concours d’Élégance, where the André Le Nôtre-designed lawns were open to visitors not only to admire the greatest automotive creations, but to partake in other activities such as vintage games, boat rides on the Grand Canal, the exhibition The Nude Mona Lisa and a Bonhams auction.
A range of stunning concept cars were chosen for the event and coupled with a famous fashion designer or brand: the Aston Martin DB4-GT Zagato Continuation with Ronald van der Kemp; the BMW Vision M Next with Talbot Runhof; the Bugatti Black Car with
Max Mara; the DS X E-Tense with Eymeric François, the Honda E Prototype with Yohji Yamamoto; the Lexus Concept LC Cabriolet with fashion house Rochas; the McLaren Speedtail with Paule Ka; the Renault EZ-Ultimo with Guy Laroche; and the Volkswagen ID Buggy with Ann Demeulemeester.
Throughout the weekend, Richard Mille was a name omnipresent to attendees – and one with similar features to the Chantilly Arts and Élégance itself, given the brand’s seamless blend of a futuristic imagination with the underlying Renaissance feel that permeated the entire weekend. As such, the Richard Mille lounge offered guests a respite from the activity and yet another avenue of discovery, with its neo-futurist decor and an exhibition of one of cinema’s most famous automobiles of our time: the DeLorean.
Among the illustrious names in attendance during the weekend were Australian actress Margot Robbie, as well as racing drivers Simon Pagenaud and Scott Dixon, each an IndyCar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner (in 2019 and 2008, respectively). It was truly a match made in heaven yet again this year for Richard Mille and the Chantilly Arts and Élégance.