BEST OF BRITISH
THE EVENTS of recent years have prompted much debate, a lot of it intellectually dishonest, about Britain’s place in the world. But in one narrow sense at least, the country has become a global power – staging concours d’elegance to rival any you might care to mention.
The season starts on 8 June this year with the London Concours, first held in 2017 and yet already a fundamental part of the concours scene. As usual, it will take place at the Honourable Artillery Company in the City of London, with around 100 cars on the lawn. In a nod to the 60th birthday of the Jaguar E-type, classes will include ‘Iconic British Designs’ and there will also be displays dedicated to 200mph supercars and Italian berlinettas of the 1960s.
A month later, Goodwood will welcome visitors to Cartier Style et Luxe, an oasis of calm at the otherwise fast and furious Festival of Speed. Here the cars will be assessed not only by automotive experts, but also by luminaries from the wider art and design communities; the likes of Norman Foster, Jony Ive, Marc Newson and the late Terence Conran have previously been involved.
Style et Luxe is in its 26th year, and there is reason to be hopeful that the newest addition to the concours calendar can be similarly longlived. Auto Royale will be held on 16-18 July at Waddesdon Manor, the Buckinghamshire pile built in the late 1800s in the style of a grand French château. The organisers promise a field as impressive as the venue, and there will be classes in 2021 for the creations of Scaglietti and Drogo, and one dedicated to the fabulous luxury vehicles made for the Maharajas.
In September, car enthusiasts will be spoilt as Salon Privé and The Concours of Elegance return within a few days of one another. The former is really several events rolled into one at Blenheim Palace; the concours itself takes place on 1-2 September, and among the headline attractions is a new class for concepts and prototypes. The latter will, as has become the custom, fill the grounds of Hampton Court Palace with more than 300 classics, and many of them will share a paint scheme this time around, because one of the main displays is ‘Gulf vs Martini’, bringing together some of racing’s most iconic machines.