The perfectly manicured gardens, the gentle mist of fountain water, and the rumble of over 100 years’ worth of automotive mastery being parked up to perfection, there really isn’t any other event quite like a Concours of Elegance. 2024 marked the 13th edition of the annual event at the stunning Hampton Court Palace, which welcomed over 14,000 guests enjoy a jaw-dropping display of exquisite privately owned road and competition cars. With categories designed to cater for all eras of the automobile, the variation in winners is testament to the dedication behind the planning of the event, with some more than worthy winners on display!
The overall Best in Show winner is the one to win and is uniquely chosen by the Concours car owners themselves. After some stiff competition, it was a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Convertible by Inskip that claimed the glory. Out of 727 Phantom IIIs produced, only a few were made in the USA, including this victorious car, a unique convertible coupé designed by JS Inskip and powered by a mighty 7.3-litre V12.
Elsewhere, there were class awards given for different automotive decades, which was again voted for by the owners of the cars themselves. The art deco era saw a superb example of Bentley's first car, the 3-litre. A car that firmly placed Bentley on the map, becoming an icon of the Le Mans 24 Hours race, with this example making its first appearance in public in over 60 years, following a painstaking three-year restoration process.
The competition in the 1930s category was by far the toughest to claim a single winner, but it was the exceptionally rare 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS, the fourth chassis of this model, known for its striking 'Teardrop' or 'Goutte d’Eau' design by Parisian coachbuilder Figoni and Falaschi. Furthering its scarcity, the winning car is part of the ‘New York’ series, boasting no sunroof and twin outward-opening windscreens, allowing the passengers to let some wind in their hair. Not just a drop-dead gorgeous piece of design and automotive history, this example was a capable racer in its day, claiming 11th place in the Grand Prix of Watkins Glen in 1950. After a string of famous owners, this fine machine is now part of The Pearl Collection in Switzerland.
Rolling through the decades, wins from a 1940 Aston Martin Speed Model Type C, a 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Zagato, 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Coupe and a stunning BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’ from 1974 would all be taking home coveted trophies from the Concours of Elegance, with one final Best in Show prize, awarded to the 2023 Aston Martin DBR-22 as the Future Classic. Designed by Marek Reichman, the DBR-22 takes inspiration from some of Aston Martin’s greatest creations, most notably the DBR1 and DB3S race cars.
Now that the dust has settled on this year’s event, we look ahead to 2025, which will see more fantastic Concours of Elegance events spanning Europe, something we’re already looking forward to!
