If you had the stamina, and we know many of you classic and collector car aficionados do, the event season is one that can completely dominate your entire calendar year. Seemingly every week there is an event for you to get your concours fix. While many are held on the grounds of lavish Italian villas and grand English mansions, this year Germany has joined in the action, and the gorgeous Lake Tegernsee played host to an overload of classics, supercars and sunshine.
Spread over the multiple days, the event welcomed over 200 cars to Gut Kaltenbrunn, a hallmark area located at the head of Lake Tegernsee. Buried deep in the Bavarian Alpas, it's a destination renowned for its beauty, world-class hotels, and the finest dining, and last weekend the majestic estate offered attendees unparalleled lake views, only overshadowed by the metallic masterworks that parked along the gravel pathways and manicured lawns. Among the four wheeled VIPs, models like the Lotec Sirius and stunning Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato stood out, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Set under the stunning backdrop of Gut Kaltenbrunn and main sponsor's A Lange Söhne elaborate watch display, Friday saw the eagerly awaited Best of Show parade, where a sea of extraordinary concours cars rolled through a busy crowd of onlookers. Classic Driver’s CEO JP Rathgen was on hand to give a unique insight into the cars, proudly serving as the event’s Honorary Concours Director, as well as hosting the prestigious Concours Club and acting as Chief Compere on the live stage. It was certainly a busy weekend for JP!
As the champagne flutes emerged and the sun beamed down, all eyes were on the prizes, with plenty of buzz around which cars would claim the coveted rosettes and trophies in their respective classes. Despite some tough competition, it was a gorgeous 1939 Lancia Astura Pinin Farina Cabriolet that claimed Best in Show, a decision which the thousands of attendees were in complete agreement with! Elsewhere, prizes were allocated to some other wonderful machines in Saturday’s Decade & Class awards, with cars like a race-ready Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 “Daytona” claiming the 1960’s decade award against some seriously stiff competition. Aside from these prizes, the event had three other very important side awards to hand out. The 30 under 30 prize, awarded to owners no older than 30 years of age, was won by the wonderful BMW Isetta. Secondly, the Ladies' Concours was won by a wonderful Porsche 911 Targa, and last but most certainly not least, the Junior Concours saw three siblings Carlo, Noah and Frida of the HK Engineering Next Gen team claim victory in their child-sized 300 SL Roadster. Now we just have to know: where can we obtain such a machine?
While Gut Kaltenbrunn was the perfect backdrop for static displays, the Concours of Elegance Germany also provided a chance for spectators to see some of the world’s best machines take to the open road in the Bavarian Tour. Spanning picturesque countryside and undulating mountain passes, it created a truly unforgettable experience for both drivers and guests alike.
All in all, we think it’s fair to say Germany’s inaugural Concours of Elegance was a resounding success, and should definitely have earned a spot on your calendar for the coming years, offering style in abundance and a fantastic array of classic and collector cars, all nestled in Bavaria's breath-taking scenery and lush gardens. If you can’t tell, we’re already excited for 2025’s event!
Photos by Jonny Lau for Classic Driver
