Britain’s prestigious Concours of Elegance is unique among such top-echelon classic car events in that its venue changes every year, though it always is held on the grand landscaped lawns of a Royal Palace.
The Concours of Elegance is posh in every sense of the word, with the third-annual gathering last Sunday at one of the UK’s most splendid landmarks, the Fountain Gardens of Hampton Court Palace in Surrey. A special awards presentation was hosted in the Great Dining Hall by concours patron HRH Prince Michael of Kent.
A record 10,000 people strolled the historic grounds among 60 of the world’s most rare and exquisite automobiles.
A legendary Italian masterpiece, the 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Touring Flying Star, won the best of show trophy. The gleaming white Alfa sports car has been winning important awards since its creation – at its concours debut in 1931, it won the Coppa d’Oro trophy at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este – and has been earning praise and trophies ever since.
The Concours of Elegance was established in 2012 with its inaugural event held on the private grounds of Windsor Castle to mark the diamond jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen’s reign. The 2013 Concours took place at the historic Royal Palace of St James in London, when the event raised more than £250,000 (about $400,000) for charity.
