The best concours this side of the Atlantic?

The Concours of Elegance puts on a fine show

It hasn’t taken long for the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court to become an important fixture on the classic car calendar. And no surprise, when you consider the 75 cars competing for the overall crown this year.

Owners vote for which classic should take home the prestigious main Concours of Elegance award, meaning no judging panel, and cars are categorised into decades for more awards, too.

Outside of the concours cars there are plenty of other sights to see, including an Aston Martin Zagato display, a collection of Ferrari 166MMs and a Bentley anniversary tribute.

The show opened today (Friday 6 September) and continues on Saturday and Sunday – with C&SC Editor in Chief Alastair Clements among those on the judging panel for the Club Trophy tomorrow. 

Here’s our pick of the cars we enjoyed on the first day.

1948 Delahaye 175 S Grand Luxe Chapron

This classy Delahaye is sublime in pale blue slashed with white, and with its delicate wooden dash contrasting against the ivory and blue leather seats.

Rare, too, as one of only 50 – and presumably not best seen from the cramped rear bench but up front, behind the wonderful wheel.

1951 Pegaso Z-102 Berlinetta Prototype ENASA

It’s all in the details; the scalloped rear arches, the gills down the front wings, and the intakes at the rear.

The 170bhp Spanish rarity looks familiar, with subtle details reminiscent of all sorts of more famous machines, but distinct at the same time.

1936 Stout Scarab

A streamliner, airstream, bus, minivan; whatever you want to call it, this 3.6-litre V8 Stout Scarab from 1936 is impossible to dislike – and you’ll never have seen its like before in the UK.

1959 Bristol 405 SWB Zagato

There’s something to be said for a well-worn seat. And this Bristol is not pristine, but enjoyed.

Its double-humped roof, steel wheels, aggressively raked stance look racy, but, more importantly, the part. And, the story goes, without this first Ercole Spada design there’d be no Aston Martin DB4GT.

2014 Virage Shooting Brake Zagato Centennial

Two worlds collide with the Virage Shooting Brake Zagato Centennial, part of the comprehensive Zagato Aston Martin display at this year’s Concours of Elegance.

It’s probably not for everyone, and arguably is an abrupt juncture in the Zagato Astons, but there’s something captivating about it. 

1990 Ferrari F40

Sat between a more modern McLaren P1 and Bugatti Veyron SuperSport, the comparatively vintage Ferrari wears its age well – no doubt better than the new pair beside will.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing

Black luggage, contrasting black and red dashboard, and one of only two Mercedes Gullwings in the whole of the Hampton Court gardens venue – a rare occurrence in modern displays that are normally swamped by Stuttgart beauties.

1997 McLaren F1

This is as good as it gets when it comes to factory fresh. McLaren Special Operations has just completed a full refresh of McLaren F1 chassis 063, reverting it back to original spec – because you don’t mess with perfection.

1972 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7

But the F1 has nothing on this Porsche when it comes to overall freshness; this rolled out of Autofarm on Monday this week!

And you won’t find many better matching-number RSs than this, not least in surprising Sepia Brown – one of only 19.

1955 Jaguar D-type

The most important D-type? Behind the Le Mans winners, quite possibly, for this is the first to roll out of the Coventry factory. It had a life in America tinged with tragedy, but today it is very original and it wears it well.

1929 Bentley 4½ Litre ‘Blower’ No.1

Likewise, when Tim Birkin decided he would ‘blow’ his Bentley he did so with this 4½ Litre in 1929. A £5m car in 2012, No.1 was rebodied by Reid Railton and went on to set a Brooklands record in 1932.

1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio

From all angles this bumperless little ex-Briggs Cunningham sports racer looks appealing. It won’t have the marquee glitz or grandeur of the other competition cars in the venue, but few have the character to match.

1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial

The Ferrari 500 Mondial is a pretty and deceptively delicate racer. Four cylinders maybe too few for a Prancing Horse, but one sight and all would be forgiven by even the hardiest purist.

This was bought by a disbelieving Colin Crabbe while on holiday in Ethiopia in 1970, where it had dominated the Grand Prix.

1949 Ferrari 166MM Barchetta Touring

The headline act. Thought to be the 1949 Le Mans and Mille Miglia winner, the former by Luigi Chinetti and (for a mere one hour) owner Lord Selsdon. It sat in front of the house, surrounded by its 166 siblings, understated in its importance.