Par Margaret Kemp
What’s it all about?
From September 4th-6th, the must visit event takes place in the magnificent grounds of Hampton Court Palace (constructed in 1515 for King Henry V111 and designed by Sir Christopher Wren) south west of London.
Established in 2012 the Concours showcases magnificent motors - from 1896 to present day supercars. Only cars of the highest quality are invited to compete and entries from all over the world are carefully curated by The Concours Steering Committee - a team of 15 global authoritative, historic, car experts. The “Best of Show” winner’s voted by the owners - not a panel of judges.
Which cars feature this year?
Gathering more than 1,000 cars some exceptional new vehicles join The Concours of Elegance 2020. Look for the one-off-17 Porsche 356 America Roadster and, one of 57 (of which only 16 are thought to remain) Aston Martin Cloverleaf.
The iconic Ferrari Dino 206 SP will appear alongside one of just three manual right-hand-drive (by French carmaker Facel Vega Facel II) models, one with just 20,000 miles on the clock!
Then there’s the McClaren F1 GTR Le Mans 24 Hours Celebration and 1966 Ford vs Ferrari display as well as The Junior Concours and The Club Trophy.
Don’t miss: Passion of a Lifetime Auction – Saturday 5th August at 17hrs
Gooding & Co., very first auction outside the US of A. Under Charlie Ross’s hammer. 15 vintage dream machines (Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Rolls Royce) – keep your eye on an immaculate vintage Bugatti once owned by King Leopold 111 of Belgium, expected to fetch $14 million!
View: Friday, 4th September from 10.00 – 17.00 BST, Saturday, 5th September from 10.00am – 17.00pm
Where shall we eat?
The Hospitality Enclosure is a magnificent marquee located on the East front lawn of the Palace, with private lounge and perfect views of the cars. Here’s where they’ll serve morning tea, coffee and pastries, followed by a Champagne Charles Heidsieck reception, then tuck into a delicious 3-course lunch paired with fine wines, coffee and petits four, followed, of course, by English afternoon cream tea. All ingredients are sourced by Royal Warrant Holders. Or, if you prefer a traditional English picnic pre-order your picnic hamper from:
Fortnum & Mason of Piccadilly (By Appointment to the Queen - Established 1707) from £95-£150 (vegetarian hamper available).
Need to Know:
With guest welfare in mind, the organisers have created a new operational plan including revised hospitality, restricted audience capacity and the introduction of separate morning and afternoon tickets.
Tickets are only available in advance - guest numbers strictly limited to comply with social distancing guidelines.
VIP Preview Adult Admission £80 - Friday 4th September (Owner’s and VIP day) Saturday-Sunday from £30-£288 (with champagne lunch)
https://concoursofelegance.co.uk/hospitality/
Where:
Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Ct Way,
Molesey, East Molesey, KT8 9AU, United Kingdom
www.concoursofelegance.co.uk
See you there!
