CONCOURS OF ELEGANCE WELCOMES THOUSANDS OF VISITORS ON STUNNING FIRST DAY AT HAMPTON COURT

*The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace opens its doors to the world's rarest cars and thousands of visitors for the first day of the 2023 edition

*Rare and extraordinary cars include the one-of-three Maserati A6GCS/53 Frua Spider, a Ferrari 250 GTO and a Lewis Hamilton McLaren MP4/22A F1 car

*A special Centenary of Le Mans 24 Hours display gathered 23 former Le Mans racers, including 10 winners and 4 double winners

*The Concours also honours Fritz Burkard in The Collector feature, showcasing some of his incredible vehicles, including an Alfa Romeo 8C Monza and Bugatti Type 59 Sports

*The event is open across the rest of the weekend, through Saturday 2^nd and Sunday 3^rdÂ September, with tickets still available at concoursofelegance.co.uk

Hampton Court Palace, 1 September: This morning the Concours of Elegance opened its doors at Hampton Court Palace to 90 of the most important vehicles in history, gathered in one extraordinary location from all corners of the globe. It marks the first day of an event that will see over 500 cars feature at Henry VIIIâ€™s former home over the course of the weekend.

Arguably the highlight of this yearâ€™s edition is the special feature display celebrating the Centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours race, which gathers 23 former Le Mans racers, including 10 winners and four double winners. Among them is Bentley Old Number 1, the 1929 Speed Six that would become the first Le Mans double winner. Itâ€™s joined by the 1963 Ferrari 250/275P that was originally thought to have won once, but its true two-victory story was only revealed by chance in a Maranello storeroom. The 1968 Ford GT40's story is far better known, however, which won in 1968 and then repeated the feat a year later, when Jacky Ickx's last-lap ingenuity meant he scooped victory by a matter of yards.

The line-up then charts the story of the valiant efforts of Matra and Jean Rondeau - the only man to win Le Mans in a car bearing his own name - before taking in the glory days of Group C with Porsche and Jaguar. Our next car brings those two great rivals together in the fascinating Porsche-TWRWSC-95, which blended a Jaguar Group C chassis with the Porsche's resolute 962 engine to create a machine that won Le Mans twice and started Tom Kristensen's record-breaking run of nine victories.

Alongside the Le Mans celebration, the Concours of Elegance also gathers a collection from one of Switzerland's most dedicated car custodians, Fritz Burkard, in The Collector feature. Fritz has a particular affinity for Bugatti, and his collection begins with an 1897 Prinetti & Stucchi Tricycle, built by a youthful Ettore Bugatti. In 1899 it won its first race against stiff competition, at a world-record average speed of 64km/h over 90km. It would set the tone for Ettore's life and work. Meanwhile, the 1934 Bugatti Type 59 on display was the marque's last Grand Prix car, and is considered to be the most elegant of all pre-war competition machines. Just six were built, and the Burkard example took third at the Monaco GP and overall victory in Belgium.

Fritz also has a love of British marques, as exemplified by his 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom Il Continental. It was a glorious swansong for Rolls-Royce's venerable six-cylinder sidevalve engine. Fritz's car features unusual wind-tunnel-honed Streamlined Saloon coachwork from Park Ward and an upgraded engine. Further exhibits from Fritzâ€™s collection at the 2023 Concours of Elegance include the Pininfarina-designed Abarth 1000 record car 'La Principessa' from the 1960s, plus an exquisite Aston Martin DB5 Bond car with working stunt props and a Peel P50 Coup;.

Although the majority of the Concours of Elegance takes place in the Palace's timeless Fountain Garden, lots from Gooding & Coâ€™s London Auction are hosted within two of the Palace courtyards. And during the event today, these lots will go under the hammer at a live auction in the Garden. It's a brace of Jaguars that stand out as the highlight; a 1961 E-type Series 1 3.8-litre Fixed Head Coup; chassis 860001 was the first right- hand-drive FHC and one of four RHD cars to feature early outside latch handles. Its 1961 E-type Series 1 3.8 Roadster stablemate, meanwhile, is chassis 05004, the first E-type ever sold publicly and the fourth RHD Roadster built. It was the personal car of Lofty England, the boss of the Jaguar Cars racing team, and was later owned by famed Ferrari engineer and racing driver Michael Parkes.

Over the course of the weekend, the Concours of Elegance will continue to evolve with new features and displays. On Saturday, the Club Trophy; designed to find the most spectacular car in the UK, to win a place in the Concours of Elegance 2024 â€“ enters the Palace gardens, alongside the Levitt Concours, which celebrates extraordinary women and their cars, and the Jaguar Trophy.

On Sunday, the Concours welcomes a collection of rare Vauxhall 30-98 cars, as well as a line-up of Junior Concours cars; scaled down petrol, electric or pedal cars accompanied by their equally scaled down drivers and their parents. A line-up of classic and modern Bentleys will contest the Bentley Trophy and the 30 Under 30 Concours, which celebrates the best young classic car owners, will join the line-up.

Away from the automotive displays, Concours of Elegance 2023 will again be an occasion of pure luxury, with Champagne provided by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, and a collection of art, jewellery and fashion displays. Guests can peruse pop-up displays from partners like S.T. Dupont, Launer London or Belle Brummell, or enjoy a drink at the new Pimm's Enclosure. Presenting Partner A. Lange & SÃ¶hne will, as always, showcase some of its most intricate timepieces.

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The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace brings together a selection of 60 of the rarest cars from around the world – many of which will never have been seen before in the UK.

24 HOURS OF LE MANS CELEBRATION

All day VIP Hospitality

The exclusive Concours of Elegance hospitality enclosure is on the East front lawn of the Palace. A stunning marquee and garden, incorporating a private lounge area, provides guests with a perfect view of the cars. Our fully inclusive Hospitality Enclosure ticket includes; morning tea, coffee and pastries, the Charles Heidsieck Champagne Reception, a 3-course lunch with fine wines, coffee and petits four, afternoon cream tea, reserved VIP parking and a souvenir catalogue (1 per 2 guests).

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Concours of Elegance1 hour ago

Hampton Court Palace

A few more of our fabulous concours cars at Hampton Court. There will be over 90 breathtaking road and competition machines on show across the weekend, plus further exciting features and a live podcast from @collectingcars.

Secure your tickets via the link in our bio.

Presented by @alangesoehne

Pics: @charlieb.photography

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Concours of Elegance3 hours ago

Today's the day! The gates have opened for Concours of Elegance 2023 - we'll be displaying the world's rarest, most spectacular cars in the immaculate gardens of Hampton Court Palace today and over the weekend.

It's an unmissable occasion; tickets are still available for Saturday and Sunday, secure yours now via the link below:

https://concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets/

Pics: @charlieb.photography

Presented by @alangesoehne

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Concours of Elegance19 hours ago

We're delighted to announce that on Sunday we will welcome the stars of the 'Collecting Addicts' podcast sensation to Hampton Court Palace for a very special live recording.

Top Gear presenter and motoring journalist @harrismonkey will be joined by Edward Lovett, Manish Pandey, Neil Clifford and Chris Cooper in The Hub at midday for the very best in automotive ramblings.

From the infamous two car garage to their favourite glove box…you’re in for a treat. Learn more and secure your tickets (required for entry) via the link below:

https://collectingcars.com/events/uk-sunday-3-september-collecting-addicts-live-podcast

Presented by @alangesoehne

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Concours of Elegance23 hours ago

Ordered personally by 'Mr Jaguar' himself, Sir William Lyons, this beautiful 1951 Jaguar XK120 Works Roadster will grace the lawns of Hampton Court Palace in the coming days, courtesy of JD Classics.

Make sure to pay the team a visit between 1-3 September to learn all about this fascinating icon and its rich history.

The Concours of Elegance is presented by A. Lange & Söhne.

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Concours of Elegance23 hours ago

We're honoured that four of the five Le Mans winners to have 'done the double' will be in attendance at Hampton Court Palace for our event, which kicks off tomorrow. These are:

1929 Bentley Speed Six “Old N°1” (Winner in 1929 and 1930)
1963 Ferrari 275 P (Winner in 1963, as 250P, and 1964)
1968 Ford GT40 (Winner in 1968 and 1969)
1995 Porsche WSC-95 Le Mans Prototype (Winner in 1996 and 1997

These historic racing cars will form part of a landmark Le Mans centenary celebration, which will feature numerous other Le Mans winners and icons from throughout the past century.

Tickets are still available, secure yours here:

https://concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets/

Presented by @alangesoehne

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Concours of Elegance1 day ago

Farewell to the Highlands. Our Tour of Scotland is over and the concours cars are now heading down to Hampton Court Palace for the opening day of the Concours of Elegance tomorrow.

@timscott

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Presenting partner

2023 OFFICIAL PARTNERS

CONCOURS OF ELEGANCE WELCOMES THOUSANDS OF VISITORS ON STUNNING FIRST DAY AT HAMPTON COURT

The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace brings together a selection of 60 of the rarest cars from around the world – many of which will never have been seen before in the UK.

24 HOURS OF LE MANS CELEBRATION

Gooding & Company Highlights

All day VIP Hospitality

OFFICIAL INSURANCE PARTNER

HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO

Our Patron

The Winners

Concours of Elegance 2022

LATEST NEWS FROM CONCOURS OF ELEGANCE

Concours of Elegance 2023 Full Car List Revealed – Show Runs from Friday to Sunday at Hampton Court Palace

29th August 2023

Concours of Elegance 2023 welcomes Bugatti – ‘le pur-sang des automobiles’

15th August 2023

Specialist Dealer Line Up Announced for Concours of Elegance 2023

15th August 2023

Connect with Concours of Elegance