This year’s Concours of Elegance is the 14th edition of the show and took place over the weekend of Friday 5th to Sunday 7th September in the grounds of the beautiful and picturesque Hampton Court Palace, welcoming over 15,000 visitors who came to see a selection of some of the rarest cars from around the world, many of which have never been seen before in the UK.
On Friday’s exclusive preview day, 75 of the world’s finest privately owned cars, that between them spanned more than a century of automotive progress, were individually presented throughout the course of the day. The now well established format of driving each concours car to the main stage means that visitors are able to see these beautiful old and historic vehicles up close and personal and hear their remarkable stories with commentary from world-renowned compères Richard Charlesworth and Peter Wallman.
Commenting on the opening day, James Brooks-Ward, Concours of Elegance CEO, said:
“The response to our opening day has been absolutely phenomenal. To see these incredible machines driven individually to our stage, with their owners and enthusiasts sharing their stories, perfectly captures the spirit of what makes Concours of Elegance so special.”
Saturday opened with the traditional Parade of the Club Trophy entrants, including an engaging interview with the designers of the iconic Lotus Esprit, giving a fascinating insight into one of Britain’s most distinctive sports cars.
The afternoon saw a number of awards being handed out, including the Chairman’s Award, which was presented to a beautifully restored 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Convertible Sedan.
Back in the 1930s Packards cost ten times more than a Ford and were reserved for royalty or Hollywood stars. This particular car was purchased by Louise Arner Boyd, heiress to a $3 million fortune ($72 million in today’s money) which was left to her by her father, John Franklin Boyd, a successful gold miner. This is however no ordinary car as it is a custom-bodied Dietrich Convertible Sedan with features tailored to Boyd’s requirements as the car accompanied her on her travels abroad for work.
The Jaguar Trophy was awarded to a stunning 1969 Jaguar E-type S2 FHC that has been owned by the same family from new and was recently restored.
The women-only Levitt Trophy was awarded to a remarkable 1904 Peugeot Type 64B, honouring the earliest period of automotive development. Highly Commended awards went to both a 1934 Aston Martin Ulster LM17 and a 1961 Sunbeam Harrington Alpine.
Looking back on Saturday’s events, Brooks-Ward commented:
“Today has been truly exceptional, showcasing everything that makes our event unique in the automotive calendar. The response from visitors to our awards programme has been outstanding – the enthusiasm of both our exhibitors and guests creates an atmosphere that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.”
The Best in Show winner, which is chosen by the Concours car owners themselves, was a 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I known as ‘The Phantom of Love’ and remains one of the most famous surviving Rolls-Royces and is entirely original.
Class awards were given for different automotive decades voted for by the owners of the cars themselves and the winners were as follows:
Pre-1920s: 1914 Bugatti Type 13 Eight Valve
1920s: 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C ‘Boulogne’ Short Chassis Saloon
1930s: 1939 Lagonda V12 Rapide DHC by James Young
1940s: 1940 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante
1950s: 1957 BMW 507
1960s: 1962 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder
1970s: 1972 Iso Grifo Series II
1980s: 1988 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante Prince of Wales
Future Classics: 1994 Bugatti EB110 America
This year’s Concours also celebrated 75 years of Formula One with an impressive lineup of F1 cars on display in front of the palace, including an ex-Fangio Mercedes-Benz W196R.
On Sunday, the Best Car Club Award, presented by Classic & Sports Car went to a 1971 Marcos GT 3.0-litre with its bright Porsche Tangerine paintwork and Volvo 164 straight-six engine. Thrilled owner Paul Fereday said:
“I’ve had it four years, but the restoration was by late Geoff Phillips – he’d have been chuffed with this win. It has a servo, a five-speed Ford Type 9 gearbox and limited-slip diff but otherwise factory correct.”
Meanwhile, The Club Trophy, which is presented by the Royal Automobile Club, went to a 1952 Aston Martin DB2 Graber Drophead Coupe.
Summing up this year’s Concours of Elegance, Brooks-Ward added:
“We’re delighted to report that Concours of Elegance 2025, the 14th edition of our show, was a tremendous success. With a truly jaw-dropping array of cars on display – from Le Mans winners to mythical one-off bespoke commissions like ‘The Phantom of Love’ – the event underlined our show’s position as the leading Concours d’elegance event in Europe, and one of the top three globally.
“Our world-class curatorial team again raised the bar, assembling a range of automotive treasures the likes of which has never been seen in the UK before, all in the most stunning historic royal palace setting. 2025’s show is one that will certainly live long in the memory of our guests.
“We’d like to thank all our wonderful partners, and particularly presenting partner A. Lange & Söhne, as well as our immensely generous owners for their continued support. Without them this special event would simply not be possible.”
Full list of Concours of Elegance winners
Pre-1920s: 1st: 1914 Bugatti Type 13 Eight Valve | 2nd: 1912 Packard Model 48 Phaeton
1920s: 1st: 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C ‘Boulogne’ Short Chassis Saloon | 2nd: 1929 Bentley 4½ Litre Drophead 3-Position Coupe | 3rd: 1926 Rally Grand Sport Type S
1930s: 1st: 1939 Lagonda V12 Rapide DHC by James Young | 2nd: 1936 Delahaye 135 M Roadster | 3rd: 1932 Aston Martin LM8
1940s: 1st: 1940 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante | 2nd: 1947 Delahaye 135 MS Roadster | 3rd: 1949 Aston Martin Two-Litre Sports (DB1)
1950s: 1st: 1957 BMW 507 | 2nd: 1955 Aston Martin DB3S Coupe | 3rd: 1956 AC Ace Bristol
1960s: 1st: 1962 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder | 2nd: 1961 Ghia L 6.4 Coupe | 3rd: 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC
1970s: 1st: 1972 Iso Grifo Series II | 2nd: 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.8 RSR| 3rd: 1973 Ligier JS2
1980s: 1st: 1988 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante Prince of Wales | 2nd: 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO | 3rd: 1980 BMW M1
Future Classics: 1st: 1994 Bugatti EB110 America | 2nd: 2025 Ferrari SP3 Daytona Carbon | 3rd: 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Coupe
Formula 1 Class: 1st: 1956 Maserati 250F | 2nd: 1977 Tyrrell P34 | 3rd: 1988 Ferrari 639 F1
Ferrari Class: 1st: 1990 Ferrari F40 LM Z | 2nd: 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Vignale Barchetta | 3rd: 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe Pininfarina
1950s Sports Racing Car Class | 1st: 1955 Aston Martin DB3S Coupe | 2nd: 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Vignale Spyder Series II | 3rd: 1955 Jaguar D-Type
The Chairman’s Award: 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Convertible Saloon | Spirit of Motoring Award | 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C ‘Boulogne’ Short Chassis Saloon
Manufacturer Award: 1930 Bentley 8-litre Weymann Saloon
Gooding Christies’ Award: 1956 Maserati 250F
The Club Trophy, presented by the Royal Automobile Club: 1952 Aston Martin DB2 Graber Drophead Coupe
The Levitt Concours: 1904 Peugeot Type 63B
ThirtyUnder30: 1983 Toyota Sprinter Carib
Bentley Trophy: 2000 Bentley Continental T
Restoration Showcase Award: 1990 Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI by Auto RARA
Best Car Club Award, presented by Classic & Sports Car: Saturday: 1982 Rolls Royce Camargue | Sunday: 1971 Marcos GT 3.0-litre.
Next year’s Concours of Elegance will once again return to Hampton Court Palace from Friday 4th to Sundy 6th September 2026. For more details please visit: www.concoursofelegance.co.uk.
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is a UK-based motoring and travel journalist and editor, a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and former saloon car racing driver.
Photographs by Gary Harman
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