This year, the Concours of Elegance, which started in 2012 at Windsor Castle, celebrated its 10th anniversary on the lawns of Hampton Court Palace, its home for the last few years.
To mark the date, all 10 previous winners of the competition were invited back. Generally, once a car is shown at the event, it isn’t allowed back for at least 10 years, ensuring a varied selection each year.
This year also marks 75 years of Ferrari, so that was also a theme with a special selection of some of Modena’s finest.
I was most interested in a 1908 Darracq racing car. I stayed the night before at a hotel across the road from the Palace and before breakfast, I spied the car being wiped down by the owner in the car park. I passed the time of day with him and wished him well for the event.
Two hours later, the car appeared in the parade, driven by my friend from that morning, who turned out to be a member of the Darracq family. The car itself was hidden in France during World War II and subsequently was used as a tractor for several years. At least it looks like a racing car now.
There was a wonderful mix of old and new cars, chosen as ever by a steering committee, who invite each car to the event. The winner is chosen by the owners themselves, who are the only ones eligible to vote.
