In Pictures: Concours Of Elegance 2020

Held between September 4-6 2020, this year’s edition of the Concours of Elegance was presented by German watch brand A. Lange & Söhne and featured the greatest ever line-up of collector cars to be gathered in the UK. 

Awards were given out to classic cars from different classes and eras, ranging from vintage models from the 1920s through to the 1970s and onwards. Esteemed judges present at the event and awarding the prizes included HRH Prince Michael of Kent and Classic and Sports Car editor, Alastair Clements, while some of the UK’s most prestigious car clubs also came together to display some of the finest examples from their garages.

The cars for the 2020 Concours of Elegance descended on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace on the outskirts of Greater London. Once the favoured home of King Henry VIII and his many wives, the red brick Tudor palace features 60 acres of manicured formal gardens that were occupied by almost 1000 car models parked on site for the weekend. Outside of the automotive displays, visitors could enjoy a collection of art, jewellery and fashion displays, including a showcase of A. Lange & Söhne’s latest timepieces.

Notable winners at this year's Concours of Elegance included the first ever production Land Rover, which was crowned winner of the 1940s category, an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750, which was driven to victory in the Mille Miglia in the 1920s, and a distinctive Messerschmitt KR200, which was awared the Royal Automobile Club Trophy.

A new category introduced at this year’s event was the Bridge of Weir Leather Design Award, awarded by a committee of automotive designers gathered by the Scottish company. The stunning 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupe by Gangloff, with its unique body and purple paintwork, was recognised by the judges for its outstanding design.

A 1969 Porsche 917 KH was a favourite throughout the event and with its imposing design and memorable backstory managed to pick up the prize for Best in Show. In 1970, Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood drove this very same 917 KH, with start number 23, to 19 wins. This car marked Porsche’s entry into the league of powerful, large-capacity racing cars and featured a 580bhp 4.5-litre 12-cylinder engine that set new standards at the time, and remains legendary today.

The classic car line ups were complemented by exciting showcases from the world’s greatest car manufacturers, many of whom were debuting cars at the event for the first time. This included the new Ineos Grenadier, the Brabham BT62R, the all-electric EVIJA hypercar from Lotus and and the one-off commission Aston Martin Victor. 

The latter scooped the Future Classics prize and is the most powerful road-legal naturally aspirated vehicle ever produced by Aston Martin, boasting 836bhp. With styling inspired by the 1980s Vantage, the mechanicals are thoroughly modern, constructed from lightweight carbon fibre.

Gooding & Company hosted its first auction outside of the US at the Concours of Elegance, displaying the lots within the Tudor Courtyard of Hampton Court Palace. Included in the collection was a Bugatti Type 59 from 1934, previously owned by King Leopold of Belgium, which broke world records as the most expensive Bugatti ever auctioned when it sold for £9,535,000. Also up for auction was a Type 35C, which sold for £3,935,000 and a Type 57S Atalante for £7,855,000, also setting sales records for these models. The auction also included the highest prices ever for a Vauxhall 30-98 and a Lamborghini Miura, as the SV Speciale sold for £3,207,000.

The next Concours of Elegance will be held from September 3-5 2021.

Looking for more classic cars to add to your collection? Make sure you check out our classic car roundup.