The 2017 Concours of Elegance

By Steve Wakefield

5th September 2017

Experienced concours-goers might have seen some of them elsewhere, but the selection of cars at this year’s Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace was as good, if not better, than ever. The eventual Best of Show was the Lancia Astura Aerodinamico by Castagna. With fine weather, a knowledgeable crowd and a backdrop of probably the best royal venue of them all, did anyone care that Antonius Meijer’s car had triumphed at Villa d’Este in 2016? Not one bit.

A highlight of the event was the reunion of many of the D-types that swept the board at Le Mans in 1957, headed by the Louwman Museum Ecurie Ecosse long-nose XKD 606, that year’s race winner. Works mechanic Ron Gaudion was flown in from Australia to join the fun and, as ever, Norman Dewis was on hand to reminisce.

New for 2017 was a Master of Ceremonies (Jeremy Jackson-Sytner, above left) who introduced the cars ‘over the ramp’ in the style of Pebble Beach or The Quail. This worked well at Hampton Court – we’re not sure the format could be adapted for some of the other Royal Palace venues. The Concours of Elegance’s royal patron, HRH Prince Michael of Kent (above right), took a keen interest in all the entries on the opening Friday.

And cars that caught the K500 eye? Car dealer of long standing William Loughran was showing his ex-Graham Whitehead 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione (above) for the first time since a comprehensive restoration at Ferrari Classiche. The white 1954 Fiat 8V Supersonic by Ghia (quite literally) dazzled in late-summer sunshine, and who doesn’t like a ‘1•2•3’ Carrera Panamericana Ferrari?