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Against the formal gardens of Hampton Court Palace, Concours of Elegance gathers some of the world’s rarest and most significant motor cars for one of Britain’s most distinguished automotive occasions. Its deliberately selective scale gives visitors time to appreciate the cars, their histories and craftsmanship without the sprawling displays of larger motor shows.
Held annually in early September, the three-day event attracts collectors, owners, marque specialists and enthusiasts alongside visitors drawn by its setting and social atmosphere. For a luxury-focused audience, fine watches, specialist craftsmanship, Champagne lunches and VIP hospitality add to its appeal.
A Royal Stage for Automotive Excellence
Concours of Elegance began at Windsor Castle in 2012 as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. It subsequently appeared at St James’s Palace, Hampton Court Palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Windsor Castle before establishing Hampton Court as its regular home.
Cars are displayed across the palace gardens rather than exhibition halls, allowing their coachwork, proportions and detailing to be viewed in natural light against Hampton Court’s Tudor architecture and formal landscaping.
The main Concours is intentionally limited to a highly curated international selection. Many cars are seldom publicly displayed, and some appear in Britain for the first time, helping establish the event as an important fixture for serious collectors and enthusiasts of automotive design.
The Cars at the Heart of the Concours
The principal display spans more than a century of motoring, with its selection changing each year. Pre-war coachbuilt cars sit alongside important post-war grand tourers, competition machinery, landmark sports cars and more recent automobiles recognised for their collectable significance.
Provenance carries considerable weight. Cars may be selected for an influential designer or coachbuilder, competition history, exceptional originality, rarity or notable former ownership. Marques such as Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo are often represented by examples rarely encountered at conventional classic-car gatherings.
Special classes examine particular marques, coachbuilders, design movements or periods of automotive history, with changing themes giving returning visitors something different to discover.
Best in Show has a distinctive format: owners of the main Concours cars vote for the automobile they consider most deserving of the title. Other awards recognise particular qualities and categories, but this peer-selected honour remains the defining prize.
The Grand Depart traditionally closes proceedings, sending the principal automobiles out of the palace grounds under their own power. Seeing and hearing machinery that otherwise spends much of its life in significant private collections is a fitting end to the weekend.
A Broader World of Collecting
Supporting displays bring different strands of collector culture into the palace gardens.
The Club Trophy draws cars selected through leading owners’ clubs, while Car Club Displays broaden the field with gatherings representing prestigious marques.
Levitt Concours celebrates automobiles owned and driven by women and takes its name from pioneering British racing driver and motoring writer Dorothy Levitt. Thirty Under 30 turns the focus towards collectors aged 30 or below, often highlighting restoration, ownership stories and younger custodianship.
Junior Concours features hand-built scale cars inspired by celebrated models, driven by young Works Drivers accompanied by their parent Mechanics. It brings a family dimension to the weekend while retaining the event’s emphasis on craftsmanship and motoring heritage.
Restoration houses, specialist dealers, craftspeople and businesses serving important collections add another dimension, alongside luxury exhibitors spanning areas such as watches and tailoring. For collectors considering an acquisition or restoration, these specialists are an important part of the event.
Club Concours and the VIP Experience
Club Concours is the event’s principal hospitality experience and the natural choice for visitors planning a full day at Hampton Court. Located on the East Front lawn, its private marquee, garden and lounge provide a dedicated base overlooking the cars.
Hospitality traditionally includes morning coffee and pastries, a Champagne reception, three-course lunch with wines and afternoon cream tea, alongside benefits such as reserved VIP parking and a souvenir catalogue.
Having a private base is particularly valuable during a full day across the palace grounds, while the enclosure’s collector-heavy audience makes its social element part of the attraction.
Friday’s VIP Preview Day also warrants consideration. The opening day traditionally centres more closely on owners and VIP guests, with the main Concours cars individually driven onto the stage and introduced. Visitors particularly interested in provenance and ownership stories may find this the most rewarding day to attend.
Three Days at Hampton Court
The core collection remains throughout the event, but each day has a different character.
Friday is traditionally the Owners’ and VIP Day, with presentations of individual Concours cars creating a more collector-led atmosphere.
Saturday brings a broader programme of supporting concours classes, club displays and special features, creating a livelier day across the gardens.
Sunday builds towards the awards and Grand Depart, when the principal cars leave Hampton Court under their own power.
Dining can be tailored accordingly. Club Concours provides the most complete hospitality experience, while pre-ordered Fortnum & Mason picnics offer an appealing alternative in the gardens. Champagne and other refreshments are also available around the event.
Exact programmes and special displays vary, so visitors travelling for a particular class or presentation should check the current timetable before choosing a day.
Arriving in Concours Style
Hampton Court Palace sits in East Molesey within straightforward reach of central London. A chauffeured car is the most seamless option, particularly from Mayfair or Knightsbridge, while driving works well for those combining the event with a Surrey stay.
Club Concours hospitality commonly includes reserved VIP parking. General visitor parking and arrangements for eligible classic cars may also be available, although these should be confirmed when booking.
Hampton Court railway station is close to the palace and offers a convenient alternative to travelling by road.
The dress code is smart casual, with lightweight tailoring, dresses and polished separates well suited to the garden setting. Comfortable footwear is advisable for the lawns, along with a layer or umbrella for changeable early-September weather.
Booking is sensible, particularly for hospitality and Preview Day.
A Weekend Around Hampton Court
Concours of Elegance works well as the centrepiece of a longer stay. Hampton Court itself merits additional time, with the palace interiors, gardens and surrounding stretch of the Thames close at hand.
For a countryside base, Beaverbrook combines country-house character with a strong spa and dining offering near Leatherhead. Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire provides a larger resort experience farther afield, while The Mitre sits immediately beside Hampton Court Palace for maximum convenience.
Visitors based in London have considerably more choice, with Mayfair and Knightsbridge placing the event within chauffeured day-trip distance while keeping the capital’s restaurants, galleries and shopping nearby.
For collectors, specialist dealerships and marque showrooms in London can extend the automotive theme, while Hampton Court’s position west of the capital makes onward travel into Surrey and the English countryside straightforward.
Among Britain’s Great Motoring Occasions
Concours of Elegance holds a distinctive position in Britain’s automotive calendar, defined by the provenance of its cars, knowledgeable collectors and the intimacy of seeing important automobiles within Hampton Court Palace’s grounds.
Club Concours, the palace gardens and polished social atmosphere also make the occasion accessible without an encyclopaedic knowledge of automotive history. Allow enough time to explore the lawns, examine the cars closely and, ideally, remain for the Grand Depart when some of the world’s most collectable machinery returns to the road.
