Rare Chance to See Some of World’s Most Significant Competition Cars on UK Soil.

The world's most prestigious motor race, the Le Mans 24 Hours, was held for the first time in 1923, making this year's celebration of its centennial all the more anticipated. This important new feature highlights the historic racing greats from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, and the United States, showcasing the renowned endurance equipment that has battled for victory at the French track throughout those decades.

Bentley, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Matra, and Rondeau will all be represented in the 11th annual Concours of Elegance, making this an exceptional opportunity to view such a collection in the United Kingdom. As a fitting way to commemorate the centennial of the world's most prestigious and difficult-to-win race, the victors of La Sarthe will line up in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace.

1924 Bentley 3 Litre

An unconvinced WO By 1924, however, Bentley had come around to the notion of a 24-hour endurance race, and he gave the 'Bentley Boys,' John Duff and Frank Clement, full factory backing for their private participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Their 3 Litre, which had been upgraded for competition with four-wheel brakes, wire headlamp mesh, and matting wrapped around the gasoline tank, more than justified his faith.

Despite what seemed to be deliberate sabotage from another team during their pit stop, this crew nevertheless managed to finish first. See this magnificent but somewhat primitive car in all its splendor at the Concours of Elegance and marvel at the daring of early Le Mans pioneers.

1929 Bentley Speed Six ‘Old Number One’

The Bentley Speed Six "Old Number One," the first car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1929 and 1930, is widely regarded as one of Le Mans's finest milestones. The British manufacturer entered five vehicles in 1929, with this sporty take on their classic 6.2-liter tourer serving as the showpiece. The modified engine produced 190 horsepower, enough for a top speed of 115 mph.

Woolf Barnato and Tim Birkin piloted it to a clean sweep of the podium in 1929, and Barnato and Glen Kidston did it again in 1930, against stiff competition from Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz. The Bentley Speed 8 didn't win Le Mans again until 2003, therefore, "Old Number One" is possibly the most important car in the great history of British motor sport.

1931 Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 Zagato

Some of Alfa Romeo's most illustrious motor race triumphs were thanks to Zagato's aerodynamically optimized and lightweight bodywork, and the famed 8C 2300 gave Enzo Ferrari, who was in charge of the Italian arm of the marque's stable at the time, important early achievements before he went solo.

The car on display at the Concours d'Elegance was the most successful racer for the alliance it was a part of. It is one of just five 8C 2300s ever made and one of only four long-chassis Le Mans Zagatos. In 1931, Lord Howe and Tim Birkin won the Le Mans 24 Hours with a car that boasted a 2.3-liter, eight-cylinder engine that produced 155 horsepower. It broke the 3,000-kilometer mark and became the first Italian automobile to win at La Sarthe.

1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W194

Mercedes-Benz's 1952 Le Mans winner, the 300 SL W194, from which the legendary 300 SL Gullwing evolved, will also be on display at the Concours of Elegance. The 300 SL was the first closed-body vehicle and the first German car to win the 24 Hours. Its lightweight tubular-steel spaceframe, aerodynamic aluminum body, revolutionary gullwing doors, and 165 horsepower 3.0-liter straight-six made it a technological marvel.

Hermann Lange and Fritz Riess piloted this vehicle and its teammate to a dominant 1-2 finish. Just 10 were ever made, making the machine you see before you, numbered 21, one of the most legendary racing vehicles ever.

1963 Ferrari 275P

Only this mid-engined, V12-powered Ferrari has ever won both the GT class and the GT prototype class at Le Mans. As a 250P in 1963 and a modified 275P in 1964, it was victorious for Scuderia Ferrari. The first two spots were driven to victory by Ludovico Scarfiotti and Lorenzo Bandini of the Maranello brand. The then 3.0-liter 250P became the first non-front-engined winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, extending the Scuderia's streak of victories to four in a row by more than 125 miles (16 laps). It was also the first time an Italian team—car and drivers—had a complete victory.

The remodeled 275P with a V12 displacement of 3.3 liters debuted in June 1964. It once more set a Le Mans distance record by traveling 2917.5 miles at an average speed of 122.2 mph under the control of Sicilian Nino Vaccarella and Frenchman Jean Guichet. After that, Ferrari finished 1-2-3, and they wouldn't win Le Mans again until 2023, with the 499P.

1968 Ford GT40

Another member of the exclusive "Le Mans double" club is Ford GT40 chassis no. 1075. It was brand new, built to the Mk1 design, and painted in the now-iconic Gulf Oil livery when John Wyer's JW Automotive Engineering entered it in 1968, after the official Ford team had withdrawn from endurance racing. While it was challenged by Porsche in the World Sportscar Championship, the Blue Oval prevailed thanks to the efforts of Pedro Rodrguez and Lucien Bianchi in the wet conditions of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

In 1969, however, Jackie Oliver and Jacky Ickx won the Le Mans 24 at the last possible moment, snatching the championship from Hans Hermann's Porsche 908LH.

1974 Matra MS670

The Group 5 prototype Matra-Simca MS670 made its debut in 1972 and was re-engineered for the 1973 and 1974 seasons, winning both times at Le Mans with drivers Henri Pescarolo and Gérard Larrousse. Both years, Matra also won the manufacturers' championship, but it wasn't enough to prevent the French automaker from pulling out of racing at the year's conclusion. Do you think it could have kept its winning run going in 24 Hours? A taste of what may have been can be seen in the winning MS670 on exhibit at Hampton Court Palace.

1979 Rondeau M379B

Jean Rondeau, a race car driver and car builder from the area, won the Le Mans race with a car that bore his own name. In 1980, he won while co-driving the Automobiles Jean Rondeau M379B Group 6 sports prototype with Jean-Pierre Jaussaud. The automobile was built on a 3.0 liter Ford-Cosworth DFV V8 engine and had a spaceframe constructed of aluminum and steel with glass fiber body panels.

1995 Porsche TWR WSC-95

The well-documented rivalry between Jaguar and Porsche during the Group C era of endurance racing produced some remarkable machinery, including the Porsche TWR WSC-95, winner of the 1996 and 1997 Le Mans 24 Hours. With unofficial factory assistance, TWR and Joest Racing built the car, which has a Type 935 turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six that was very successful in the 1980s. It paved the way for a 1-2-3 finish for the German manufacturer with two 911 GT1s driven by Davy Jones, Alexander Wurz, and Manuel Reuter. Although its major competitors were removed due to technical problems, Joest came back in 1997 with Tom Kristensen, Michele Alboreto, and Stefan Johansson behind the wheel, and the WSC-95 won by one lap.

2003 Bentley Speed 8

A deliberate effort to restore Bentley to motorsports' peak after seven decades of decline culminated in the team's 2003 triumph at La Sarthe with the no. 7 Speed 8. The modern-day Bentley Boys Guy Smith, Tom Kristensen, and Rinaldo Capello won the LMGTP class and the race overall in the closed-cockpit car, while David Brabham, Johnny Herbert, and Mark Blundell finished in second place in the open-cockpit car. Fans can get up close and personal with the legendary machine that is No. 7 at the Hampton Court Palace exhibition.

The September Concours d'Elegance will include the Le Mans 24 Hours Centenary Anniversary automobiles with other interesting machinery from the Levitt Concours, Thirty Under 30, Junior Concours, and the Pearl Collection of Switzerland, among others. The glitzy event will bring together roughly a thousand more automobiles for a number of extra attractions and displays outside the main exhibits.

James Brooks-Ward, Concours of Elegance CEO, said: “We are delighted to announce the full details of our Le Mans 24 Hours Centenary Celebration display, presented in partnership with our friends at Automobile Club de l’Ouest. We’ll be bringing you an unparalleled selection of winning cars from the legendary 24 Hours, from the dawn of the event through to the 21st century.

“Featuring machinery from Britain, Italy, Germany, France and the US, from major manufacturers through to independent trail-blazers, our display follows the rich history of the world’s most important motor race. Le Mans is known as the most evocative, storied event in motor sport, with countless legends forged at the Circuit de la Sarthe over the past century. We’re delighted to bring such landmark cars together; 2023’s show is set to be a wonderful celebration of a magnificent race that has enthralled motor sport fans around the world, and our most astonishing automotive extravaganza yet.”

Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, said: “The centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours is a major international event. We’re overjoyed that the Concours of Elegance is showcasing Le Mans and endurance racing cars this year. A big shout out to the organisers for honouring our anniversary with such finesse.”