Record Attendance and Most Spectacular Array of Concours Cars Yet.
Sunday marked the end of yet another fantastic automobile spectacle that was hosted at Hampton Court Palace in west London over the course of three days by the A. Lange & Sohne-sponsored Concours of Elegance. The event was presented by A. Lange & Sohne.
15,000 people attended the 12th iteration of the yearly event, which was held in the breathtaking grounds of the Palace, to view a historic display of noteworthy and rare road and competition machinery. The amazing 1955 Maserati A6GCS/53 Frua Spider, a masterpiece of Italian design that was making its first appearance on British soil, was awarded the title of Best in Show, which was decided in a way that is only possible by the owners of the Concours cars themselves.
The commemoration of the 100th running of the Le Mans race was another breathtaking high point. The exhibition, which was put on in collaboration with the Automobile Club of the West, included a mind-boggling collection of key La Sarthe icons. The collection featured 10 winners and 4 double winners, forming a line-up the likes of which had never been seen in the UK before. Elsewhere, Fritz Burkard was honoured as The Collector for 2023, and people were delighted by a wide variety of machines from his "Pearl Collection."
1955 Maserati A6GCS/53 Frua Spider Maserati - Best in Show CoE 2023
The successful 2023 edition further solidifies the Concours of Elegance's place as the flagship Concours d'Elegance event in the United Kingdom and as one of the top three such events worldwide.
The 1955 Maserati A6GCS/53 Frua Spider took first place at the show and was awarded "best in show" for the year 2023, one of just three that were ever finished with beautiful Frua coachwork, and only two of those remain. It is generally agreed upon that the Frua Spider is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and desirable automobiles to have been produced in the 1950s.
The beautiful A6GCS Frua Spider was the brainchild of Gugliemo 'Mimmo' Dei, the official Maserati dealer for Rome. Gugliemo 'Mimmo' Dei commissioned a small batch of finely coachbuilt vehicles based on the high-performance basis of the A6GCS. These cars were then assembled into the amazing A6GCS Frua Spider. The A6GCS/53, with its motorsport-honed mechanicals, had initially been created for the 1953 World Sports Car Championship. The letter 'CS' stood for 'Corsa Sport' in the model's name. It featured a formidable 170 horsepower in-line six-cylinder engine that was first built for Formula 2 racing by the well-known engine maker Columbo, as well as a lightweight tubular chassis that was designed by Gilco and was equally race-bred. The finished product was a car that weighed just 740 kilogrammes and was a true work of automotive beauty. It was the ideal combination of delicate spider aesthetics, wonderful handling, and ferocious performance worthy of a race car.
In the late 1950s, Chassis 2110 was transported to the United States, and it has been there continuously up to the present day. A Maserati enthusiast by the name of Adolfo Orsi oversaw the laborious restoration that was performed on it in the early 2000s. It made its very first appearance in the United Kingdom during the event that took place at Hampton Court. A magnificent automobile that more than lives up to its title as champion.
James Brooks-Ward, Concours of Elegance CEO, said: “We’re delighted to report that Concours of Elegance 2023, the 12th edition of our show, was the most spectacular yet. Our curators pulled out all the stops, assembling an array of machinery the likes of which has never been seen in the UK before – all in the most incredible historic royal palace setting. With such a remarkable array of Le Mans winners alongside the other rare and significant machinery, 2023’s show is one that will certainly live long in the memory for our guests."
"We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners, and particularly our presenting partner A. Lange & Söhne, as well as our immensely generous owners, for their continued support. Without them, this special event would simply not be possible.”
Full list of winners:
Best in Show: 1955 Maserati A6GCS/53 Frua Spider
Pre-1920: 1913 Hispano-Suiza 14/45HP ‘Alfonso XIII’
1920s: 1929 Bentley Speed Six ‘Old Number One’
1930s: 1934 Bugatti Type 59
1950s: 1956 Jaguar XKSS
1960s: 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
1970s: 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV
Future Classics: 2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie
Le Mans - 1920s and 1930s: 1929 Bentley Speed Six ‘Old Number One’
Le Mans - 1950s and 1960s: 1964 Ferrari 250 LM
Le Mans – 1970s to Present Day: 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Group 4 Competition
Club Trophy: 1968 Aston Martin DBS
Classic & Sports Car Trophy Saturday: 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Volante
Classic & Sports Car Trophy Sunday: 1972 Marcos Mantis M70
Junior Concours: Bugatti Type 13 Brescia
Levitt Concours: 1955 Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupé
30 Under 30: 1981 Porsche 924
Prince Michael of Kent Award: 1962 AC Shelby Cobra ‘CSX 2001’
Chairman’s Award: 1937 Peugeot 302 DS Darl’Mat
The Concours of Elegance will return to Hampton Court Palace from the 30th August to 1st September 2024.
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