Hampton Court Palace was a sea of cars as petrolheads gathered for the first day of the annual Concours of Elegance taking place this weekend. Over 500 cars will grace the grounds of Henry VIII’s former home including some of the most important vehicles in history, with a specific focus on the Centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours race.

In a special feature display, 23 former Le Mans racers, including 10 winners and four double winners are displayed at the event. These include Bentley Old Number 1, the 1963 Ferrari 250/275P and the 1968 Ford GT40 which won two years on the trot thanks to Jacky Ickx’s last lap heroics.

The line-up then charts the story of the valiant efforts of Matra and Jean Rondeau - the only man to win Le Mans in a car bearing his own name - before taking in the glory days of Group C with Porsche and Jaguar. Our next car brings those two great rivals together in the fascinating Porsche-TWRWSC-95, which blended a Jaguar Group C chassis with the Porsche's resolute 962 engine to create a machine that won Le Mans twice and started Tom Kristensen's record-breaking run of nine victories.

The Collector feature is another eye catching display at the Concours of Elegance and sees one of Switzerland’s most dedicated car custodians, Fritz Burkard, showcase his collection. Bugatti is a particularly favourite brand and his collection features an 1897 Prinetti & Stucchi Tricycle, built by a youthful Ettore Bugatti and which managed a world record average speed of 64km/h over 90km in 1899. A super rare 1934 Bugatti Type 59 on display. One of six ever built, it was the marque's last Grand Prix car and is considered to be the most elegant of all pre-war competition machines. Burkard’s example managed a third place finish at the Monaco GP.

Other highlights from Buckard’s collection include a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom Il Continental, the last to feature the British marque’s venerable six-cylinder sidevalve engine. A James Bond fan’s dream car in the form of an exquisite Aston Martin DB5 is a real head turner but for a slightly different flavour, a 1960s Pininfarina-designed Abarth 1000 and Peel P50 Coupé add some variety to the collection.

Concours of Elegance isn’t just an event to admire the cars on show, as many cars on display are available to buy as lots from Gooding & Co’s London Auction. Hosted within two of the Palace courtyards, highlights of the auction include a 1961 E-type Series 1 3.8-litre Fixed Head Coupé and its 1961 E-type Series 1 3.8 Roadster stablemate, formerly owned by Ferrari engineer and racing driver Michael Parkes.

Among the many guests at Hampton Court Palace was former Driven Chat podcast guest Mr JWW, who was interviewed on stage as part of the event’s first day activities.

Saturday will see the hosting of the Club Trophy, designed to find the most spectacular car in the UK and win a place in the Concours of Elegance 2024. The Levitt Concours, which celebrates extraordinary women and their cars, and the Jaguar Trophy are among other highlights.

On Sunday, the Concours welcomes a collection of rare Vauxhall 30-98 cars, as well as a line-up of Junior Concours cars; scaled down petrol, electric or pedal cars accompanied by their equally scaled down drivers and their parents. A line-up of classic and modern Bentleys will contest the Bentley Trophy and the 30 Under 30 Concours, which celebrates the best young classic car owners, will join the line-up.

Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Concours of Elegance