The Royal Automobile Club will mark 120 years of its historic Tourist Trophy at the inaugural Club Concours, set within the historic Woodcote Park country estate, adjacent to Epsom Downs in Surrey, on Wednesday, 9 July.
First run by the Club in 1905 on public roads on the Isle of Man, the Tourist Trophy is one of the world’s oldest automobile races. A glittering array of TT competition cars including former winners will pay tribute to this storied legacy, featured among 250 of the world’s finest road and track cars displayed in the estate’s stunning parkland setting.
John Napier, the inaugural winner, claimed victory in an 18hp Arrol-Johnston – one of the few surviving examples is kindly loaned by the Shuttleworth Collection.
Following its debut on the Isle of Man, the Tourist Trophy moved to the closed roads of Ards and Dundrod in Northern Ireland, then briefly to Donington Park, before finding a new home at Goodwood in the late 1950s.
It was at Goodwood that the legendary Stirling Moss claimed four of his record seven TT wins – perhaps most memorably in 1960, racing a Ferrari 250 GT entered by Rob Walker in Scottish national colours. That iconic car, now owned by Formula 1 designer Ross Brawn, will also be on display at Woodcote Park.
While Moss’s name dominates the 18-carat gold trophy – designed after Giambologna’s sculpture of the Greek god Hermes – the most victorious car is the BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’, with four wins at Silverstone during the 1970s. Its fame only grew when it sported the iconic orange Jägermeister livery, as will the striking example appearing at the Club Concours.
Two more Silverstone winners will also appear in the 120 Years of the Tourist Trophy showcase: The Aston Martin DBR9, driven to victory in 2009 by Peter Kox and Pedro Lamy, and the Audi R18 e-tron quattro, which claimed wins in both 2013 and 2015.
“In all its various guises, the Tourist Trophy is one of the world’s most revered races, and we are excited to mark its 120-year milestone in such splendid style at the Royal Automobile Club’s inaugural Club Concours,” said Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. “Moreover, we will have the famous gold TT trophy on display for all to admire – there are some very illustrious names on it, too!”
The 120 Years of the Tourist Trophy is just one of 13 curated collections showcased throughout the 350-acre Woodcote estate. In total, the event will present more than 250 of the world’s most exceptional automobiles, highlighting over a century of motoring excellence.
Many of these rare vehicles are sourced from the private collections of Club members, alongside notable contributions from prestigious museums, renowned collectors, and international enthusiasts.
While Club members and their guests are warmly welcomed, Woodcote Park will open its doors to the wider public for the very first time. A limited number of tickets are available via selected car clubs and motoring organisations. Those without an invitation code can apply by emailing: concours@royalautomobileclub.co.uk.
For full details on the displays and ticketing, a dedicated website can be accessed via this link.
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