The inaugural Royal Automobile Club Concours, held on Wednesday 9 July, has been widely celebrated as a resounding success and a welcome addition to the Club’s prestigious motoring event portfolio. This portfolio also includes London Motor Week, the St James’s Motoring Spectacle on Pall Mall, the Club’s Historic Awards and the world-famous RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
Set against a backdrop of glorious summer sunshine, this brand new motoring event took place in the stunning grounds of the Club’s historic Woodcote Park estate, adjacent to Epsom Downs in Surrey. Over 200 of the world’s finest road and track cars were showcased, spanning pioneering models to modern-day supercars and Formula 1 legends.
In a first for the Club, members of select car clubs were invited to the picturesque parkland estate, enjoying a truly wonderful garden party atmosphere alongside Club members. With gleaming paintwork and shining chrome under clear blue skies, the elegant new festival was officially opened by Club Chairman Duncan Wiltshire and event hosts Amanda Stretton and Will Smith.
The centrepiece of the event was the prestigious Club Concours, accompanied by six stunning Feature Displays, the dazzling RM Sotheby’s Supercar Boulevard, and the eclectic Lockton Members’ Paddock – a spectacular motor show treasure trove in its own right.
The Club Concours featured seven distinctive classes: Grand Tourers, Riviera, Coachbuilder’s Art, Limousines, Mille Miglia, Pioneers, and Motorcycles. A panel of expert judges – including five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell MBE, esteemed car designer Peter Stevens, and beloved television presenter and classic car enthusiast Alan Titchmarsh CBE – selected winners for each category, as well as the highly coveted Best in Show.
The top honour was awarded in front of the imposing Clubhouse to a unique 1927 Bentley 3-litre Boat-Tail Speed Model, owned by the Jaques family. Adorned with its exquisite Martin Walter body, the car is well known to the Royal Automobile Club, having previously taken joint first prize in the Restoration category at the Club’s Historic Awards last year.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the jury’s decision,” said Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Judges. “This is a stunning example of 1920s coachbuilding, when owners would purchase a chassis, engine and gearbox, and then choose a body style. Bentleys of the era are usually associated with Le Mans, yet this boat-tail body – complete with ensign flying at the stern and sculpted wings – is very different.
“The car also carries a powerful family story: it underwent nearly a decade of restoration, during which time its owner Chris Jacques passed away. His son has seen the project through to completion. I’m sure Chris is looking down on us all today, smiling.”
Other notable winners included the iconic Rolls-Royce Phantom V once owned by John Lennon, Carl Fogarty’s 2000 Ducati 996 F00 Superbike, and the extraordinary 1936 Packard Twelve by LeBaron – featured in The Godfather movies. A full list of winners appears below.
Several Feature Displays paid tribute to the Club’s key contributions to motoring and motorsport history. In 1900 – 125 years ago – the Club organised the 1000 Mile Trial, a pioneering event traversing the UK. This allowed early manufacturers to demonstrate their innovations and gave many spectators their first glimpse of motor vehicles. Among those early cars was an 1899 Wolseley 3.5hp Voiturette cherished by the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, proudly shown among the other Victorian and Edwardian vehicles at Woodcote Park.
Five years after the ground-breaking 1000 Mile Trial, the Club launched the first Tourist Trophy road race in the Isle of Man. In 1950, it oversaw the first points-scoring Formula 1 World Championship race at Silverstone. Both milestones were honoured with dedicated displays, including the iconic Tourist Trophy and the golden British Grand Prix Trophy – newly engraved with Lando Norris’s name following his stirring win last Sunday.
Additional displays celebrated the 75th anniversaries of both British Motoring and BRM. The British Motoring showcase featured exquisite Aston Martins and Jaguars. The BRM tribute included the notorious BRM V16 F1 from the 1950s, Graham Hill OBE’s 1962 title-winning ‘Old Faithful’ BRM P578, and the gas-turbine Rover-BRM that raced at Le Mans in 1965 with Hill and Sir Jackie Stewart.
To mark 100 years of the Phantom – the longest-used model name in automotive history – a breath-taking assembly of these illustrious Rolls-Royces was also on display. This included the one-of-a-kind 1928 17EX Phantom prototype, complete with its original boat-tail design.
For lovers of modern exotica, the RM Sotheby’s Supercar Boulevard offered a rare chance to admire limited-edition Ferrari Monza SP1, SP2, and Daytona SP3 models – all showcased together in resplendent style.
“I could not be prouder of what’s been achieved here at Woodcote Park,” said Club Chairman Duncan Wiltshire as the event concluded. “The fabulous grounds lend themselves perfectly to an occasion like this, and everyone embraced the spirit of the event magnificently. That includes our enthusiastic partners, the groundskeepers, banqueting staff, the owners of these incredible cars, our brilliant judges and, perhaps most of all, the Motoring Committee and team here at Woodcote Park. I thank and congratulate them all.”
Royal Automobile Club Concours Winners
Grand Tourers: There and Back
Judges: Vanessa Marçais & Andrew Hall
Winner: 1958 Bristol 406S owned by Gale Barton
Riviera: Great Rays of Sunshine
Judges: Michael Squire & Alan Titchmarsh CBE
Winner: 1938 Talbot Lago T15 cabriolet owned by Felix & Toby Ross
Mille Miglia: 1000 Miles on the Clock
Judges: Katarina Kyvalova & Marc Newson CBE RDI
Winner: Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider owned by Lord Anthony Bamford
Coachbuilder’s Art: Handmade Perfection
Judges: Georgina Wood & Derek Bell MBE
Winner: 1932 Bentley 8-litre by HJ Mulliner owned by Mihai Negrescu
Limousines: The ‘Being Driven’ Big Beasts
Judges: Georgina Wood & Derek Bell MBE
Winner: Rolls-Royce Phantom V owned by Jody Klein
Pioneers: RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Cars
Judges: Allan Winn & Peter Stevens
Winner: 1902 Napier D45 Tonneau owned by Clive Boothman
Motorcycles: Looks a Pillion Dollars
Judges: Maria Costello MBE & Michael Quinn
Winner: 2000 Ducati 996 F00 Superbike owned by Henry Pearman
Spirit of the Show
Full judging panel
Winner: 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint owned by Keith Harrison
Royal Automobile Club Chairman’s Award
Duncan Wiltshire
Winner: 1936 Packard Twelve by LeBaron owned by Jack Boyd Smith Jr/JBS Collection
Royal Automobile Club Concours: Best in Show
Full judging panel
Winner: 1927 Bentley 3-litre Boat Tail Speed Model owned by the Jaques family
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