THE CONCOURS CLASSES

CLASSES OVERVIEW

The Pursuit of Speed

PRESENTED BY THE CONCOURS OF ELEGANCE

Since the invention of the motor car, the quest to be the fastest has been ever present. This class commends those fine vehicles that have been crowned speed kings of the road. Moving through the years, machines varied in engineering and design, from the Jaguar XK120 and Mercedes 300SL Gullwing in the 1940s and ’50s to the Italian era when Lamborghini and Ferrari battled it out in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, all the way to the modern speed kings such as McLaren’s F1 and Bugatti’s Veyron Super Sport.

Great Marques: Aston Martin

SPONSORED BY NICHOLAS MEE

Beauty, craft and art are three elements to which this ultimate of British brands holds itself. Aston Martin is driven to create the world’s most accomplished automotive art, and that’s why James Bond, the greatest-ever secret agent, drives one. Having survived two world wars and multiple bankruptcies, the marque has consistently stuck to its three core principles and created some true motoring icons in the process; the DB2, DB5 and limited-edition One-77 and Vulcan among them.

Convertibles: The Golden Era

SPONSORED BY MONTRES BREGUET

The term convertible brings to mind twisting coastal roads bathed in sunshine, boulevard cruises and elegant designs. This class celebrates the golden era of the cabriolet; a period in the 1950s and ’60s when soft-top styling and engineering seemed to have reached a zenith. Our selection comprises small-engined, nimble cars such as the Lotus Elan, cult classics like the Porsche 356 and Alfa Romeo Junior Spider, as well as design icons including Jaguar’s E-type and Ferrari’s Dino Spider.

The Era of the Supercar

PRESENTED BY DRIVERS UNION

The term ‘supercar’ is generally thought to have originated with the introduction of the mid-engined Lamborghini Miura in 1966, though some say its origins go as far back as the 1930s Alfa Romeo 8C. The Era of the Supercar class is a gathering of the more recent models that we most associate with the term, from early 1990s Ferraris such as the Testarossa through the ultimate VT 6.0 version of the Lamborghini Diablo and new supercars such as the rarely seen-in-the-UK Ford GT.

CLASSES OVERVIEW

Lost Marques

SPONSORED BY FOOTMAN JAMES

The automotive world is undeniably a cut-throat one; some car manufacturers can find great success in the industry, only to disappear from the scene years later following an unfortunate run of bad luck. The Lost Marques class is a celebration of some of those auto makers that are now consigned to the pages of history. On display at the HAC you will find the likes of Bizzarrini, Jensen, Facel Vega, Talbot, Jowett and Unipower. What else can you spot?

The Speed of Sand: The 100mph Club

SPONSORED BY VHRA & ACE CAFE LONDON

It’s a celebration of a tinkering mentality. Unlocking performance with hopped-up engines, stripped-down bodies, vintage speed kit and more – all the while imbuing your car with a look unmistakably your own. “Life begins at 100mph” – which is precisely how fast all of this class’s hot-rodded participants have travelled, on the legendary Pendine Sands in Wales.

Great Marques: Lamborghini

PRESENTED BY THE CONCOURS OF ELEGANCE

Imagine a tractor manufacturer taking on Ferrari… so begins this marque’s story. At its inception, Ferruccio Lamborghini tasked his engineers with developing a more powerful, more usable range of Italian sports cars than those from Maranello. That mantra spawned some of the most beautiful performance machines ever; the Miura, Countach and Diablo through to the Aventador SVJ – mainly named for fighting bulls. There’s a good reason Lamborghini’s nickname is the Raging Bull…

Lancia Legends

SPONSORED BY THORNLEY KELHAM

Lancia may no longer be the brightest spark in the automotive landscape, but it was once known as perhaps the world’s most innovative manufacturer. The Lambda, for example, was the first car to be fitted with a monocoque chassis, while the Aurelia was the first to be fitted with a full-production V6 as well as independent suspension and rear live axles. Lancia then went on to dominate rallying, and remains to this day statistically the most successful brand, with the Stratos, 037 and Delta.