E X P E R I E N C E
The Royale
The new event that will change what you know about luxury cars By MARK KEBBLE
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EVENT DIRECTOR PAUL MATHERS
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t’s hard enough staging a new event without having to deal with a global pandemic along the way, something the founder of Auto Royale, Paul Mathers, knows only too well. “For any event organiser, COVID has been an overwhelming challenge and most of us, despite not being able to deliver events, have had to get by on little or no support – Auto Royale is no exception,” he says. “As a start-up with a new event we have been pushed to the limit and our innovation and problem-solving has been really tested. But, right now, summer looks clear for us to restart.” It is indeed time to look forward, not back, and Auto Royale is certainly an event that will help banish lingering memories of lockdown. Being staged from 16-18 July at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, this promises to be something car enthusiasts have not experienced before. “Concours d’Elegance events have been around for many years, and many have fallen into step with a
certain paradigm,” Mathers takes up the idea behind his event. “With the exception of the cars on the field, which are always a joy for an enthusiast, the rest of the event runs the risk of being predictable and underwhelming. Auto Royale seeks to subvert people’s expectations. “If other events aim to be traditional, then Auto Royale is contemporary. If others are snobby or elitist, Auto Royale aims to be high quality and inclusive. If another has a soundtrack of jazz, then ours will be of Bowie. I’ve often said that if other events are ‘the Queen’, then Auto Royale is ‘Queen’, the band. We want to take some of the stiffness out of concours and make it fun.” ALFA ROMEO 8C
A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s
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