A selection of world class classic cars will return to the magnificent grounds of Hampton Court Palace in west London for the 2025 Concours of Elegance on 5-7 September.
This year’s edition will see 75 vehicles compete for the coveted Best of Show title, which was claimed in 2024 by a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Convertible by Inskip. The winner will be eligible for Peninsula Classics’ Best of the Best Award, which annually selects the finest car from the world’s most prestigious concours d’elegance contests.
Many of the cars confirmed for this year’s event have never previously been seen in public and range from early pioneers and striking art deco creations of the pre-war period to exclusive hypercars of the contemporary era.
Away from the judged field, Hampton Court Palace presents tributes to Formula 1’s 75th anniversary alongside a trio of significant Mercedes-Benzes, as part of a programme featuring more than 500 vehicles across the weekend.
The Formula 1 tribute comprises a 1956 Maserati 250F once raced by Louis Chiron, a 1970 March 701 campaigned by François Cevert and a 1989 Ferrari 639 prototype that served as a test-bed for the innovative paddle-shift transmission designed by John Barnard.
Hampton Court’s Mercedes-Benz display is equally compelling, uniting three landmark machines from across the marque’s history.
Taking centre stage is the wedge-shaped C 111-II, joined by the W 196 R Grand Prix car in which Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1955 Dutch Grand Prix, and the Mercedes-AMG F1 W05 Hybrid that dominated the 2014 Formula 1 season.
Another special display is a single-owner treasure trove of Ferraris and Porsches that has never before been seen in public. Headliners include Ferrari’s 288 GTO, F40 LM, 333 SP and SF90 XX Spyder, alongside Porsche’s 1973 Targa Florio-winning 911 Carrera RSR, a 911 GT1 Evo converted for road use, the limited-run 2018 935 Homage and the track-only 911 Rennsport.
The concours field is set to feature myriad breathtaking machines, too. One of the most headline-grabbing examples is the legendary 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I, also known as ‘The Phantom of Love’.
This opulent pre-war Rolls-Royce ranks among the marque’s best-known survivors and is widely regarded as one of the most extravagant motor cars ever built. Commissioned as a no-expense-spared gift from Woolworths executive Clarence Gasque to his wife, it cost £6500 – when the average UK house was about £500.
Yet the Phantom of Love will face stern competition for Best of Show honours in the shape of three rare and historically significant Ferrari racers from the 1950s. The trio comprises a fully original 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Vignale Barchetta, one of just two 1951 212 Export Cabriolets and a 1953 250 MM Vignale Spyder Series II that finished runner-up in the 1954 Buenos Aires 1000km.
Another 1950s race car set to grace the concours lawn is the 1955 Jaguar D-type with privateer US motor racing provenance. After its racing career, the D-type passed into a private collection before being restored by Jaguar marque experts CKL.
Complementing the concours contenders and special displays is the return of the female-only Levitt Concours, Thirty Under 30 competition, car-club exhibits and Gooding Christie’s auction.
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