Best of show at the Sydney Harbour Concours D’Elegance was David and Adele Cohen’s sensational 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Fignoni. The unique coupé won Prix d’Honneur at Monte Carlo and Nice in period, as well as appearing at the Paris Salon in 1933, before being converted to run at Le Mans and take class honours with Guy Don and Jean Desvignes.
With its original Joseph Figoni body refitted after its racing career, it spent decades in South Africa where it was acquired by Cohen (who as a youngster was overtaken by it daily as he cycled to school) in 2008. Following a total restoration by RX Autoworks of Vancouver, overseen by 6C guru Simon Moore, it has been a top-ranked concours veteran, having already been a Best of Show runner-up at Pebble Beach and taken much of the silverware at Villa d’Este in 2012.
The runner up awards for pre- and post-war cars went to another Pebble Beach veteran, the 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis by Gangloff and 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 respectively. The Bugatti, formerly of the Mullin Museum and originally built for French racing legend Maurice Trintignant, was shown by renowned Australian businessman Clive Palmer, fast-becoming a big hitter on the international concours stage and with several cars in the Sydney line-up. The impeccable Miura was fresh from a lengthy restoration by the go-to Cremonini team in Modena.
Such quality ran throughout the winners, the judges commenting that the Jaguar E-type that had been restored in Australia by Concours Sportscar Restoration and scooped the coveted Best Restoration Award was of such high quality that it could have graced any concours lawn the world over.
Of similar desirability were the five Porsche speedsters that Rene Aalhuizen supplied for a special Speedster group. Although the seven-strong class embraced 911 wide and narrow bodies and a 964 Speedster, it proved a shut-out for 356s and Aalhuizen when his 1955 Pre A, which had a tree growing through it when he took it on, came second to his spectacular Stone Grey example on its post-restoration debut.
The international flavour was reflected in the visiting well-known rally veteran 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C Sport Freccia d’Oro of San Marino resident Umberto Galloni, the much-used and innovative four-seater being rewarded by being declared the best post-war preservation car. The pre-war preservation prize went to a lovely Alvis Speed 20, still wearing its original Australian body by Martin & King.
Guest of honour, F1 driver and winner of the 1989 Adelaide Grand Prix for Wiilliams, Thierry Boutsen was one of the guests on the live stage over the weekend as well as taking an active role in the judging, with a jury also comprising two Australians, a pair of Brits, Madan Mohan (creator of 21 Gun Salute) from India, the USA and Italy. Chief judge was Alessandra Giorgetti, the Milanese former Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo and Touring Superleggera Register Vice President,
Notable Australian home-wins included class honours for a gorgeous ex-Jack Brabham BT23E and a Passion trophy for the painstaking tracking down and meticulous – and lengthy – restoration of one of Australia’s first and most famous 1932 Ford Hot Rods.
One of the event’s big draws from 28 February to 2 March is a unique setting, have seemingly settled at Cockatoo Island in its seventh running. One of many islands in Sydney Harbour, the concours transforms a dormant shipyard with the cars displayed in huge shipbuilding sheds that were said to once be the largest structure in the Southern Hemisphere and offer an atmospheric industrial backdrop to the cars.
As well as the cars, they housed food-stations, lounges and modern motor manufacturers ranging from Maserati to Fiat, Aston Martin and Polestar showing off their latest wares and offering rides around the site. Outside, the blazing sun eased by the breeze off the water made for a one-off venue for visitors to enjoy their food or drinks on the lawn with the regular interviews and entertainment in the background, as well as the regular, thunderous parades.
Because the site is accessible only by water, the cars travel to Cockatoo Island on barges while the public use the regular ferries that loop the harbour and offer a superb tourist experience in themselves.
Concours founder and curator James Nicholls said: ‘I am delighted that a car as globally and historically significant as the Figoni 6C not only attended our concours, but proved to be such a hit with the judges and public – it is a very worthy winner. That, plus the quality of the two runners up, which are similarly well known internationally as top-tier classics, helps to emphasise the growing importance of the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance on the world stage.
‘Australia may be a bit of an outpost geographically, but it is as passionate as any nation when it comes to motoring and visitors who have made the effort to see our show have been blown away by the quality of the cars and the event, as well as the passion of the participants and the hospitality of the country as a whole.
‘We have something truly unique here, not least in terms of accessing this cherished UNESCO world heritage site, and I would urge more international visitors to come and see it for themselves from 6-8 March 2026.’
2025 Sydney Harbour Concours results
Best of Show – 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Figoni
Best of show pre-war – 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis Special
Best of show post-war – 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400
Class Awards
Class 1 – Icons
Winner – 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Figoni
Runner-up – 1967 Maserati Mistral Spider
Class 2 – Wind in your hair (post-war)
Winner – Mercedes-Benz 190SL
Runner-up – 1963 Jaguar E-type
Class 3 – Italianissimo
Winner – 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400
Runner-up – 1962 Lancia Flaminia convertible
Class 4 – Fast & Loud
Winner – 1967 Babham BT23E
Runner-up – 1973 Porsche 917/30
Class 5 – 100 Years of French Revolutions
Winner – 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis Special
Runner-up – 1905 Eugene Brillie 20/24HP
Class 6 – Speedsters
Winner – 1958 Porsche 356 T2
Runner-up – 1955 Porsche 356 Pre-A
Class 7 – Pre-war Australian Coachbuilt
Winner – 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom (Williams & Redfern)
Runner-up – 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II (George Williams)
Special awards
Preservation pre-war – 1935 Alvis Speed 20 SC
Preservation post-war – 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C Freccia d’Oro
RIAR best Alfa Romeo – 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Figoni
ASI best Italian Car – 1982 Lancia 037 Stradale
Passion (pre-war) – 1932 Ford Roadster
Passion (post-war) – 1959 Fiat Abarth 750 GT Zagato
Best Restoration – 1963 Jaguar E-type
Most Spectacular Car – 1973 Porsche 917/30
