A new concours is set to take the classic scene by storm this summer. The Concours des Légendes will feature sensational cars and their owners, and uniquely will bring to life their stories over a weekend of festivities in a spectacular setting.
The event will take place on 19-21 June at Wilton House near Salisbury, the home of petrolhead William Herbert, 18th Earl of Pembroke, and already host to the Wilton Wake Up breakfast clubs as well as previously holding the popular Wilton Classic & Supercar festivals.
Familiar to millions through The Crown, Bridgerton and much more, the Inigo Jones-designed Palladian mansion set in idyllic landscaped gardens will now host a very different type of event. Concours des Légendes will not only showcase scores of exotic, rare and unique cars, but will really focus on the rich history behind the cars and their owners. It will be all about their stories.
The Concours des Légendes will have a main marquee hosting panels with authors, historians, owners, racers, artists and designers, along with smaller, more intimate stages for personal storytelling sessions and book signings, plus curated reader stories, presented by Hagerty.
Visitors can expect a stellar line-up of special guests, with the likes of F1 star turned artist Stefan Johansson, designers Peter Stevens and Ken Okuyama, legendary test driver Valentino Balboni, Le Mans winner Richard Attwood plus a raft of other big names already expressing a desire to be there.
There will be narrated car displays as visitors go around the event, with guided tours by experts highlighting select cars. There will also be displays of F1 helmets, motoring art, an artisan and skills showcase, and a classic car, automobilia and watch auction run by celebrated sale house Dore & Rees, which has signed up as the official Concours des Légendes auction partner.
Visitors will also have access to Wilton House, which houses a globally revered art collection including many old masters from the likes of Rembrandt and van Dyck, while the relaxed atmosphere of the event will be soundtracked by live music and there will be tea salons, local artisan vendors, and themed treats inspired by different automotive eras.
Lord Pembroke, who has owned the likes of Bugatti Veyron, Mercedes 300SL Gullwing and a Low-Chassis Invicta (Octane 195), explained the event’s concept: ‘I love cars. Cars of all shapes and sizes, powers and eras. I love driving them, racing them and taking them on adventures; and the older the car, the more likely that every journey is an adventure.
‘It is these stories that, for me, give a car its true value, far beyond its material worth. Every dent and scratch tells a tale. That is why we cherish patina, and why seeing great cars left in suspended animation in museums feels like a tragedy.
‘I often feel the same about concours: rows of spectacular machines, often hugely valuable, admired for their beauty and rarity, but often with their history polished away.
‘Their extraordinary lives are rarely to the fore, so I wanted to create an event that celebrates those stories. Tales of adventure from great pioneers, legendary race battles, entrepreneurs who built their own cars or even marques, and the engineers, craftsmen and designers who turned their visions into moving works of art.
‘These are the stories we want to share, and the ones that truly bring the cars I love to life.’
His partner in the Concours des Légendes will be Octane’s parent company Hothouse Media, which also owns Magneto and runs the Concours on Savile Row and the International Historic Motoring Awards.
MD Geoff Love said: ‘Wilton Concours des Légendes will combine the elegance of a classic car show with the charm of a literature festival. So many events attract historic vehicles with amazing provenance or engineering, but visitors are often left knowing little of their histories. Wilton Concours des Légendes will bring those stories to life through workshops, keynote speakers and an affectionate focus on every car.’
For details, see www.concoursdeslegendes.co.uk; suitable car owners and potential exhibitors should email [email protected].
Share your car’s story and win big!
Share your motoring stories and you could win a bespoke, personalised document case for your classic (worth £400), plus an invitation to the Wilton Concours des Légendes and the opportunity to be featured in Octane magazine.
As part of Octane’s partnership with the new event, we’ll be featuring the best car stories every month in the magazine: all you have to do is share yours and tell us why it should be among them.
When we say stories,it could be about your own background and involvement with classic cars, obstacles you have overcome, or your family’s motoring history. Equally, it could be your car’s history before you even became its custodian – what made it special. Best of all might
be your own history with that car, your adventures, the highs and lows, the devotion, the costs, the competition, the companionship, the romance and the nostalgia.
If your story is selected, you will not only have an article in Octane to add to your history file, but a beautiful folio from Jordan Bespoke (jordanbespoke.com) to keep it in and a wonderful excursion to Wiltshire to look forward to.
Simply email [email protected] with your entry in no more than 750 words and with any supporting photos.
