The Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance 2016 took place on 1-4 September on the grounds of historic Windsor Castle in England. A total of 60 automobiles from around the world graced the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle, enjoyed by nearly 12,500 spectators enjoyed this year’s first-class event.
The 2016 Concours of Elegance at Windsor Castle was the fifth such automotive gathering in the United Kingdom, with the first event at the same Windsor Castle in 2012, followed by the St. James’s Palace in 2013, Hampton Court Palace in 2014 and Holyroodhouse Palace in 2015. The event is unique in the fact that the setting changes from year to year but with the consistent theme of always being held on the lawns of a Royal palace.
Immediately ahead of the UK Concours of Elegance 2016, a selection of Concours of Elegance cars, led by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, embarked on a 300-mile driving tour ahead of the Windsor Castle event. The Great West Tour took in some of England and Wales’ best driving roads and backdrops — from the Cotswolds to the Brecon Beacons.
The unique 1938 Hispano-Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia owned by Peter and Merle Mullin was crowned as the Best in Show at the Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance 2016. The winning entrant was developed by Andre Dubonnet, an inventor, racing driver and World War One fighter pilot. Dubonnet chose an H6 Hispano-Suiza engine for his creation, and commissioned Jean Andreau to design the streamlined body. Jacques Saoutchik then brought the design to life, featuring curved glass, sliding doors and a panoramic windscreen.
Unlike most Concours d’Elegance events, the UK Concours of Elegance Best of Show isn’t picked by judges — instead the owners of the cars vote for their favourite. This year the Dubonnet Xenia was the stand-out winner, followed by the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Viotti Coupe. The Hispano-Suiza was also a favourite with the public, having won the Classic Driver Public Choice award.
Outside of the main Concours of Elegance cars, nearly 1,000 other models parked at Windsor Castle for the weekend, including some of the finest examples from the UK’s most prestigious car clubs. A panel of expert judges, including HRH Prince Michael of Kent, chose a pristine Aston Martin ‘Clover Leaf’ as the Club Trophy winner, granting it a much-coveted spot in the main Concours of Elegance event next year.
With 90 historic Jaguars on display on Jaguar Land Rover Saturday, the competition for the Jaguar Trophy was tough. Led by Jaguar Classic MD, Jonathan Edwards, a panel of judges overwhelmingly decided the car they would most want to take home, was an impeccably restored Jaguar XK120 DHC. Bentley Sunday saw more than a hundred Bentleys lining the Long Walk, and an expert panel of judges had the tough job of picking an overall winner. In the pre-1965 class it was a Bentley 3-Litre that took home the trophy, while in the post-1965 class it was a Bentley Azure.
As ever with the Concours of Elegance, an admirable amount of money was raised for the event’s chosen charities; this year The Queen’s Choral Foundation, The Household Cavalry Foundation and Springfield Youth Club Hackney. With this year’s donations of almost £200,000, the Concours of Elegance has now raised more than £1m for charity.
Similar to the 2012 Windsor Castle, 2013 St. James’s, 2014 Hampton Court and 2015 Holyroodhouse events, Sports Car Digest also documented the UK Concours of Elegance 2016, with photographer Pavel Novitski producing the following images from this year’s event that show the wonderful selection of cars and the unique Palace setting. The first gallery starting below features our favorite images, while the second gallery can be found on the last page of the article and gives a comprehensive view of all 200 photographs.
Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery
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[Source: Concours of Elegance; photos: Pavel Novitski]
