Event
When the Concours of Elegance launched at Windsor Castle in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, it immediately established itself as Britain's answer to Pebble Beach and Villa d'Este. Now in its fifteenth year at Hampton Court Palace, this three-day gathering remains one of the world's most prestigious concours events—and a founding member of the Peninsula Hotels "Best of the Best" awards that crown the finest car from the global concours calendar.
The main lawn hosts around sixty invitation-only entries, each selected by an international panel of experts for historical significance, design purity, and impeccable provenance. Many have never been shown in the UK before. What distinguishes this concours is the judging: there's no panel of appointed judges. Instead, the owners themselves vote for Best in Show—a peer-selected honour that carries genuine weight in collector circles. The 2025 winner, a 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I known as "The Phantom of Love," is now nominated for the global Best of the Best award.
Beyond the main concours, over five hundred additional cars fill the palace grounds through displays like The Club Trophy (UK car clubs competing for a spot in next year's main event), the Levitt Concours celebrating women collectors, and 30 Under Thirty showcasing young enthusiasts. A driving tour through the English countryside precedes the main weekend.
The setting matters enormously here. Hampton Court Palace—Henry VIII's former residence—provides a backdrop of Tudor grandeur that few venues can match. Fortnum & Mason picnics on the lawns, champagne receptions, and access to the palace's State Apartments complete the experience. Arrive in a pre-1990 classic and you may park among the displays yourself.
