Best of Show at Chantilly Arts & Elegance... DS E-Tense & Alfa Romeo 8C
The first two Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille, which enjoyed ever-increasing success, placed the event among the benchmark international Concours d’Elégance, and the third show consolidated the same trend. It was organised on Sunday 4th September and confirmed its status as the elegant rendezvous of the early autumn attracting some 13 500 visitors to the Chantilly domain, a stable figure compared to 2015. The number would certainly have been higher if the weather – cloudy skies and light rain in the morning – had been as clement as in previous years.
There were eight concept cars in the running for the Concours d’Elégance entered by Aston Martin, BMW, Bugatti, DS Automobiles, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce, an increase in the number of car manufacturers associated this year with six Fashion Houses: Balmain, Eymeric François, Giorgio Armani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jorgen Simonsen and Timothy Everest. Four prizes were awarded for the Concours d’Elégance. The Best of Show award went to the DS E-TENSE combined with a creation by Eymeric François. The ‘Prix Public’ crowned the Mercedes-Maybach 6 Vision associated with a dress created by Jean-Paul Gaultier. The prize for the motor car and fashion combination for the most beautiful ensemble went to the 570GT by McLaren Special Operations with a model also dressed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. And a special prize was awarded to the new ‘atelier’ motorbike by Zagato, the work of the master coachbuilder from Milan for the Italian manufacturer MV Augusta, which was given its world premier at Chantilly.
The Concours d’Etat attracted around one hundred exceptional cars from all over the world divided into 21 classes. The jury awarded the Best of Show to the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Berlinetta with coachwork by Touring belonging to American collector, John Shirley, entered in the class Pre-war beginnings of aerodynamics – Closed road-going cars.
Jean Todt, the president of the FIA (Fédération Interationale de l’Automobile) also awarded several prizes including the one for the class devoted to him in homage to Fifty years of an exceptional career. In it were several cars which he had guided to victory as a co-driver as well as competitions manager at Peugeot and then Ferrari. So he was delighted to award the prize to the Peugeot 504 Rally Group 4 and to Jean Guichet, his driver at the time: they won the 1979 Argentinean rally in this car.
Forty clubs made the trip to Chantilly bringing 800 cars that were on show in the domain. They were an integral part of the event and made a large contribution to the success of the big garden party to which the public was invited.
Overall, the fans of motor cars, all generations combined, as well as families were attracted by the programme of the third staging of Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille, which celebrated the art de vivre and know-how à la française with several workshops and activities in the Chantilly domain.
The Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille, awarded the prize for the Motoring Event of the Year by British magazine Octane in 2014 and 2015 and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Communications in 2014 and 2015, has definitely found its place among the worldwide exceptional rendezvous devoted to the motor car, especially as it has revived con brio the great tradition of the Concours d’Elégance of the 1920s of which France was the cradle.
Patrick Peter
“We brought to the third event all the experience we acquired in the two previous ones, as well as some innovations starting with the Supercar Rally on Saturday morning organised in the Chantilly region in which some twenty cars, hardly ever seen on the road, attracted a large crowd of spectators along the route. It’s an important link that we want to establish and develop with manufacturers of exceptional cars, which I hope to see more of at our event in 2017. Thanks to the awards given to the first two, our concours is now acknowledged as one of the best and most beautiful in the world. This is an important factor in the eyes of the manufacturers. We also have to attract a bigger crowd to reach a figure of 20 000 or 25 000 spectators in the next few years. It took several Le Mans Classics to achieve this number. Thus, I feel confident about the future of Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille.”
RESULTS
Tribute to Jean Todt – Fifty years of an outstanding career
1st Prize
Peugeot 504 Rallye Groupe 4 1979 (M. Jean Guichet)
The former English marques (Pre-War)
1st Prize
Sunbeam 3 Litres Straight Eight Grand Prize1922 (Mr Erez Yardeni)
The former English marques (Post-War) Open Cars
1st Prize
Sunbeam Alpine MK1 1953 (Jonathan Miles)
The former English marques (Post-War) Closed Cars
1st Prize
Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupe 1955 (Collection privée)
The great untouched travel sedan cars and limousines (Pre-War)
1st Prize
Packard Eight 1602 Coupé Chauffeur 1938 (M. Jean-Pierre Antoine)
Fiftieth anniversary of the Lamborghini Miura P400 unveiled at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show
1st Prize
Lamborghini Miura P400 1967 (M. Frédéric Leroux)
Spécial Prize
Lamborghini Miura Prototype 1966 (Collection Caveng)
The Tour de France Automobile cars (1951-1964)
1st Prize
Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta Competizione Tour de France 1957 (Collection Destriero)
The Tour de France Automobile cars (1969-1986)
1st Prize
Ferrari 308 GTB Gr. IV Michelotto 1982 (Club Ferrari France)
Tribute to the Pozzi Racing Team
1st Prize
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Competizione SII 1972 (Club Ferrari France)
The front engine Formula 1 cars
1st Prize
Gordini Type 11 1946 (Collection privée)
The Aerodynamic’s beginnings – Pre-War open road cars
1st Prize
Lancia Astura 3ème série Pininfarina cabriolet "Bocca" 1933 (M. Philippe Cornet de Ways Ruart)
Prize spécial
Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Aerodinamica Spider "Aerospider" 1935 (Mr Georg Gebhard)
The Aerodynamic’s beginnings – Pre-War closed road cars
1st Prize
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Berlinetta 1938 (Mr John Shirley)
Bugatti, the Grand Prize cars
1st Prize
Type 59 1934 (Mr Marc Newson)
FIVA Prize
Type 35B 1928 (Collection privée)
The steam cars
1st Prize
White Rear Entry Tonneau 1903 (Mr Mitch et Wendy Gross)
The improbable coachworks (Wood, fabric, wicker…)
1st Prize
Vauxhall 30/98 Wensum 1925 (Collection privée)
French coachwork masterpieces (Pre-War) Open Cars
1st Prize
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Roadster Figoni 1932 (Mr Martin Eyears)
French coachwork masterpieces (Pre-War) Closed Cars
1st Prize
Bugatti Type 57 Atalante 1935 (M. Jean Guikas)
French coachwork masterpieces (Post-War)
1st Prize
Facel Vega HKII 1964 (M. Bruno-Henry Couvrat)
A great Italian coachbuilder: Zagato (Pre-War)
1st Prize
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider 1932 (Collection privée)
A great Italian coachbuilder: Zagato (Post-War)
1st Prize
Aston Martin DB4 GTZ 1961 (Collection privée)
A great Italian coachbuilder: Zagato (Special Alfa Romeo)
1st Prize
Alfa Romeo 1600 TZ 1965 (M. Olivier Cazalières)
Grand Prize des Clubs
Amicale Tricyclecariste de France
Authenticity prize
George Irat Torpedo Sport 1926
Perspective Art & Design Floral Prize
Rolls-Royce Enthusiats’ Club
Most beautiful hat
Madame Guérin