King of the road: Hampton Court Palace Concours of Excellence 2026
With enough four-wheeled splendour to outshine its ostentatious setting, the 2026 Hampton Court Palace Concours of Excellence assembled a glittering selection of automotive aristocracy
Supercars on parade – the 2010 Bugatti Veyron was among colourful company
Lee Gale
What would Henry VIII have made of this world-class gathering of automotive excellence on his own lawn? You’d imagine he’d be overjoyed by the spectacle. The King of England and Ireland from 1509-47 was handed Hampton Court Palace as a gift from its owner Cardinal Thomas Wolsey at the close of the 1520s. The reason? To save his own bacon. It worked. Still on his first marriage, Henry adored the place – and who wouldn’t? Just look at those ornate chimneys. Each of the 241 stacks is unique. But we’re not here for the snazzy brickwork.
The Hampton Court Concours of Elegance, resident in this royal setting since the mid-2010s (it started at Windsor Castle in 2012 to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee), makes full use of the south-facing Privy Garden. Owners’ clubs from Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Aston Martin ensure a ‘wow’ moment at every turn – and it’s here that we see the difficulty of manoeuvring a Valkyrie when trying to get out of a parking spot. They don’t have it easy, these multimillionaires.
Absolutely perfect weather for the 2026 edition
2024 Aston Martin Valykrie Spider – staggeringly low; great noise
1989 De Tomaso Pantera – very much a talking point
Last year’s Best in Show winner, a unique 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I ‘The Phantom of Love’, is present, with its rococo interior inspired by a Marie Antoinette chair made in 1788, which resides at the Victoria & Albert Museum. But it has stiff competition if it wants to regain its crown in 2026. How about that pristine 1926 Bugatti Type 35A on German plates? And the 2010 Veyron 16.4 is attracting a lot of attention. And just look at that 50-year-old devilishly red Countach.
Top end classic car dealers are among us in the glorious late summer sunshine, including Aston Martin specialist Nicholas Mee, whose founder and managing director of the same name is leaning against the palace wall and inviting conversation. He opens the door of a 1990 V8 Vantage Zagato that he’s just had fully renovated with no expense spared – “Reactivated,” Mee corrects. “Come and take a look inside – you need to smell this car as well as see it.” Oh yes – it even smells like 1990! Can we put our Stone Roses tape in the cassette player? It’s on sale £POA. Mee hopes its new owner will drive it rather than lock it away in a collection.
As seen in Motor Sport’s Dealer News section – Nicholas Mee’s ‘as new’ 1990 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato, which is looking for a new owner. £POA
Last year’s Best in Show – 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I ‘Phantom of Love’
1926 Bugatti Type 35A, with Wolfsburg plates
Fifteen thousand steps and we need high-octane fuel. Dirty duck loaded fries by Crispy Duck Rotisserie – twice cooked in duck fat with shredded meat and hoisin sauce – will set you back £14, but there’s something about the aroma from the stall that rapidly brings the wallet out of the pocket. And it hits the mark – stupendously recommended but the wasps are quick to follow. Fortnum & Mason picnics start at £125 and, no, there is no student discount. But those wicker F&M-marked baskets are mightily tempting. Maybe one for next year if we can get the accounts department to sign it off (and bring some leftovers into the office).
Motor Sport’s star car of the weekend? Probably a Lancia Delta Integrale HF once owned by Italian rally driver Miki Biasion – but it wasn’t taking part in the concours. Best in Show for 2026 was a 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK Roadster, raced by Julio Berndt and brother-in-law Carlos Zatuszek in Argentina in the late 1920s and ’30s. This was its first UK concours. Now have a look at some of the other treasures from this year’s edition. It really is a show fit for a king.
Now, just hold on there… Lancia Delta Integrale HF once owned by rally star Miki Biasion. The best condition HF 4WD in the world, we were told
Uniquely modified XK150S Estate, ex-Douglas Hull, of ERA racing fame
aguar E-type that was driven to victory at Oulton Park in 1961 by Graham Hill
964 Jaguar E-type 3.8-litre Roadster – an early right-hand drive car for the home market
Around 50 Jaguars were on site with hopes of winning the Jaguar Trophy
And that concludes the Jaguar line
1964 Shelby Cobra 289 on sale with Fiskens, £POA – period raced too
1976 Lamborghini Countach LP400 – that’s right, 50 years old!
Another Zagato – this time a 1949 Bristol 400
Very tempting – a Fortnum & Mason picnic
It’s the 60th anniversary of the Lotus Europa – 1975 Europa Special nearest
1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona in distinctive Viola Dino Metallic
Aston Martin line-up with a 1960 DB4 GT nearest, once owned by Viscount Eddie Portman
1983 Aston Martin Lagonda with original TV and Betamax video player set-up inside
2011 Aston Martin Cygnet, the rebadged Toyota iQ
Well, it’s better than ‘My other car’s a Porsche’
1968 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow in Cardinal Red with historic Glamorganshire reg plate
Don’t be fooled by the reg – this is a 1980 Rolls-Royce Camargue. Just over 500 were built
Banksy art on the Chubb stand – ‘Flower Thrower Tryptych’ from 2019. We kept our distance for fear of falling over and damaging it
The only dusty car we saw all day – Aston Martin Valour in Andromeda Red
Alpina display, including this superb 1989 convertible C2 2.7
2025 Mercedes Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series ‘Red Ambience’ – this’ll get you noticed at Asda!
1953 Aston Martin DB3 – original factory team car
Greatly needed at Hampton Court train station. They do things differently here
All images: Lee Gale