The fourth annual Concours d’Elegance took place last weekend at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, with His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent presenting the Best of Show award to the 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60HP owned by Anke Ruckwarth (above). The 112-year-old car, powered by a 9.2-liter four-cylinder engine, is one of only four known to exist, and as only the owners of the 60 invited cars are eligible to vote for the award, it represents the ultimate peer review.
The three-pointed star also claimed the Spirit of the Tour award, as the 1927 Mercedes-Benz S Rennsport owned by Klaus Schildbach was chosen by the organizers as the driver-car pairing that best represented the spirit of the 200-mile Highland Tour held prior to the Concours. Other major awards included the RAC Spirit of Motoring Award, given to the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spyder of Jon Shirley, the RAC Club Trophy and the inaugural Jaguar Trophy, both of which went to the Jaguar SS1 of Michael and Linda Jewell.
With perfect weather for all three days — Owners’ Day, Jaguar Land Rover Saturday and Bentley Sunday — thousands were able to enjoy the exquisite gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, including special guests Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Sir Jackie Stewart and Dario Franchitti.
The success of this year’s Concours will once again enable it to make healthy donations to its charities for 2015, Action on Addiction, Walking With the Wounded and Springfield Motor Racing’s Club for Young People. Plans are already afoot for 2016, where a celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday promises to attract the biggest and most incredible selection of cars ever seen at Holyroodhouse.
