The organisers of the first three Concours of Elegance events — held at Windsor Castle in 2012, at St James’s Palace in 2013 and Hampton Court Palace in 2014 — announced the Royal venue and dates for the 2015 edition of the event.
With the permission of Her Majesty The Queen, the 2015 Concours of Elegance will be held at the Royal Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 4-6 September, with a driving tour of Scotland for Concours participants due to run ahead of the Scottish event from 2-3 September.
Set against the backdrop of Arthur’s Seat, the Palace of Holyroodhouse stands at the end of Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile, and serves as Her Majesty The Queen’s official residence in Scotland.
With Her Majesty The Queen’s permission to use the Palace of Holyroodhouse – a first for an automotive Concours event – the annual Concours of Elegance remains unique in being the only automotive event in the UK to enjoy an authentic Royal Palace as its backdrop, with Royal motoring enthusiast HRH Prince Michael of Kent once again serving as the event’s Patron.
As with the previous events, 60 of the rarest cars from around the world are set to grace the grounds of Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse. These 60 cars will be joined by displays of hundreds of other motor cars from automobile manufacturers and car clubs in the UK, the latter competing for the Club Trophy.
In addition to its Royal Palace location, the annual Concours of Elegance differs in other ways from a traditional Concours, which usually includes a judging panel briefed to scrutinise each entry and select a ‘winning’ car. The Concours of Elegance organisers maintain that if a car has been invited to participate in the Concours, it is already a winner, with each vehicle owner voting on the other Concours car that he or she considers to be the most elegant car in the event.
Immediately ahead of the Concours of Elegance UK 2015 – from 2-3 September – a driving tour of Scotland will be offered to entrants who wish to participate, culminating at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, including a drive along the Royal Mile.
A key objective of the annual Concours of Elegance is to be a successful fundraising initiative, with a number of charities set to benefit from next year’s Holyroodhouse event, set to be announced over the coming months.
The 2015 Concours of Elegance at the Palace of Holyroodhouse will be open to the public on Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September, with entry tickets and hospitality available to purchase strictly in advance. Tickets will soon be available to purchase at the Concours of Elegance website.
[Source: Concours of Elegance; photo: Tim Scott / Fluid Images]
