The Cartier Style et Luxe at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012 is a Concours event displayed on the lawn of Goodwood House. Celebrating its 18th year at the Festival, the Cartier Style et Luxe Concours brings together a wonderful selection of motor cars, all competing for the Best of Show crown.
Celebrating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in honor of her Diamond Jubilee, the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed Cartier Style et Luxe Concours featured a selection of vehicles all personally owned or used by Her Majesty. Many vehicles came from the personal collections of Her Majesty, including Sandringham and the Royal Mews. Others were sourced from overseas governments and private collections, and all have a genuine use and connection with The Queen.
The unique Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ Royal Vehicle concours were divided into five special classes, including state limousines and carriages, official overseas state visit transport, working cars, personal family cars, plus toy cars owned by the Royal Household.
Formal state limousines and carriages included Her Majesty’s 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, modified specifically to fit on The Royal Yacht Britannia, a 1929 Daimler Double Six 30hp Brougham and a 1920 carriage from the Royal train. Foreign Travel included cars used for overseas State visits, sent over to Goodwood specifically for the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ with official government permissions. These included the striking Chapron-bodied Citroen SM Decapotable used for The Queen’s State visit to France in 1972, with the release of this car being personally signed-off by the French President. Festival visitors also saw a special 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan ‘bubble top,’ plus a Humber Super Snipe used for Her Majesty’s first Commonwealth Tour.
Working cars included a unique coachbuilt 1956 Ford Zephyr Estate, purpose built to carry luggage, plus a 1961 Vauxhall Cresta Friary Estate, used to transport Her Majesty’s corgi dogs. Personal ‘Regal Runabouts’ included a Rover P5 and Daimler Double Six used extensively by The Queen, plus Prince Philip’s 1961 Alvis TD21.
An unusual vehicle class of Royal Household toy cars featured a 1928 Citroen C4 presented to The Queen, plus an Austin J40 pedal car and 1966 Aston Martin DB5 007-replica pedal car made for a six-year-old Prince Andrew in 1966.
The Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ Concours d’Elegance Judging Committee for included the Queen’s nephew Lord Linley, AC/DC frontman and racer Brian Johnson, fashion accessories magnate Anya Hindmarch and actor Rupert Penry-Jones.
The overall winner for the 2012 Goodwood Concours d’Elegance was HRH The Prince of Wales’ Aston Martin DB6 MkII Volante, while the Chapron-bodied Citroen SM Cabriolet emerged on top in the Overseas’ Engagements class. The Duke of Edinburgh’s 1961 Alvis TD21 DHC SII claimed the Regal Runabouts category.
[Source: Goodwood; photo credit: Tim Scott / Fluid Images]
