The second edition of the Valletta Concours d’Elegance — a classic vehicle concours scheduled for Sunday May 20 in the historic St. George’s Square, within the heart of the baroque Maltese capital of Valletta, the official 2018 European Capital of Culture.
The first two motor cars to have been registered in the Maltese islands, vehicle registrations 1 and 2 (above), will be on display in the Grandmasters’ Palace during the week-long Art Exhibition being staged by the Valletta Concours d’Elegance organizers from Saturday May 12 until Sunday May 20.
The Maltese car registration 1 is a green 1904 Armstrong Siddeley that started life in Gozo after it was purchased by three local sisters. Car Registration 2 is a maroon 1904 Cadillac that was purchased by the D’Amico Inguanez family of Medina around the same time as the Armstrong Siddeley.
This special pairing of the earliest cars to arrive in Malta will be enhanced by the addition of two Vanden Plas Princess presidential limousines, used by the Maltese Government since the early 1960s.
These two Presidential Princess official state cars will join the VCE Concours display on May 20. These historic Vanden Plas vehicles have been used by various personalities during their official visits to Malta, including Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family, among others.
These Maltese national treasures will be displayed in the Grand Masters Palace courtyard during the VCE, surrounded by the other participating vehicles and exhibited works of art by various renowned artists.
For the first time in the Maltese Islands, a special guest car will also be on display as a major attraction. This piece of automotive art, sent from the Mullen Automotive Museum Collection in California, USA, will be flown specifically to Malta to be exhibited in Valletta as part of the VCE.
All participants, as well as the visiting public, will be encouraged to take part in the VCE’s special Period Costume Competition in St. George’s Square, Valletta, with clothing to match the periods of the many vehicles on display.
The second VCE will tie in harmoniously with Valletta’s 2018 European Capital of Culture status, with May’s VCE set to combine the artistic engineering of both Malta’s breathtaking capital city and the more than 80 participating Concours vehicles — ranging from the prestigious and exotic to humble family sedans — to create a unique event of automotive elegance, all staged within a majestic 16thCentury city.
Spurred on by the very positive response to last year’s first Concours, the VCE is becoming an annual staple in the Maltese Islands, born out of a local collective love of vintage and classic cars as their preservation and enjoyment enables enthusiasts to showcase their pride and joy in a world-class Concours event. For further details please visit www.valettaconcoursdelegance.com
