BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
I love cars, it started in my earliest days watching Top Gear on the BBC. Honestly, there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of creators, journalists, photographers, influencers and more who owe their love of motoring to that show. While I love cars and I love driving, I’m not a super keen ‘petrolhead’ – you won’t find me down at every motor show that’s local to me. But sometimes there are occasions that really aren’t worth missing, and thanks to A. Lange & Söhne, I was recently able to visit the Concours of Elegance set at the majestic Hampton Court Palace, just outside of London in the UK.
A. Lange & Söhne doesn’t do much sponsorship. Plenty of watch brands sponsor events that may or may not align with the brand’s interests, like TAG Heuer sponsoring Formula 1, Hublot sponsoring the UEFA Champions League, or Rolex sponsoring The Wimbledon Championships. Haute horlogerie brands often sponsor things too, but they’re usually less “accessible” than major televised events. The connection between A. Lange & Söhne and the Concours of Elegance comes via the Saxon brand’s CEO Wilhelm Schmid, who himself is a total petrolhead. In an upcoming interview, I speak with Mr. Schmid about his love of cars and his connection to the event, so make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss alerts from WristReview. In the meantime, let’s talk a little about the Concours of Elegance and why it’s so special.
It’s funny that we’ve already had a mention of Top Gear once so far because this reminded me of the episode where they take their beaten-up old Alfa Romeos to a concours event, knowing full well they were never going to win. Richard Hammond scored the lowest of all time, but that’s by the by. Good times. Unlike most car shows, to compete at concours, cars must be “better than mint condition”, in other words, they must be as they left the factory when they were built.
Bodywork, interior trim, engine, chassis, even tiny details like the wiring must be as they were when the car was new, be that because the car was stored well or because it’s been restored by an expert who knew precisely what they were doing. In fact, it’s not uncommon for concours vehicles to be in better condition than when they were first built – modifications and mishmashes of various other model years that don’t align with when that particular car was built are not allowed.
Perhaps the best part of all this, though, is that these cars run (although sometimes with some “assistance”); they move, you can go right up to them, see them, and talk to their owners too. From afar, it would be easy to dismiss this as some rich people poncing about in their nice cars but that’s such an injustice. Aston Martins, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, modern cars, vintage cars, cars I’ve never even heard of all as far as the eye could see. I’m sorry to sound like I’m gushing a lot here, but there’s so much to talk about.
Some particular highlights for me included a 1953 Siata 208 Balbo Berlinetta (winner of the ‘Decade Award: 1950s’, the ‘Finest Italian Berlinett’ award and one of six cars left), a Monteverdi 375L (winner of the ‘Decade Award: 1970s’ and one of 66 left), a Zagato-bodied Bristol 400 (one of three or four), a 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT which was raced by Jim Clark and a 1966 Aston Martin DBSC with glorious prototype bodywork from Carrozzeria Touring before Touring went bust (this car won the ‘Art of Bespoke’ award). The winner of ‘Best in Show’ for 2025’s Concours of Excellence was present too, a glorious 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 known as ‘The Phantom of Love’ which was a gift from Clarence Gasque, the then CEO of Woolworths, to his wife.
The ‘Phantom of Love’ comes complete with a Rococo-inspired interior featuring tapestries, gilt decoration and porcelain vases, and it was there to hand over the title of ‘Best in Show’ to 2026’s winner, which would be revealed on Sunday 6 September as entrant number one: a 1928 Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Rennwagen.
A. Lange & Söhne’s CEO, Wilhelm Schmid, entered one of his undoubtedly many cars, a 1956 AC Ace-Bristol. AC is most well-known for making the Cobra, which came about thanks to American racing driver and car designer Carroll Shelby, who wanted a powerful but lightweight and agile racing car and found a Ford V8 engine did the trick. In the United States, this is often called the Shelby Cobra rather than the AC Cobra. AC’s Ace preceded the Cobra and provided the car’s mechanical underpinnings. The Ace began life in 1953 using AC’s own engine, a 2L inline six-cylinder, although it was considered underpowered. In 1956, Ace buyers could opt for a more raucous engine in the form of a 2L inline six-cylinder from Bristol Cars, it produced 20 more horsepower and raised the top speed from 103mph (166 km/h) to 116mph (187 km/h). Mr. Schmid’s personal car was bought as a part of five Bristol-engined Aces bound for racing in Venezuela, where it was lightened, made more aerodynamic, and given the racing number 139. It didn’t actually end up on the podium of any of the races it competed in, but compete it did before retiring in Venezuela to be returned to the United Kingdom in the 1990s, where it would be lovingly restored. In 2025, the car won the ‘Decade Award: 1950s’ at the Concours of Elegance in Tegernsee, Germany.
Overall, the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court is an event I’d highly recommend going to if you can make it. There’s plenty more to discover there, including many corporate partners from established brands like Mercedes-Benz and Bentley, as well as offerings from exotic car dealers, chauffeur companies, craftspeople and even a company that will ‘restomod’ your old Land-Rover if you’d like something classic-looking that drives like a car from this century. You can also explore the palace itself and marvel at Henry VIII’s grand dining hall and learn about English history.
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