The 2021 London Concours will be a royal revelation to celebrate the Queen’s 95th birthday
Long live the Queen! This year’s Concours of Elegance in London will pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with a lineup of 95 British cars—one for each year of the monarch’s life.
The Queen is a known car enthusiast, having learned to drive during her time in the Auxiliary Territorial Service towards the end of World War II when she drove trucks and ambulances and was taught how to maintain them.
Despite having owned Rolls-Royces, Jaguars, and Bentleys, it is actually a 1961 Vauxhall Cresta Friary Estate that is believed to be Her Majesty’s favorite. She’s also big fan of Land Rover and often drives a Defender or Range Rover at her Sandringham country estate.
The Concours, at Hampton Court Palace, was first held in 2012 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the throne) and has been held with her permission ever since. The 2021 event will host more than 1000 cars on September 3–5, 2021, but it is the 95-strong lineup of British cars that is expected to draw the biggest crowds.
The earliest model will be a 1926 Bentley 4.5-liter; 2021 will be represented by the Lotus Evija. It’s hard to imagine a bigger contrast. Among the list are many marques that are no longer with us, such as Alvis, Armstrong-Sideley, Austin, Healey, Jensen, Lanchester, Marcos, Morris, Panther, Riley, Rover, Triumph, and Wolseley.
It will be a suitably eclectic display, with fan favorites such as the Aston Martin DB4 Zagato and Jaguar XJ220 sharing turf with affordable classics like the Ford Zephyr and Triumph Spitfire. The best fast Fords will also be present, including the Escort XR3, RS200, and Sierra RS Cosworth. Jaguar enthusiasts will be well-served with the XK120, E-Type, XJ6, XJ-S, XK8, and F-Type. Britain’s niche manufacturers—Caterham, Lotus, Marcos, Morgan, and Ultima—will also be represented. Supercar lovers will be thrilled to see the genre’s evolution from the Lotus Esprit Turbo to the McLaren Senna. If the Queen attends in person, you can expect to find her checking out the 1970 Range Rover and 1983 Land Rover One Ten.
Now that Britain has a roadmap out of the COVID-19 lockdown, the celebratory event will be open to the public with entry for £30 ($42). Tickets are available now.
