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A Century of Concours d'Elegance
by Daniel Cabart, Denis Cohignac, Patrick Rollet and Gautam Sen
BOOKS AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE
Beginning in France in the 1920s, elegant exhibitions of the latest designs from carmakers, chassis builders, and coachbuilders evolved over more than a century into a celebration of historic vehicles. Today, these events reflect global admiration for classic cars, viewed as treasured artifacts worthy of preservation, conservation, or restoration, and showcased as part of humanity’s industrial heritage.
This book celebrates this evolution, exploring the origins of the earliest concours d’elegance and how the tradition expanded to feature women, fashion, and lifestyle. It also examines how the concept was reimagined in the New World, transforming into a festival that honors both the exceptional and the unconventional, and creating a fresh style and new purpose.
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ISBN:
9781956309225
- Page count: 400
- Images and Illustrations: 660
- Page size: 219 x 304mm
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Octane, August 2026
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SpeedReaders
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The Automobile, July 2026
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Classic & Sports Car, July 2026
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MotorWorld Bulletin, June 2026
 - MOWO_Bulletin_210 - June 2026.jpg) Translation to English:
A few weeks ago, some of the world’s most beautiful, rarest, most spectacular—and, in some cases, most expensive—vehicles once again gathered on the shores of Lake Como.
The setting was the Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, where the first Concorso d’Eleganza took place 98 years ago. Originally conceived as a sales event for the many coachbuilders, it is now a meeting place for collectors, designers, dealers and journalists who come together to celebrate the elegance and aesthetics of the automobile. The first concours itself, however, appears to have taken place in the French town of Dinard on September 4, 1921.
Events of this kind are now held throughout the world. Pebble Beach Car Week and the Villa d’Este are regarded as the most important, joined by events in England, such as Salon Privé; in France, such as Bagatelle; and at Amelia Island in Florida.
To better understand the development of these former sales shows into today’s competitions for trophies and honours, a team of authors led by Gautam Sen has examined the history of this French-born concept. They describe its evolution into multi-million-dollar events at which automobiles are promoted, hyped and consequently made increasingly valuable.
These occasions also reveal which marques and models are gradually becoming fashionable and which are slowly disappearing from the spotlight.
The term “Concours d’Elegance” itself dates from the eighteenth century, when members of the aristocracy displayed their finest carriages in the parks of Paris so that they could be seen and admired. Some were even mentioned in magazines for their particular elegance.
Not so much has changed, therefore. The main difference is that aristocrats are now seldom seen behind the wheels of these rolling treasures. Instead, they have largely been replaced by a new aristocracy of wealth.
Auto Italia, August 2026
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A Century of Concours d'Elegance