Now in its second year, the Concours Year Awards 2024 have been published in the annual Concours Year book compiled by Magneto publisher Hothouse Media. The awards comprise seven categories, with the winners being selected from 50 of the most important concours events around the world.
The team behind the publication are fortunate enough to see many of the world’s greatest concours and collector car events first-hand, with experienced representatives covering the rest. “This is how we’re able to compare the events every year, and judge the greatest cars, classes, participants and more,” says Hothouse Media editorial director David Lillywhite.
Once again, this year the judging was overseen by ICJAG judge Chris Kramer, who consulted with the various experts, including members of The Concours Year editorial team, to discuss the candidates for each category.
The 2024 winners are…
CONCOURS CLASS OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Wedge-Shaped Concept Cars & Prototypes at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
For the second year in a row, Pebble Beach takes the award that reflects the most innovative and important classes of the year. This time, it’s the event’s crowd-pleasing Wedge-Shaped Concept Cars & Prototypes class that caught the judges’ eyes. Far away from the traditional concours cars that Pebble Beach is so known for, the wedge class both wowed the visitors and proved to the organisers that it’s okay to shake things up a bit, even at the most important concours event in the world. As a result, Pebble Beach has a Japanese concepts class in 2025.
CONCOURS EVENT OF THE YEAR
WINNER: The Oberoi Concours d’Elegance
For an inaugural event to be selected as the most impressive and influential event of the year is remarkable – but then, The Oberoi was exactly that: remarkable. It wasn’t a huge concours, but what it did was to raise the levels of presentation and hospitality to new heights in the concours world. To do this in India, which has only a limited tradition of concours, makes the achievement all the more impressive.
ENTRANTS OF THE YEAR
WINNERS: Stephen and Kimmy Brauer
Every year, Stephen – a former US ambassador to Belgium – and Kimmy Brauer modestly enter cars into concours events around the world. In 2024, they were rewarded with a Best in Show at Concours of Elegance Hampton Court for their unique 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Convertible by Inskip, voted for by their fellow entrants at the event.
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Nigel Matthews
It’s rare to visit a concours event and not see Nigel Matthews – and in the year of a landmark birthday, he extended his busy schedule to help introduce ICJAG judging to the Concours at Wynns Las Vegas. It’s this level of commitment that is neatly aligned with a category that honours unstinting work promoting classic cars. However, it’s his tireless work introducing young people to concours judging, and to collector cars in general, that has really cemented this award for 2024.
CONCOURS INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Lugano Excellence
If there’s one thing that’s needed more than anything in the concours world, it’s a greater understanding of the events among car enthusiasts and the general public. By allowing free entry, Lugano did exactly this – to great effect. It’s a policy that’s also behind the success of Concours on Savile Row.
CONCOURS ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR
WINNER: 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Figoni, HM Collection
All the talk this year was of preservation cars, particularly of the Best of Show Bugatti at Pebble Beach. But this unrestored Alfa Romeo, a Best of Show contender at Pebble Beach in 2023, started the ball rolling in 2024 by winning at Villa d’Este – after the son of its owner encouraged his father to enter.
CONCOURS CAR OF THE YEAR
WINNER: 1957 Ferrari 335 S, Brian and Kim Ross
Selected from the Best of Show winners from every event featured in The Concours Year, it’s the sheer history of this car that astounds, as much as its condition. Brian and Kim Ross chose their 1957 Ferrari 335 S to exhibit at more than one event this year, but it was at Salon Privé that it struck gold, winning Best of Show. Chassis 0674 was raced by Maurice Trintignant and Peter Collins at Sebring, and Wolfgang von Trips in the Mille Miglia, set fastest lap at Le Mans with Mike Hawthorn and Luigi Musso, and won the 1958 Cuban GP at the hands of Stirling Moss.
Copies of the 2024 edition of the annual Concours Year hardback book can be purchased here.
