Somehow it was still missing, the beauty competition in Geneva, in the annual concours cycle around the world. Yet it could even claim historical roots, as in the summer of 1953 a Concours d'Elégance with around 20 vehicles was organized by the Geneva Tourist Office and the ACS on the occasion of the Geneva Rose Week in the Rose Park.
The winner, and thus recipient of the Golden Rose of Geneva, was a Lancia Aurelia Coupé bodyworked by Pinin Farina.
A new start
But organizer Mathias Doutreleau knows even more about it, because the first Concours was held in Geneva as early as 1927, the last one in 1954. Then this beautiful tradition disappeared.
And now it was to be revived on June 18 and 19, 2016. Doutreleau chose the Chateau de Coppet, located just outside Geneva, as the setting - a truly worthy setting for a classic event.
And visitors could see at first glance that the French-speaking Swiss scene was thirsting for such an event. With around five dozen selected classics, the local collectors showed a selection of what they have to offer. And you can be sure that only a small number of the many classics that are kept in garages in Geneva, Valais or Vaud were brought to Coppet.
Successful debut
Doutreleau had spent countless nights (and days) planning the two-day event, professionally announcing himself with an appearance at the Rétromobile in Paris, among other things.
A short Tour d'Elégance was scheduled for Saturday morning, after which the 53 Concours vehicles lined up in the castle park in a private setting, while the jury of many, headed by Adolfo Orsi and reinforced by additional specialists and experts, were able to take a closer look at the cars.
On Sunday, around 1500 interested visitors inspected the publicly exhibited classic cars, followed by the award ceremony in the afternoon.
Capricious weather
Everything actually went like clockwork, except for the weather. While Saturday morning still seemed friendly, shortly after lunch a downpour lashed down on the cars. It came so quickly that some convertible owners were unable to put on their protective hoods in time. And the people who wanted to prepare their cars for the deluge got wet anyway. Even the jury's work had to be interrupted.
As the afternoon progressed, the weather calmed down again and on Sunday only a few drops of rain dampened the enthusiasm of the visitors.
50 years of the Lamborghini Miura
When he made his class assignments, Doutreleau naturally couldn't ignore what is perhaps the most important sports car anniversary of our time. After all, the Lamborghini Miura made its debut in Geneva exactly fifty years ago. But instead of showing a random selection of the various models, the organizer decided to concentrate on the fastest and most recent variant, the P 400 SV.
Four of these vehicles, all built in 1971, presented themselves to the jury, which was certainly not an everyday occurrence, as only 150 SVs were ever built.
Around the fountain
As befits a proper castle park, Coppet Castle also has a pond with a fountain in the middle. The vehicles were grouped around this, divided into different classes. There was hardly any fear of contact, with an Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior Spider standing right next to a Ferrari F40 and a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL next to a Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider.
Limousines from Bentley or Rolls-Royce also had their place, as did a Renault 4CV ("Heck") or a Lotus Esprit.
Pre-war cars as the highlight
For many visitors, the pre-war cars were certainly the most impressive, especially the two Hispano-Suiza and the Talbot-Lago 150 C, designed by George Paulin and bodied by Marcel Pourtout in 1938.
The Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio from 1934 was hardly less elegant, while the PicPic R2 from 1920, the oldest car on the course, represented the Swiss carmaking tradition.
Right up to the super sports cars of modern times
The age spectrum spanned almost all eras, and the Concours Suisse did not even stop at modern times. A Pagani Huayra, a McLaren 675 LT or an Aston Martin V600 Vantage Le Mans linked tradition with the present.
No easy task for the jury
Such a broad spectrum of automobiles is not easy to manage, even for a large jury, if every car is to be treated fairly. After all, what historian knows about the hand-bodied cars of the pre-war era and the plastic cars of the 1970s at the same time? But at the end of the day, the trophies wanted to be handed out and they were.
The Lamborghini Miura SV from the Rossomiura Collection was chosen as "Best of Show". The Talbot Lago T150C from 1938 received the award for the most elegant body line, while the PicPic R2 from 1920 won the award for the best-preserved car. The best restoration was awarded to the Ferrari 330 GTC from 1968, the Zenith style prize to the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn from 1953 and there was also a special prize for the Ferrari F40 from 1991.
Keep up the good work!
The visitors present agreed that it was a successful first event. Of course there are points for improvement, there always are. More focus in the composition of the classes could help, more consideration or emphasis on Swiss bodies would be exciting and would make sense given the geographical location. In addition, perhaps an attempt could be made at the next event to bring together former winners and participants of the Geneva Concours again. There would also be room for improvement here and there in terms of the quality of the vehicle selection.
But this is all intended to be constructive criticism at a high level, because even the first time the event at the Chateau de Coppet felt quite mature and all those who were still skeptical will certainly be happy to bring a car to Geneva next time. And that will be on June 17/18, 2017, as Mathias Doutreleau has already announced.
Class winners
- Voitures de tourisme d'avant 1940
1. Picpic R2 from 1920, owned by the Pictet family (CH)
2. Rolls Royce 20 HP from 1926, owned by Hugo Gordon (CH) - Voitures de sport d'avant 1940
1. Bugatti 57 Stelvio from 1934, owned by Jack Braam Ruben (NL) - Voitures de sport d'après 1945
1. Lancia Aurelia B20 from 1953 owned by Keith Bowler (GB)
2. Jaguar XK150 from 1958 owned by Jean-Edgar de Trentinian - Futures Classiques (1970-1985):
1. Jensen Interceptor from 1975 owned by Brett Gage (SA)
2. Lotus Esprit from 1977 owned by Alexis Georgacopoulos - Hispano Suiza
1. Hispano Suiza H6C Thrupp & Maberly from 1927 owned by The Keller Collection at the Pyramids (US)
2. Hispano Suiza H6c Boulogne from 1925 owned by Charles Howard (GB) - Rolls-Royce
1. Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn from 1953 owned by Gérard Le Clerc (CH)
2. Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III "Chinese Eyes" from 1953 owned by Zoran Mitrovic (CH) - Bentley
1. Bentley Mark VI Sedanca Gurney-Nutting from 1947 owned by Beat Schwarz
2. Bentley S1 from 1958 owned by Jean-David Pelot - Ferrari à moteur avant :
1. Ferrari 250 GT Lusso from 1964 owned by Steve Dula
2. Ferrari 330 GTC from 1968 owned by Stefano Albinati - Ferrari à moteur arrière
1. Ferrari F40 from 1991 owned by Steve Dula
2. Ferrari 246 GTS from 1974 owned by Sebastien Bottinelli - 50e anniversaire de la Lamborghini Miura
1. Lamborghini Miura SV from 1971 owned by the Caveng Collection
2. Lamborghini Miura SV from 1971 owned by Automobili Lamborghini - Années Pop-Art, voitures de Ville
1. MG GTC from 1968 owned by John Bell
2. Toyota Sport 800 from 1968 owned by Sebastien Bottinelli - Années Pop-Art, voitures de Sport
1. Aston Martin DB4 GT from 1960 owned by Colin Pasold
2. Maserati Ghibli from 1968 owned by Thierry Painset
Special prizes
- Prix de la Ligne
Remis pour le dessin de carrosserie le plus gracieux. Ce prix a été décerné par un jury composé de Pierre Doutreleau, Artiste Peintre, Yves Dubernard, Designer, et Marina Vandel, illustratrice:
Talbot Lago T150C from 1938 carrossée par Pourtout owned by Christopher Gardner - Prix de la Meilleure Préservation
Décerne à l'automobile dans le meilleur état de préservation:
PicPic R2 from 1920 owned by the Pictet family - Prix de la meilleure restauration
Ferrari 330 GTC from 1968 owned by Stefano Albinati - Prix du Style Zenith
Remis pour l'équipage ayant le plus de style:
Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn from 1953 owned by Gerard Le Clerc - Prix du Président Honoraire
Ferrari F40 from 1991 owned by Steve Dula - Grand Prix Gagnant du Concours d'Elégance Suisse / Best of Trophy Award
Lamborghini Miura SV from 1971 owned by the Rossomiura Collection
