Two years have already passed since the last Concours d'Elégance Suisse, which was held annually in the castle courtyard of Coppet before the pandemic and had already built up a considerable international reputation.
Mathias Doutreleau was no longer able to organize a regular beauty contest with a jury, judging and elaborate catering after permission for an informal meeting was granted at short notice. So the organizing team opted for a compromise in order to be able to meet up with friends of elegant classic cars again this year at least.
With practically no major sponsors, but with a great deal of initiative and passion, a pragmatic approach was chosen. The "Concours" was reduced to one day, 90 to 120 cars from 1920 to 1985 could be registered in advance. Visitors without cars were admitted on a limited basis.
On June 20, 2021, the participants and their classic cars met in the morning at a private vineyard and then drove in rally mode to Coppet Castle, where they were scheduled to arrive from 11:00 a.m. onwards.
There they settled down with their cars for a cozy picnic, enjoyed the atmosphere and admired the vehicles present.
Elegance without constraint
Anyone expecting a horde of young and uninteresting cars or a lot of uniformity in view of the low entry threshold was pleasantly disappointed. The line-up of vehicles that arrived seemed almost curated, and even a jury couldn't have done much better.
Not only was there a nice cross-section through the decades to see, but different types of vehicles were also on display in many facets (it's worth taking a look at the entire picture gallery).
From the Fiat 600 to the Bugatti Atalante
Those who enjoy the bread-and-butter cars of yesteryear were just as well catered for as lovers of super classics and genuine motoring legends.
There was a pretty Fiat 600 to see, a Renault 4 CV "Heck" or today's rare limousines from Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Triumph.
There was also an Aston Martin DB3S in the castle courtyard, which looked as if it had only had a short rest on its way to or from Le Mans.
For many, however, the beauty queen was probably the magnificent Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante from 1937 (chassis 57502). There was no need for a jury, as this car not only impresses with its elegance, but also with its advanced and sporty technology.
The exotic among the familiar
The icing on the cake were extremely rare cars such as a Bristol 405 Convertible, a Moretti 850 Sportiva or a Fiat 600 Viotti Coupé.
And just a few meters further on were various Ferrari sports cars, stately British limousines and tourers or American convertibles.
An exciting mix was achieved, even without the intervention of a jury. And the visitors seemed satisfied, especially when they were able to relax on their picnic blankets and turn to their food baskets.
In the mood for more
Of course, the slimmed-down concours version is to remain a one-off event, and Mathias Doutreleau naturally hopes to continue the tradition next year with the regular event. The absence of commercial partners and sponsorship posters may please the photographers, but financially such an event is definitely not a business, Mathias said.
Nevertheless, the event in Coppet made a good impression and it is actually a shame that more of these classic car picnics are not organized in Switzerland.
