Rarities and replicas at the Concours d'Elégance Loucen
06/13/2017
On June 3 and 4, 2017, the Concours d'Elegance took place at Château Loucen, which is hardly ever more prestigious and glamorous in the Czech Republic. The automotive "crème de la crème" gathered in the chateau park of the aristocratic Turn und Taxis, who became rich with the postal monopoly. Auburn, Alfa, Hispano, Bentley, Walter, Bugatti, Wikov, Maserati, Tatra and Ferrari and many other brands were parked in the palace gardens.
Every year the Concours is dedicated to a different brand. Recently it was Wikov (Wichterle & Kovarik) from the Czech car manufacturer. Never before in modern times had so many Wikovs come together. In 2017, however, the Concours was dedicated to the Ferrari brand.
The expert jury did not have an easy time judging the cars on display. After all, almost every car on show was something special. The greatest weighting was given to aesthetics, originality and condition. Small numbers also helped. 64 polished cars and the very special Praga Lady cabriolet with its 81-year-old patina were divided into eight price categories. The jury was responsible for three of these categories, four prizes were awarded by sponsors and one by the public.
In the pre-war category, the Hispano Suiza J12 was chosen as the winner, followed by the Praga Lady and Peugeot Bébé. In the post-war car category, an Alfa Romeo 2600 GT took the coveted prize, followed by an Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint and a Maserati Sebring. The Ferrari category was won by a Ferrari 275 GTC, followed by a 275 GTS Cabrio and a 250 Cabrio.
The jury acted in an advisory capacity when awarding the sponsor prizes and selected the following vehicles: Walter P IV 9/36, Tatra 17, Bugatti T57 Ventoux and Bugatti T43/44
The public category was organized in honour of the famous coachbuilder Oldrich UHLIK, whose daughter even attended the Concour, driving a Praga Lady. Unsurprisingly, the public spontaneously, but not very expertly, opted for a Bugatti copy (pictured above), modeled on the legendary 57 SC Altantic, with plastic bodywork and mechanicals from Jaguar.
The classic car scene is in a state of upheaval, the public is getting younger and younger and the prices for genuine classic cars are often almost unaffordable. This is why copies and replicas are so popular. But is it right for a Bugatti replica, the "Fast Bentley" Special, which is also on display, and the monumental Bucciali (based on American chassis technology), which was built in 2013, to be exhibited at the beauty contest alongside originals? Everyone may have their own opinion on this.
