Sydney Harbour Concourse d’Elegance gains a prestigious new location and a naming rights sponsor in its second year.
After gaining worldwide recognition in its first year and being listed as a finalist in the Historic Motoring Awards for 2019 the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance has found an impressive new home for its 2020 event.
With new backing from French financial services group AXA the Sydney Harbour Concours moves to the historic Swifts mansion at Darling Point. To be staged over three days from March 5 – 7 the Concours in its second year will include an increased inventory of 30 collector cars together with two motorcycles.
The Swifts, a heritage-listed Victorian castellated Gothic Revival mansion built in 1882 for beer baron Sir Robert Lucas-Tooth, is considered one of Sydney’s most stately homes. With expansive gardens it is the perfect location for such an International Concours event.
Event Founder and Director James Nicholls has confirmed the Chief Honorary Judge for 2020 will be Andrew Bagley, Chairman of the highly acclaimed Salon Prive Concours at Blenheim Palace in the U.K. Also acting as honorary judges will be Jacquie Hayes, aka Madam Wheels, and depending on his travel schedule, David Brabham, who is also the Event Patron.
The entry list for 2020 is also more comprehensive spanning from a 1913 Rolls-Royce London to Edinburgh Continental Torpedo Tourer to a 1989 Porsche 959 sports Coupe and Ferrari’s latest F8 Spider Convertible. Rarities include a 1954 Muntz Jet, a U.S.-built two-door hardtop convertible. One of just 400 built between 1951 and 1954 the Frank Kurtis-designed Muntz is highly collectable today and features aluminium body panels and a removable fiberglass hardtop roof.
Aston Martin is well represented with three examples: 1966 DB6 Coupe, 1973 V8 and 1984 Vantage DBS Coupes, so too Lagonda, with an early 1931 2-litre tourer, 1935 short-chassis M45R roadster and 1939 V12 Saloon. The Ferrari supported event is represented with three of its classics – a 1964 250GT Berlinetta Lusso, 1988 Testarossa and a 1989 412 GT.
Other Italian marques include a 1951 Lancia Aurelia B20, 1972 Maserati Bora, 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia SS, 1970 Lamborghini Miura S and 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP400S.
The three-day event will include a number of yet-to-be-announced activations through the day with evening events planned including welcome drinks for owners and the media on the Thursday, a roof-top terrace cocktail event at the Intercontinental Hotel Double Bay on the Friday and a Black Tie Gala Awards dinner at the Royal Automobile Club in the city on the Saturday night.
For event information: http://www.sydneyharbourconcours.com/