Richard Mille partners third edition of Chantilly Arts & Elegance
Two years ago, Peter Auto decided to revive the Concours d’Elegance and the 3rd Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille in September 2016 promises to be spectacular
Concours d’Elegance, a 17th-century French tradition, means a ‘competition of elegance’, when French aristocracy paraded horse-drawn carriages in the parks of Paris during summer weekends and holidays. Over time, carriages became horseless and the gatherings became a competition among automobile owners on the appearance of their vehicles.
As organiser of benchmark events in the historic car milieu like the Tour Auto Optic 2000, Le Mans Classic and Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or, Peter Auto devoted its expertise to host the first Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille (Chantilly) in 2014. In 2014 and 2015, Chantilly was awarded the Prize of the Motoring Event of the Year at the International Historic Motoring Awards.
The event has now achieved the status of a must-attend elegant rendezvous in early September not only in France but also well beyond its borders, with the third edition promising to be even more spectacular than the previous ones.
On Saturday, the collectors get into the party mood with the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille Tour, while their entourage enjoys a Day of Elegancein Paris. The day culminates in an auction of hand-picked cars as well as some specially chosen automobilia, and the official dinner at the Great Stables. This dinner, concocted by three Relais and Chateaux two-star Michelin chefs, is preceded by a show under the dome of the Great Stables.
Another high point of the day is the Rally of Supercars, in which the most exclusive Supercars and Ultracars participate. This is open to cars that are rarely seen on public roads from marques such as the Aston Martin, Bugatti, Ferrari, Ford, Gumpert, Jaguar, and so on. All these dream cars will be on display the next day in a dedicated enclosure.
The next day will see the Concours d’Etat in which 100 of the Most Beautiful Cars in the Worldare lined up on the lawns of Le Nôtre, creating a splendid temporary museum aiming to win the supreme award – Best of Show! These are further divided into 21 classes comprising four to six cars. Judges take rarity, history, state of conservation and maintenance, into account when designating the class winner. Class winners go onto compete for the main prize, the Best of Show, awarded by the jury.
Chantilly has succeeded in recreating the ambience of the 1920s’ Concours d’Elegance with the help of manufacturers and fashion houses, while picturesque pastoral tableaus are created by the clubs, which bring their halo cars to the Chantilly domain and deploy treasures of imagination at the Grand Prix des Clubs Country Picnic. Clever strategies using selected models and creating refined backdrops such as “picnic en blanc”, a relaxed picnic on the grass or an elegant one around beautifully laid-out tables are undertaken to win the Grand Prix des Clubs Prize.
