The Heveningham Hall Concours 2016 was staged 2-3 July at the 18th Century Heveningham Hall in Suffolk, UK. A strong entry of 50 pre- and post-war cars lined the lawns of the 5,000 acre country estate’s Capability Brown parkland.
Held in association with Bonhams, the inaugural Heveningham Hall Concours d’Elegance was part of the celebrations to mark the Grade I listed Georgian mansion’s 20th annual Country Fair and Capability Brown’s Tercentenary. The event, run entirely on a not-for-profit basis, attracted over 20,000 people across the weekend from all over the country. A highlight of the weekend was the Concours where visitors had a chance to view a strong selection of cars at close hand.
From a 1904 Wolseley Twin Cylinder to a 2014 Ferrari La Ferrari, the entry list at the debut Heveningham Hall Concours was long on quality. Further notable participants included a 1926 Vauxhall 30-98 Velox; 1936 Maserati 6CM; 1953 Jaguar C-Type; 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing; 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider; 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO and 1995 McLaren F1 GTR.
The judging panel — made up of Motor Sport editor Damien Smith, John Poulson from Bonhams, and bike racer Max Hunt — had a tough decision but eventually named the 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Supercharged Grand Sport the pre-war category winner, the 1955 Jaguar D-Type the winner of the post-war category and the 1990 Ferrari F40 Le Mans was named best supercar. Runners up were the 1931 Talbot 105 Tourer and 1936 Maserati 6CM in the pre-war category, 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Aluminium Gullwing and 1964 Porsche 904 GTS in the post-war category and the 1995 McLaren F1 GTR in the Supercar class. Each owner was presented with a bespoke trophy designed by Laurence Edwards.
Max Hunt, speaking on behalf of Heveningham Hall, said, “What a fantastic start. Our first Concours d’Elegance has been a resounding success and we had a world first with a selection of truly unique, genuine cars that have never been seen together before. We’re looking forward to being even bigger and better next year.”
The annual Heveningham Hall Country Fair raises funds for the Heveningham Hall Country Fair Trust, which distributes all proceeds to local communities for village and school projects, church repairs, and individual cases of need, such as Halesworth Community Nursing Care Fund. A 10km run also took place on Sunday 3rd July to raise money for Get Kids Going, a national charity that provides disabled children and young people with the opportunity to participate in sport.
Heveningham Hall Concours 2016 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
Wow, what a great first-time event. Look forward to hearing more about next year.