Concours of Elegance Strengthens Car Curation Team

The UK’s finest concours event, the Concours of Elegance, has revealed its strengthened car curation committee ahead of this year’s show at Hampton Court Palace from 6-8 September. Three new globally renowned automotive experts, Flavien Marçais, Vanessa Marçais and Richard Charlesworth joined the Concours of Elegance shortly after the multi-award-winning 2018 event, as the team looks to cement its position as one of the top three concours d’elegance events in the world.

Flavien and Vanessa Marçais were each brought up within classic car and motor sport-focused families in France and England respectively, and have established a very successful global historic car sales business. Flavien and Vanessa also run the world’s premier pre-1966 historic racing series, with Flavien’s racing career stretching back more than 30 years. Flavien has established a personal world-class motoring archive and library, building an unrivalled knowledge of prestigious motor cars.

Flavien and Vanessa have been working tirelessly since last September to attract the finest post-war vehicles from all over the world to Hampton Court Palace.

Also officially joining the curation team is Richard Charlesworth MVO, former Director of Royal and VIP Relations, and Head of the Heritage Collection at Bentley Motors. Since Richard’s retirement following an automotive industry career of more than 45 years, he has taken up a position as non-executive director of Classic Motor Cars and later this year becomes Master of the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers. Richard’s focus is on bringing pre-war machines to the Concours of Elegance, alongside his responsibility for gathering a collection of ‘Future Classics’; a group of around 10 of the greatest unique or extremely limited production luxury cars of the last two to three years.

Flavien, Vanessa and Richard join an existing Concours of Elegance Steering Committee of globally renowned motoring experts, who have worked alongside the Thorough Events team to turn the Concours of Elegance from debut event in 2012, to a multi-award-winning international staple of the motoring calendar in just seven years.

Among the Steering Committee members are classic car industry experts, Gregor Fisken, Martin and Sandra Button, and Tony Wills– a group of around 15 people responsible for ensuring the world-class quality and consistency of the automotive content at the Concours of Elegance. His Royal Highness, Prince Michael of Kent, graciously retains his position as Patron of the event.