Concours of Elegance Announces the Junior Concours 2021
The Concours of Elegance – a gathering of the world’s rarest cars, and one of the foremost classic motoring events in the world – will see the return of the Junior Concours in 2021. Taking place from 3-5 September, the Junior Concours welcomes an array of beautiful hand-crafted half-size and three-quarter-scale pedal, electric and petrol-powered cars to sit alongside the full-size vehicles that inspired them.
The Junior Concours will see parents and their children taking on the roles of Works Drivers and Mechanics on Sunday 5th September, as up to 20 cars line-up among a priceless collection of vintage race-winning Bugattis, one-off Alfa Romeos, coachbuilt Ferraris and more.
Much like their full-size stablemates, the Junior Concours cars are mostly handbuilt, borrowing intricate details from iconic cars like the Porsche 911, the Jaguar E-Type, the Alfa Romeo PS Monza or the Ferrari F40. The faithful recreations vary in their complexity, with some requiring pedal power and others making use of electric motors or two-stroke petrol engines and centrifugal clutches.
The Ferrari F40 on display was even treated to a full restoration, having been built by Agostini in the early ‘90s and made available to Ferrari showrooms. It’s believed to be one of five ever made and is powered by its own small petrol engine. Likewise, the 1984 Porsche 911 on display was also restored in 2019 with all original parts and is believed to be one of 200 built.
Over the course of the day, the cars will be piloted by their Works Drivers – supported by their Mechanics – up onto the Concours Live Stage. Competitors will win awards for ‘Best Pedal Car’, ‘Best Electric Car’, ‘Best Petrol Car’, ‘Most Original Car’ and ‘Best Dressed’, before being treated to a tea party in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace.
Andrew Evans, Concours of Elegance Director, said: “The Junior Concours was such a success last year, that we’ve decided to bring it back for 2021. This feature really shines a light on the fascinating world of bespoke built children’s cars, popularised by the Austin J40 of which almost 32,000 were built from 1950. This year, as we did last year, we have gathered together a wonderful collection of handbuilt cars of all ages, complete with working headlamps, innovative powertrains and a near-perfect likeness to the full-size models they seek to imitate. With the support of their drivers and mechanics, the Junior Concours will be as much of a spectacle as any of our other priceless displays.”
This display is part of the content that makes up the near-1,000 cars on display during the Concours of Elegance, also including a collection of 95 British cars gathered to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 95th birthday, and a 30UNDER30 Concours aimed at inspiring the next-generation of classic car enthusiast.
Special features for 2021 will also gather together a line-up of Future Classics, representing the potential concours d’elegance stars of the next 50 years, a celebration of 60 years of the Jaguar E-type and a Veteran Car Run display, gathering the pre-1905 motoring pioneers that each year make their pilgrimage from London to Brighton.
Away from the automotive displays, Concours of Elegance remains an occasion of pure luxury, with champagne provided by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, live stage interviews with Chubb Insurance, hosted by Jodie Kidd, and a collection of art, jewellery and fashion displays. Presenting Partner, A. Lange & Söhne, recently confirmed to support the event for a further three years, will continue to showcase some of its most intricate timepieces. New long-term partners joining the event in 2021 include The Peninsula London Hotel and Residences, Gooding & Co and McLaren.