The Finest of Sporting Cars: Concours of Elegance 2026 to stage the Vauxhall 30-98
The Concours of Elegance is delighted to announce that this September’s show at Hampton Court Palace will pay tribute to one of the most celebrated British sporting cars of all time, with a dedicated display of Vauxhall 30-98s presented in association with the Vauxhall 30-98 Car Club.
Joining the display will be a remarkable collection of these rare and historically significant machines, charting the story of a car that many enthusiasts consider the finest British sporting car of the Vintage period.
Few cars of the 1920s could match the 30-98 for sheer capability. With remarkable acceleration and outstanding road holding, it was a machine that could be entered in national-level competition and realistically expected to win. Yet it was equally at home as an everyday motorcar for its discerning owners. That unique combination of usability and speed set it apart from everything else available in the early 1920s, and it is a formula that continues to captivate enthusiasts to this day.
The story of the 30-98 began before the outbreak of the First World War, with only around a dozen examples produced before hostilities brought production to a halt and the Luton factory turned its attention entirely to the war effort. From 1915 to 1918, Vauxhall built more than 2,000 D-type Staff Cars for the War Office, vehicles that earned an enduring reputation for reliability and exceptional build quality.
Production of the 30-98 resumed at the end of 1919. These early side-valve cars displaced 4.5 litres and proved popular both at home and overseas. Vauxhall offered a range of factory-built body styles, of which the Velox open four-seater proved the most popular, though customers could equally choose a bare chassis and commission coachwork from any of the dozens of specialist body builders active during this golden age of bespoke automotive craft.
After approximately 300 cars had been built, the original ‘E’ type design was refined and updated. From 1923, the new ‘OE’ type adopted overhead valves for greater power, though the revised car was also longer, wider and heavier than its predecessor. While quieter and smoother than the earlier cars, the OE type offered relatively modest performance gains on paper, yet it was proven at Brooklands to be capable of exceeding 100mph, earning the distinction of being Britain’s first catalogued 100mph production car. It is a record that speaks volumes about the ambition and engineering skill of the Luton factory.
Around 600 examples were built in total, of which approximately 140 are believed to survive. Remarkably, most are still in active use rather than static museum displays, a testament to the quality and enjoyment these cars provide. Around 20 examples will be on show at Hampton Court on Sunday 6th September, many carrying fascinating individual histories, and the members of the Vauxhall 30-98 Car Club in attendance will be on hand to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with visitors throughout the day.
This is just one part of what promises to be a spectacular 2026 Concours of Elegance, set against the magnificent backdrop of Hampton Court Palace. Stay tuned for further class announcements in the months ahead as we build towards September’s show.