A Bugatti Type 57 Atalante used by Ettore Bugatti, an unusually original Ferrari 330 GTC and one of six known surviving Siata 208 CS Balbo Berlinettas are among the cars confirmed for Concours of Elegance Hampton Court 2026.
The event returns to Hampton Court Palace on September 4-6, with 80 cars scheduled for the main concours and several hundred more taking part in club, marque and specialist displays. Many of the main entries will also participate in the event’s two-day driving tour before arriving at the palace.
The 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante, chassis 57428, brings a detailed period history to the field. One of ten Atalantes originally equipped with a roll-top roof, it was completed in June 1936 and immediately entered in the Concours d’Elegance at the Bois de Boulogne. French actress Dolly Davis presented the car, which won the Grand Prix des Voitures Transformables.
Ettore Bugatti subsequently used 57428 himself in Paris before Jules Bloch became its first recorded private owner in September 1937. The car later moved to Spain, where its roll-top arrangement was removed and the body converted into a full cabriolet during the early 1950s. It remained in that configuration until the present owner acquired it in 2020 and commissioned a restoration to its original specification.
A very different preservation story comes from Ferrari 330 GTC chassis 10579. Completed in November 1967, the car retains its factory Nocciola Metallizzato paint and Beige interior and has covered 19,600 miles. It won its class for preserved cars at Villa d’Este in 2025 before being confirmed for Hampton Court.
Another of the Italian entries is the 1953 Siata 208 CS Balbo Berlinetta, chassis CS072 (pictured below). Nine of the Balbo-bodied coupés were produced and six are currently known to survive. The closed 208 CS shares its mechanical roots with the Fiat 8V programme but is considerably less familiar than the Motto-bodied 208S Spyders that subsequently became particularly well known in the US.
British coachbuilding is represented at the concours by the 1949 Bristol 400 known as Eleanor. The car was one of a small number of Bristol 400s subsequently rebodied by Zagato and is the only such conversion currently on the road in the UK. Its history includes more than 200,000 miles with an earlier owner, many of them accumulated in Libya, where the car struck a land mine. After later being laid up, the Bristol appeared as a barn find at auction in 2013 and has since been restored. Concours of Elegance Hampton Court 2026 will also include the unique Barbier Peugeot 203 competition car.
The pre-war selection includes a Mercedes-Benz SSK Roadster, while a Bentley Speed Six, Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Zagato and Alfa 8C 2900 B have also been listed among the 2026 field. Meanwhile, several cars will arrive fresh from recent concours appearances elsewhere. A restored 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 has been confirmed, while the 1935 Aston Martin Mk II Sports Saloon appearing at Hampton Court received the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy at Pebble Beach in 2025. The Aston is one of 22 Mk2 Sports Saloons built and is identified by the organisers as the first Aston Martin finished in the metallic green subsequently associated with the marque. Its appearance at Hampton Court will be its first in Britain for more than 50 years.
Aston Martin has a broader presence in the main field, with a new Finest Aston Martin award introduced for 2026. Eligible cars include machinery from the pre-war period through the DB3, DB3S and DB4 GT to the One-77, one-off V12 Vantage RS and Valhalla. A separate Aston Martin Owners Club display adds 25 cars, including a 1930 International with Brooklands competition history.
A Finest Bentley award has also been added for 2026, joining the established decade classes and other marque-specific trophies. Best in Show at the Concours of Elegance Hampton Court remains unusual among major concours because it is decided by the owners of the main concours cars, who vote for one another’s entries.
The additional displays contain several concentrated model gatherings. Around 20 Vauxhall 30-98s are expected on Sunday September 6, covering both the earlier E-type and overhead-valve OE versions. Approximately 600 30-98s were produced, and around 140 are believed to survive. Club Lotus will mark 60 years of the Europa while also celebrating its own 70th anniversary. The wider club programme includes entries from Alfa Romeo, Jensen, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz organisations, with the Club Trophy winner receiving an invitation to the following year’s main concours.
The Jensen Owners’ Club is separately marking 60 years of the Interceptor, while the palace programme will also include the Thirty Under 30 class for owners aged 30 or younger and the Junior Concours for scaled cars.
More details on Concours of Elegance Hampton Court 2026 can be found here.
