Wilton House played host to the first-ever Concours des Légendes, which came to a triumphant close on Sunday 21 June. The day had begun in style with the Castrol Supercar Drive-In – well over 85 supercars sweeping onto the showfield behind the Earl of Pembroke, who led the procession himself, as crowds lined the estate’s driveway.
Running from June 19-21, the three-day motoring extravaganza was a unique addition to the automotive calendar, blending the beauty of a traditional concours d’elegance with the music, art and storytelling you’d expect from a cultural festival.
The majority of the programme was divided between the Legends, Conversation and Literary stages, where more than 60 speakers from across the world of motoring held captivating talks. The line-up included stars such as Andy Green, Nick Mason, Brian Johnson, Peter Stevens, Frank Stephenson, Wayne Carini, Edd China, James Martin, Marek Reichman, Ian Callum, Richard Attwood, Ian Rice, Johnny Mowlem, Tiff Needell, Valentino Balboni and more.
Fittingly, it was the the Legends Stage that produced one of the weekend’s standout moments. Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and historic-racing figure Ron Maydon’s talk was so hilarious they left the stage with a standing ovation. On the same stage, artist and former Formula 1 driver Stefan Johansson, Le Mans winner Richard Attwood and Lamborghini’s long-serving test driver Valentino Balboni each drew in keen audiences.
The Literary Stage celebrated automotive publishing.The team behind Three Men in a Land Rover talked through the mishaps that became their book, while Hagerty’s John Mayhead unpicked the making of Goldie, his award-winning account of the life of record-breaker Goldie Gardner.
Over at the Conversation Stage, designers Frank Stephenson and Peter Stevens delivered conversations that were as funny as they were absorbing. Other highlights included tales of daring from current land speed record holder Andy Green and Don Wales – nephew of speed legend Donald Campbell.
The quality of the speakers was mirrored by the vehicles showcased on the concours lawn. Arranged into 13 curated classes, the line-up included Ross Brawn’s Ferrari 250 GT SWB and Stirling Moss’s record-setting MG EX181. A Lamborghini Gallardo carrying Valentino Balboni’s signature was another talking point in a display that spanned everything from pre-war grandeur to contemporary collector cars.
There was plenty more to take in away from the stages. At the Hagerty Car Stories display, a dozen cars featured each day, their owners interviewed about the machines and the histories attached to them. The pick of the bunch was a beautifully finished Iso Grifo GL350 that had taken its owner the best part of four decades to restore.
Wilton House also opened its doors to guests for the only time this year. Inside, the Inigo Jones-designed state rooms – chief among them the Double Cube Room, lined with Van Dyck’s Herbert family portraits and counted among England’s finest 17th-century interiors – led through to a motorsport helmet display backed by sponsor Lycetts.
That display was put together by Joe Twyman, author of The Art of Racing: Helmets, who also took to the stage during the event. On show were race-worn helmets belonging to Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Mika Häkkinen and Rubens Barrichello, along with the helmet Sir Jackie Stewart had collected signatures on from all 20 living World Champions – Michael Schumacher included – in aid of his Race Against Dementia charity.
From there the route led into the house’s central quadrangle, a gravelled courtyard that had become the gathering point for many of the cars bound for the Dore & Rees sale. Among them were a Ferrari F355, a Roush/Hennessey-tuned Ford GT 1000RE and the singular Aston Martin Bertone Jet 2+2 – the final car to leave the Italian carrozzeria’s workshop before its closure.
The artisans behind these cars got their moment in the spotlight at the live Skills & Craftsmanship area, dedicated to the trades that keep historic machinery running. Jointly curated by the Association of Heritage Engineers (AOHE) and the Heritage Skills Academy (HSA), the working display ran the gamut from metal shaping and trimming through to hands-on mechanical demonstrations. Among the most memorable sights was Rag & Bone Man, who set about building a chaise longue out of the salvaged parts of a Morgan.
Another crowd-pleaser was the Artist Pavilion, billed as a world-first showcase of leading contemporary artists. Housed in a showfield marquee, it brought together paintings, sculpture, ceramics, screen prints and photography from names including Stefan Johansson, Anna-Louise Felstead, Gregory Percival, Stokesi, Dexter Brown and Peter Hearsay, among others. Just outside, visitors could admire Alan Reullier’s striking Bentley Continental art car.
“We’re extremely happy with the way that the inaugural Wilton House Concours des Légendes went. It’s not until you start to add the stories to the cars and bring in the people who’ve shaped our amazing automotive world do you realise what so many other car events have been missing over the years,” said David Lillywhite, editorial director of event organisers Hothouse Media. “We’re immensely grateful to everyone who put their faith in this brand new event – and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!”
Concours des Légendes will be back at Wilton House on June 18-20 2027.
