A 1953 Jaguar C-type was named Best in Show at the second Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026, held at the organisation’s Woodcote Park clubhouse in Surrey, UK, on Wednesday July 8.
The very busy event brought together cars and motorcycles across seven judged classes, alongside displays marking anniversaries in Grand Prix racing and the respective histories of Mercedes-Benz, Daimler, Lagonda and Lancia. The judging panel included designers Ian Callum and Peter Stevens, as well as television presenter Richard Hammond. RM Sotheby’s also staged its Woodcote Park sale – a review of the auction follows that of the concours below.
The Best in Show-winning Jaguar spent its early competition career in Scandinavia, where it raced in Finnish colours. It was later acquired by the Moores family, associated with Littlewoods Pools, and repainted in British Racing Green. Following a succession of American owners, the C-type was bought by Tony Purnell, who commissioned a restoration to its original Finnish racing specification and colour scheme.
The judged classes at the Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026 covered shooting brakes, pre-war cars, V12-engined models, motorcycles and cars associated with the Targa Florio, alongside the Woodcote Trophy and a category titled Spoiler Alert.
A 1937 Ford V8 Woody owned by Guy Barnes won the Shooting Brakes class; an original UK-market car, it had spent time in Ford’s museum and at one stage was invited to Sandringham for use by the Queen Mother.
Meanwhile, Michael Kershaw’s 1939 HRG 1.5 Litre received The Woodcote Trophy; it was raced and rallied in period, and used daily by Hayne Constant, an integral cog of Britain’s jet-engine development programme. David Little’s 1930 Bentley Six Saloon took the Pre-War Masterpieces award. The Spoiler Alert category was won by Mike Pullen’s 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV (pictured above), while Rory McGregor’s 1966 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 was selected as the leading V12-engined car.
A 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.8 RSR from a private collection won the Targa Florio class. Otherwise known as ‘R6’, it humbled the prototypes at the 1973 Targa Florio. Over 11 laps of the 72km Piccolo Madonie, Herbert Müller and Gijs van Lennep delivered overall victory before a reported 700,000 spectators – Porsche’s last Targa Florio win, and the race’s final year in the World Sportscar Championship.
The motorcycle award went to Mike Farrall’s 1932 Rudge Works 500cc, which had competed in the Isle of Man TT and was later associated with commentator Murray Walker. The Macallan Spirit of the Show award was presented to a privately owned 1926 Amilcar CO Martin Le Mans, while Royal Automobile Club chairman Duncan Wiltshire selected a 1970 Plymouth Superbird for the Chairman’s Choice award (pictured above).
Further awards were presented by event partners. Robert Friedrich’s Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti received the CARS Supercar Boulevard Award, while Anthony Rimaldi’s Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 won the Lockton and Chubb Members’ Paddock Award.
The concours also included a display dedicated to Sir Henry Segrave. The exhibits included the 1926 Sunbeam Tiger in which Segrave established a Land Speed Record of more than 152mph at Ainsdale Beach, Southport in 1926. Nicknamed ‘Ladybird’, this supercharged 4.0-litre V12 Sunbeam averaged 152.33mph over the flying kilometre, it became the first car to exceed 150mph for that distance and remains the smallest-capacity car ever to hold the outright Land Speed Record. A century later, it returned to Southport with World Land Speed Record holder Andy Green OBE at the wheel.
A separate display marked the centenary of Britain’s first Grand Prix, organised by the Royal Automobile Club at Brooklands in 1926. It brought together machinery spanning ten decades of Grand Prix competition. A factory Delage associated with the inaugural race was displayed alongside the 2025 McLaren Formula 1 car driven by Oscar Piastri at the Singapore Grand Prix, where McLaren secured the Constructors’ Championship.
The Royal Automobile Club Trophy, presented to the winner of the British Grand Prix, was also displayed with the name of the 2026 winner, Charles Leclerc, engraved on its plinth. The event hosted the public debut of the Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage, created by Dutch coachbuilder Niels van Roij Design.
Here are a few of Magneto‘s favourite exhibits from the day.
This 1910 Lancia Tipo 55 1A Corsa was at the Turin factory in March 1910. It was the 307th car produced, and was sent to the marque’s New York distributor. It finished second at the Vanderbilt Cup meeting after a major practice accident, then won the Tiedeman Trophy at Savannah in November at a class-record average of 58.48mph. The Vanderbilt family retained it until 1919, when it was donated to the Lenox, Massachusetts fire department as rapid transport for the Fire Chief. His wife caused local controversy by driving it around town in trousers. Laid up from 1922 until 1998, it remains remarkably original, retaining its wooden wheels and racing tyre-change system.
Designed and built by Francis Beart and Bernie Rodgers for Stirling Moss to race, the Type 66 featured a body constructed by Gohms of Godalming, Surrey. Moss drove the car at the 1955 Goodwood Easter Meeting, after which it was raced only during the 1955 and 1956 seasons. The car was later purchased by garage proprietor Nigel Woolett, in whose ownership it remained stored for 20-25 years. Following an advertisement in Autosport, the current owner acquired it from Woolett’s widow in 1999, complete with its Goodwood history and V5 registration document. The owner then began restoring the car for road use. It has not been seen in public for more than 60 years.
This unique model, known as the 1982 Vauxhall Viceroy Shooting Brake, was specially built for Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as her daily driver. Based on an Opel Commodore C Caravan with a 2.5-litre straight-six engine, it featured Balmoral Green paint, a washable vinyl and linoleum interior, and a padded boot mat for the corgis. The fourth of five royal Vauxhall shooting brakes, it was later used by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
This 1951 Aston Martin DB2, chassis LML/50/88, was built in 1951 and was the 15th DB2 sold in the UK. Sir David Brown delivered it to Lord Brabazon of Tara, who registered it as ‘FLY 1’, an appropriate number for the first person in Britain to hold a pilot’s licence. Its engine was upgraded to Vantage specification in 1953. Between 1955 and 1958, the Aston Martin passed through the hands of Julian Threfall, and racing driver and pilot Geoff Richardson, before being acquired by Sydney Dolman of Birmingham. During the 1960s, Dolman presented it to his son Brian as a wedding gift.
The body was removed and the chassis restored in 1970, although the unfinished project was then placed in storage. Stephen Archer bought the car from Brian Dolman in 1988, with the sale helping to fund Dolman’s daughter’s wedding. The DB2 was dismantled in 1989 and rebuilt by Archer and others between 1990 and 1991. During Archer’s ownership, it was widely exhibited and received several concours awards.
Sold at auction in 2010, the car underwent a full restoration at Aston Martin Works between 2011 and 2013. It later spent time in Hong Kong and took part in the Beijing-to-Shanghai Rally. The current owner acquired it in 2017 and returned it to the UK in 2021.
This 1964 Austin-Healey 3000, known as KNX, was sent to the BMC Competitions Department at Warwick, where it was prepared for endurance racing and entered for that year’s Sebring 12 Hours. The car was driven by Paddy Hopkirk, following his victory on the Monte Carlo Rally, and Grant Clark. Hopkirk completed his stint before Clark overturned the car, bringing its race to an early end. The damage was relatively minor and KNX returned to the Works for repair. It later joined the collection of racer Ted Worswick, who entered it in the Targa Florio in 1966 and 1968. KNX finished 29th on its second appearance. It’s one of only five Works-prepared Austin-Healey 3000s built for circuit racing.
This 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider is one of two known to have competed in the 1956 Mille Miglia. It has remained with its owner for 60 years, taking part in rallies, marathons and tours.
This was the second of four Delage 15-S-8s built for the 1927 Grand Prix season. Its 1500cc, supercharged DOHC straight-eight engine produced 170bhp at 8000rpm and drove through a five-speed gearbox. Driven by Edmond Bourlier, the car finished second in the Royal Automobile Club Grand Prix at Brooklands on October 1, 1927. Delage also took first and third places, securing the 1927 championship.
In 1930, the car set the World Class F 24-hour endurance record at Montlhéry, averaging 66.89mph. Driven by SA Payn, Tim Rose-Richards and WB Scott, it also established records over 2000 miles and 3000km. After World War Two, the late Alan Burnard restored the Delage, initially fitting an ERA engine and pre-selector gearbox. Following an extensive reconstruction the original Delage engine was reinstated, while the pre-selector transmission was retained. Burnard bequeathed the car to Brooklands Museum in 2012. It is currently awaiting an engine rebuild following a connecting-rod failure. The engine incorporates 62 ball and roller bearings and 20 gears.
Created to celebrate Daimler’s centenary in 1996, the Corsica was a one-off concept built by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations team. Named after a 1931 Daimler Double-Six bodied by Corsica (which you can read in-depth about in Issue 31 of Magneto), it was based on the X300-era Daimler Double-Six saloon, with a shortened wheelbase, bespoke interior and automatic power-operated folding hood. Initially non-running, it was completed as a fully operational road-going car in 2006-07.
This Lancia Stratos was converted to Group 4 specification in period by Maglioli of Biella, Italy. It was initially campaigned by private entrants in Italy before later competing in Germany. Its extensive rally history includes the 333 Minuti Rally in 1976, the Rally Monza in 1982 and the Eifel Historic Rally in 2006. The car has appeared in several liveries during its competition career. A restoration completed in 2014 returned the Stratos to the appearance and livery it carried in 1976.
RM Sotheby’s Woodcote Park auction
RM Sotheby’s staged its Summer Sale on the adjoining Cedar Lawn following the Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026, offering 44 collector cars. It sold 32 of the 44 lots, producing a sell-through rate of 72.7 percent. Ten cars remained unsold and were subsequently listed with asking prices, while two lots had no published result. The 31 sold vehicles with disclosed prices generated £15,975,765, including buyer’s premiums.
The highest result at the RM Sotheby’s Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026 sale was recorded by the 1990 Ferrari F40 owned from new by French motor sport figure Jean Sage. Sage had raced in Formula 3, helped establish Écurie Elf and later worked with Renault’s early turbocharged Formula 1 programme before joining Ferrari France, operated by Charles Pozzi, in 1989. He subsequently ran the two-car Ferrari France F40 IMSA campaign in the US.
Chassis 84642 was supplied to Sage through Charles Pozzi as a non-catalyst, non-adjustable example and registered to his Annecy address in May 1990. Its service record shows that it had covered more than 9000km by July 1992. Two years later Sage returned the car to Michelotto, the Italian specialist responsible for developing competition versions of the F40, for CSAI GT-inspired modifications that retained road legality.
Michelotto rebuilt the original engine with special IHI turbochargers and a lightweight exhaust, raising output to 527bhp. Lightweight front and rear clamshells, sliding windows, removal of the air-conditioning system and other changes reduced weight by 136kg. The work also included carbonfibre seats, safety fuel tanks, a plumbed-in extinguisher, Koni adjustable dampers, F40 LM brakes and OZ Racing wheels.
Sage continued to use the car on the road, and it also appeared in the 1994 Ferrari 348 Challenge final and the 1995 BPR Global Endurance GT Championship qualifying session at Paul Ricard. Retaining its matching-numbers engine and gearbox, and showing 22,699km, it sold for £3.605m against an estimate of £2.7m to £3.2m.
The second-highest result at the RM Sotheby’s Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026 went to one of two Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 Strassenversion models built with fully trimmed interiors. Porsche Motorsport built 51 RSRs, but a Porsche Exclusive client commissioned two in road-oriented Strassenversion form as part of a six-car order.
Chassis 496107 was finished in Polar Silver Metallic with a Guards Red leather interior. Leather also covered the Matter roll cage, steering column, centre console, door caps and lines for the air-jack system. Its specification retained the twin-ignition Le Mans engine, a 120-litre fuel cell, air jacks, a 40 percent locking differential, gold brake calipers and Speedline RS wheels with Amethyst Metallic centres. Delivery took place in the UK on March 25, 1996, around two years after normal RSR production had ended.
The car was stored rather than used. It was rediscovered in 2015 with its factory-applied Cosmoline coating still present and only delivery mileage recorded. It passed to a second owner in 2017, and the consignor acquired it in November 2023. At Woodcote Park it still showed 10km, retained its original tyres and carried its matching-numbers engine and Getrag gearbox. At the Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026, it sold for £3,492,500 against an estimate of £1.85m to £2.2m
The third-highest result in the RM Sotheby’s sale at the Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026 was achieved by a 1966 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake converted by Harold Radford. Chassis DB5/2014/R was one of 12 DB5 Shooting Brakes built by Radford, and one of eight made in right-hand-drive form. It retained its matching-numbers engine, which carried a V suffix. The sale catalogue noted that the car was not recorded as having a Vantage engine from new, leaving open the possibility of a later upgrade.
The Aston Martin was offered after almost 20 years of family ownership. Its silver bodywork was paired with grey Machir wool-tweed and black leather upholstery, together with a black Webasto folding panoramic roof. Maintenance invoices totalled more than £105,000, including over £92,000 with RS Williams. The work covered the engine, clutch, brakes and suspension. Ball Hill Garage completed paint rectification and restoration in 2021, followed by an electrical service and road test at RS Williams in January 2025. It sold for £848,750 against an estimate of £800,000 to £1m.
The largest shortfall against the lower estimate among the published results was recorded by the 2018 Aston Martin DB4 GT Continuation. Aston Martin Works developed the programme after noting that plans for the original DB4 GT had called for 100 cars, while only 75 were completed in period. Approved in December 2016, the project used a dedicated build centre at Newport Pagnell. The team used archive drawings, scanned surviving DB4 GTs and dismantled an original example. Each of the 25 Continuation cars was hand-built to Lightweight specification, using aluminium bodywork, no bumpers, early ‘cathedral-style’ rear lamps and exposed-screw headlamps matching the 1959 prototype DP199/1.
Original engine blocks were CT-scanned to create new castings. Capacity increased from 3.7 to 4.2 litres, with triple Weber carburettors and an output of 340bhp. The four-speed gearbox used a period-style casing with competition internals. Around 4500 working hours went into each car, while Touring, Borrani and Connolly helped recreate the body licence, wheels and leather.
Chassis DB4/GT/0213/R was the eighth example completed. It was finished in 2018 and specified to match the colour scheme and black grille of DP199/1, making it the only Continuation car configured in that form. It remained with its first owner, showed 186 miles and had been serviced three times by factory technicians. It was offered on a bill of sale and was not intended for road registration in its auction specification.
At the RM Sotheby’s sale at the Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026, it sold for £477,500 against an estimate of £650,000 to £850,000. Missing the low estimate by more than 25 percent is one thing, but the finished price with fees is less than a third of what the car cost to buy new.
The strongest result above estimate among the remaining cars was achieved by a 1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution. Chassis WBSAK070X0AC79516 was completed on February 20, 1990 and delivered through BMW Niederlassung in Hamburg. It left the factory in black with a black leather interior and was equipped with a sliding roof, electric front windows and air-conditioning. The car retained its matching-numbers engine. The M3 is believed to have moved to Asia during the early 2000s and was acquired by the consignor around a decade before the sale.
It later returned to Europe through the UK and was registered in July 2024. Munich Legends then carried out a major service and preparation for road use. Everything M3s inspected, serviced and recommissioned it in July 2025. The odometer displayed 4503km when catalogued, and a BMW Classic birth certificate issued in June 2024 accompanied the car. It sold for £404,375 against an estimate of £250,000 to £300,000.
For more information on the Royal Automobile Club Concours 2026, head here.
For more information on the RM Sotheby’s sale, head here.
2026 Royal Automobile Club Concours winners
Best in Show: 1953 Jaguar C-type (Tony Purnell)
The Macallan Spirit of the Show: 1926 Amilcar CO Martin Le Mans (Private Collection)
Chairman’s Choice: 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Private Collection)
Shooting Brakes: 1937 Ford V8 Woody (Guy Barnes)
The Woodcote Trophy: 1939 HRG 1.5 Litre (Michael Kershaw)
Pre-War Masterpieces: 1930 Bentley Six Saloon (David Little)
Spoiler Alert: 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV (Mike Pullen)
Targa Florio: 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.8 RSR (Private Collection)
V12 Engines: 1966 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 (Rory McGregor)
Motorcycles: 1932 Rudge Works 500cc (Mike Farrall)
Partner awards
CARS Supercar Boulevard Award: Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti (Robert Friedrich)
Lockton and Chubb Members’ Paddock Award: Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 (Anthony Rimaldi)
