Celebrating a Century of Concours d'Élégance & d’Etat

A thorough exploration of the history of concours d’élégance, covering its origins and significance.

Beginning in France in the 1920s, elegant exhibitions of the latest designs from carmakers, chassis builders, and coachbuilders evolved over more than a century into a celebration of historic vehicles. Today, these events reflect global admiration for classic cars, viewed as treasured artifacts worthy of preservation, conservation, or restoration, and showcased as part of humanity's industrial heritage. 

This book celebrates this evolution, exploring the origins of the earliest concours d'élégance and how the tradition expanded to feature women, fashion, and lifestyle. It also examines how the concept was reimagined in the New World, transforming into a festival that honors both the exceptional and the unconventional, creating a fresh style and new purpose.