COSTA DEL SOL CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE 2023 - SHOWTIME!
Since its inception in 2016, the annual Magna Supercars Concours d’ Elegance was traditionally held in Marbella during the last week of July. Then in 2022 it morphed into a three-day affair that was widely hailed as a stunning success in both direction and scope.
This year two further changes took place, the first of which saw the Concours move two months to late September. Apart from providing more tolerable temperatures this date shift also bestowed the event with grand finale status in the international concours season calendar. So when unfavourable weather curtails the show and driving season in Northern Europe, some of the best cars will now journey south to Marbella!
The second major change was a rebranding of the event from the traditional French Costa del Sol Concours d’Elegance to Costa del Sol Concurso de Elegancia, emphasising the fact that this event takes place in Spain.
As per 2022, Day One was the exclusive V.I.P. invitation-only Hypercar event, which saw 25 one million Euro plus cars thoughtfully laid out across the fabulous frontline seaside lawns of the five-star Kempinski Hotel Bahia. This day was reserved exclusively for Hypercar owners and very high-level car collectors with the media and public excluded for privacy reasons due to the presence of some ultra-high net worth individuals.
Among the vehicles on show was the unique Bugatti Chiron Hermès Edition, a one-of-25 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ World Speed Record, a pair of Ferrari SP3 Daytonas, a Ferrari F40, and a Lamborghini Sián.
Some of the cars on show here had never been seen together outside of their home countries, making this event a real eye opener for enthusiasts. The Bugatti Veyron and Chiron 300+ limited edition cars for instance, were only recently exhibited together at the Molsheim factory, but have otherwise never been seen together in the wild.
This was also the first time the 814hp Hybrid powered Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 has been seen in Marbella, and Ferrari fans were treated to not one but two examples of the exceedingly rare SP3 Daytona.
Porsche is commemorating its 75th anniversary this year, and was represented by a yellow 2004 Carrera GT, whose V10 is one of the best sounding naturally-aspirated engines ever. It was accompanied by the 918 Spyder that succeeded it as Porsche’s flagship a decade later.
This Spanish event would not have been complete without representatives from the home team. The spectacular 925hp twin-turbo V10-powered GTA Spano from Valencia made its appearance along with the 1,100hp Hispano-Suiza Carmen, the only EV in the show. Both are constructed from carbon-fibre, while the GTA Spano’s structure also contains graphene, a super light and strong next generation material in which Spain is a world leader.
DAY 2
The Hypercars shown and judged at the Kempinski Hotel Bahia became the second day’s central exhibition at the Classic & Supercars Concours on the well-groomed lawns of the Magna Marbella Golf Course.
Here 71 classic cars and supercars were judged according to seven Classes covering the decades from the Pre-1950 era to the present. To guarantee maximum discretion for the car owners and attendees, only participants, their guests and accredited media had access.
Even so, over 400 people, mostly collectors and their partners from various parts of the world including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Switzerland, Germany, USA, UK, Spain, France and Thailand participated in this spectacular showing of some of the world’s most exclusive and unique cars. Some even arrived by helicopter. Selected media outlets such as Canal Sur Television and Classic Driver were invited to cover the event.
While new Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches are a fairly common sight in Marbella, classic 1960s supercars are not. Thus, the Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder, a past Villa D'Este winner, Ferrari 275 GTB/4 and various other outstanding period classics drew the cognoscenti.
As the cloudless blue sky slowly morphed into an Andalucian sunset, the warm glow of the softer light played on the forms and details of cars that literally spanned one full Century of automotive development.
DAY 3
The final evening of this year's glorious event was held in the iconic Puerto Banus Marina, where an eyeball riveting display of Hypercars, Supercars and Classics were staged against a backdrop of superyachts, five-star shops, restaurants, the sea and the mountains.
Winner of the Classic Car Class and Best of Show went to the magnificent Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spyder that had wooed the Judges at Magna Marbella the day before, while the Hypercars Best of Show went to the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ World Record Edition.
The Rolls Royce Phantom I, Ferrari Dino 246 GTS, Ford Escort Cosworth, Ferrari 550 Barchetta, Aston Martin Volante, Lamborghini Sterrato, Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ and the Marc Phillip Gemballa Marsien won their respective classes.
With the prize giving ceremony over, the evening was topped off by a spectacular fireworks display over the water. The Costa del Sol Concurso de Elegancia will be back in September 2024.