1st Concours d'élégance
Paleis Het Loo 1999
September 5, 1999 saw the first edition of the Concours d'élégance
Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, Holland. It was an event organized in the style of the
classic concourses of Pebble Beach (California), Bagatelle (France) and Villa d'Este
(Italy). Although there are a lot of classic car events in Holland, the calendar lacked an
event like this. On the grounds of the Royal Palace about a hundred top-notch classic cars
were gathered, all competing for the best-of-show award or one of the class awards. This
exclusive collection was supplemented by some of the best classic cars from a selection of
Dutch owners clubs.
The high quality of the concours, the beautiful scenic surroundings, the nice atmosphere
and the wonderful late-summer weather all helped to make this event a big success. It was
certainly one of the best shows I've ever been to and it retains a special place in my
memories. Because of this success the organizers decided to make it an annual event. I'm
looking forward to these coming editions, but I think that however well-organized and
interesting they will be, they'll have a hard time living up to the expectations set by
this first one. It's very rare that all ingredients that make up a good show come together
so well...
You should have been there to understand why this concours was so enjoyable for car
enthusiasts, but I've selected a number of my pictures from this event to put together a
RitzSite tour that in my opinion gives you a good impression of what it was all about.
If you have comments or original picture material you want me to publish you can send me an E-mail:
You can start this tour by clicking the arrows pointing right: