2025 London Concours Review
Concours. Comparing Willy? Or Being Silly?
I visited London Concours on Tuesday (5th June). It's a big, flashy, expensive event with bigger, flashier, and even more expensive cars. I wanted to write a short piece about how the Concours and other events like this make me feel, because it's possible their duty and perception have been misplaced.
Sure, it's about fast cars, money, and advertising. Sure, for some people it's about showing off. As a select few car collectors and companies compare cock sizes, fighting it out over the highest market value and quickest 0-60, flashing their wallets for the world to see, most of us are there to have a good time.
Sure, it's also for content. It felt like everyone who was anyone was there and clipped up to a microphone - including me, despite not actually being an anyone. But that's not it. That's not what makes these events great. Besides, I got too drunk and forgot to film until too late, trying to scrape some clips at the very end, and eventually being herded out by security like the felon I am.
It's about occasion. A fanfare. A buzz. There's something there to excite everyone. There's no need for ice breakers at Concours. Everything there sparks conversation. Unlimited “wow”s, infinite “look at the way that…”, and more finger-pointing than a House of Commons fraud shaming session. It's interesting, you learn what niche titbits spark other people's interests, the things you agree on, and those that are more personal to you. For me, I love seeing things in the flesh for the first time. For those of us without constant access to underground car caves, seeing one of ones is so special. I'm not a huge hypercar fanatic, they don't excite me as much as they do for others, or as much as say… a Clio Williams with gold rims and a crazy history, but when I get up close and personal with them for the first time, some part of my DNA is biologically redefined. I fell in love with the absurdity of the F50 last year and was taken aback by the Laf's prestige and presence this year. It's easy to forget that these are rare moments, especially because we have instant access to these cars online these days, but I treasure the time spent with these extraordinary vehicles.
It's about dressing for that occasion. For those of you that follow me, you'll probably have gathered that I like to dress up. I like experimenting with clothes, I enjoy putting fits together, and I get genuine happiness and a tangible confidence when one hits. Look good, feel good… you know? But it's not often that I get to dress up to this level of grandeur. That Ozwald Boateng jacket was inherited from my dad, but I hadn't had the opportunity to wear it, until the Concours. Despite paying for a ticket, there’s a false sense of pompousness and exclusivity that becomes easy to buy into. It allows us to feel classier and more important than what our surroundings allow for on a day-to-day basis, and I think that’s a luxury that we should afford ourselves every now and then.
It's about socialising and networking, making new acquaintances, catching up with old ones. If you’re a certain Uncle Rish it’s about enquiring the mileage and asking price of anything under a mil. That man literally does deals for breakfast. I come back to that buzz. Everyone seems on best form, conversation is captivating, no small talk allowed. One minute I'm watching Rishi make an offer on the SLS, the next there are innuendos flying around a group of people that all met mere moments ago. I love it!
It's about releasing your inner child. I'm twenty-six years of age. Double parked with free champagne from the owners' enclosure, squeezing the bum of the 'F4T RS' Escort, having pints for lunch and dancing in the rain to the cheesy playlist that repeated itself every two hours. I felt no shame, and why should I? I wasn't made to feel embarrassed, in fact I was positively egged on, by the older, greyer contingency. It's just fun. Pure, mad, unadulterated car fun. It's an escape from reality, and Teslas. If you're there long enough, which I certainly was, you do completely forget that there is a world outside of F1s and P50s.
Finally, it's a place to dream. Sure, owning anything there right now seems completely out of reach, but it's important to have that dream as a possibility somewhere down the line. From boys to men, girls to women, there's something there that's special enough and attainable enough for all of us to motivate us to go out there and go get it!
