After our introductory article, we move on to this year’s categories and the winners.
The 2026 Antwerp Concours d’Elegance followed the usual setup: in the morning, a jury inspects each car, and the owners show their vehicles, pop the hood and start the engine for them. All you have to do is follow the referees in their distinctive uniforms while they are inspecting the vehicles, and you’ve got yourself a priceless spectacle. In the afternoon, the cars are invited to the main stage, and owners can present their car along with their favourite stories.
The cars are lined up per topic, which the organisers announce well before the event. The primary topic is usually showcased on the front yard of the castle. This year, we spotted a dozen exquisite prewar Bugattis and a black EB 110, with half a dozen Panhard specimens behind the main tent.
With such an illustrious offering, no wonder that Bugattis won several categories, including the two best of show titles. The expert jury awarded the Best of Show award to the beige 1939 Bugatti T57C ‘Aravis’ Letourneur & Marchand. The Aravis model was named after a mountain range in France, but the name also stood for Bugatti’s factory-designed two-seat Cabriolet.
The other Best of Show award was decided by the Belgian Historic Vehicle Association (BEHVA) and went to the 1925 Bugatti T35 GP De Lyon (chassis nr 4449). This car also bagged another trophy, for the Best Expo Bugatti Sport award.
The last car to take home a Bugatti-specific award is a green 1938 Bugatti T57C Special Coupe Le Patron (chassis nr 57335), crowned with the Best Expo Bugatti Tourer award.
The jury also gave a special mention to the blue 1931 Bugatti T51 GP (chassis 51122).
Our special mention goes to the grey 1928 Bugatti Type 43 Grand Sport with the torpedo roadster body.
The only modern Bugatti was a black 1995 Bugatti EB110 GT, which took home the award for best design.
The front yard also featured a selection of Panhard cars, and the half-dozen rarities exhibited had their own dedicated category. The best in class in the category “Panhard & Levassor Hommage B. Vermeylen” was a prewar 1936 Panhard X73 CS6 Special Cabriolet ‘Victoria’ Carrosserie Janssen. Also, the Best Provenance award went to a Panhard, in this case a 1954 Panhard Dyna X87 ‘Junior’ Cabriolet.
Prewar cars were parked on the right side by the auxiliary buildings. The title best in class for prewar adorable/affordable went to the green 1925 Peugeot 172r Cabriolet.
The 1938 SS Cars 1.5 Litre Saloon won best in class in the prewar style & luxury category.
The best in class in the prewar sport & competition category went to the owner of the blue 1927 AMILCAR C6/CO.
Now we can’t help but include our personal favourite from this selection: the red 1937 Jaguar SS100, with a striking red design, coachbuilt in Brussels at Bidée.
The chateau’s front entrance hosted a special thematic exhibition on Ford versus Ferrari, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company’s first victory at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.
We didn’t see any awards for this car, but we would certainly vote for the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, a personal favourite.
The backyard was dedicated to postwar cars, though some categories also included a few prewar cars.
Right behind the Chateau, we spotted half a dozen cars with royal history, and the best in class in the category cars of kings went to the red 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 Saloon formerly owned by King Baldwin of Belgium.
Probably the most impressive category was the one dedicated to the 100th anniversary of legendary Italian coachbuilder Touring, and the best in class in the category 100 anni Carrozzeria Touring went to the red 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C-2300B MM, but we could have given one to every single car in this group.
Another car from the Touring selection took home the best restoration award: the 1965 Alfa Romeo GTC Touring Cabriolet was indeed in showroom-shine condition.
Another anniversary class was dedicated to the 120th anniversary of Lancia, and the best in class was another prewar car, a 1935 Lancia Astura L233 DHC coachbuilt at Gurney Nutting.
Again, we could easily point out any of the cars, like the 1958 B24 roadster, the 1958 Appia GT or the 1963 Flaminia Zagato Coupé.
British cars had a special place at the event, with two dozen scattered around the area and three awards coming home.
There was an entire category honouring the 65th birthday of Jaguar’s iconic E-Type model, showcasing a dozen specimens. In the end, the red 1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Coupe S1 was awarded best among the E-types.
A more general category also covered 1950s British sportscars, spanning a wide range of brands from Astin Healy to Peerless. Surprisingly, the winner was another Jaguar, the 1955 Jaguar D-Type Shortnose XKD523, which indeed could not run in the E-Type category.
However, Britain could claim two other surprise victories, as the magnificent blue 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark 1 Bespoke took home the longest distance to concours award.
Also, the best preservation award went to a Jag: the olive green 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Series 3 Cabriolet took home this award.
The far side of the backyard is usually dedicated to a selection of smaller cars, and this year’s category was titled “two can play that game”, awarded to the green 1957 SAAB 93 split window.
It is time to conclude our reports, and we have to say, Antwerp Concours never fails to impress. This event is surely no match for the largest concours events, but it surely offered enough spectacle for a full day, not just in terms of car diversity but also in terms of a comprehensive programme from arrival to the award ceremony.
