Words: Charlie Thomas
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an event synonymous with luxury, sophistication and of course, automotive passion. Taking place each and every year on the Sunday of the festival is the Cartier Style et Luxe concours d’elegance, the epitome of the weekend’s opulence.
A competition focussing on car design excellence, the Style et Luxe invites highly respected individuals to judge some of the most stunning cars on the planet. Of course, an event such as this wouldn’t be complete without a star-studded garden party and in this regard Cartier truly excelled.
A champagne reception was enjoyed as a Tornado fighter jet carved through the sky above the perfectly trimmed private lawn of Goodwood House. The stars started filtering in with big names including Lewis Hamilton, Rowan Atkinson, James Martin, Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Christopher Hoy and Lord and Lady March.
Guests were then ushered through into the main marquee, where a buffet of biblical proportions awaited. A plated starter of chargrilled asparagus and radicchio with burrata, pine nuts and pomegranate was served, alongside a seasonal selection of vegetables and cooked meat from the Goodwood Estate.
The main event then took place, with the judges coming together to decide on the winning automobiles. This year’s theme was ‘Addicted to Winning’ and as such iconic cars were awarded in a total of seven categories, as well as an overall winner. Given that the cars were judged from a design perspective – not the traditional restored condition – the panel included a diverse array of individuals including Lord Bamford, Nick Foulkes, Sir Christopher Hoy, Sir Jonathan Ive, Marcus Wareing and Sir Jonathan Evans. Among the stunning cars celebrated over the course of the weekend, a stunning Maserati A6 GCS Berlinetta from 1953 was the true standout and its unparalleled beauty was acknowledged when it won the Overall Winner prize.
This year’s Festival of Speed was, as always, a must-attend event on the automotive calendar and the Cartier Style de Luxe was the icing on the cake. We are already counting the days until next year.
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