The Concours d'Elegance Het Loo at the former royal palace in Apeldoorn, Holland had a good contract with the wheather gods. It was a splendid weekend. The only factor causing unexpected clouds was the use of alternative fuels like pipe tobacco (single seater Austin 7 Special 'Bob') and wood gas (the Opel Kapitän in the background). Central event of the Concours are the short track sprints organised by Dutch Vintage Sports Car Club. This year with new regulations that forced competitors to copy their own first time as close as possible. Big fun for public and the 40 vintage car drivers that partipated. A newby at the strip was this Rolls-Royce Panhard special named 'Monster' (yes also referring to its design) propelled by an aircooled 8 boxer which de-spooned from a french tank. One point, the gearchange didn't have that typical Edwardian clunk, more a Borg-Warner-ish whoosh.
Official results of the Concours can be found here (scroll past the first Dutch lines). Best of show in the eyes of the jury was a very nice 1929 Hispano Suiza Cabriolet de Ville. Great car, yet we were utterly surprised not too find in the listings the car which deserves a pedestal in itself. A fabulous original 1923 Bugatti T23 with boattail body (possibly by Lavocat et Marsaud). A unique car showing its age with pride and still highly usable. To describe its well preserved detailing the world 'lovely' is an understatement. Enjoy the fine inlaywork of the boattail's body top. Check the dashboard. And now let's zoom in on the 'xs' left door, or better let's open it: check that! Isn't that a work of art? An atmosphere absolutely positively impossible to copy by a restorer. It just makes us wonder. Isn't it the task of a concours jury to award the best cars of a bygone era? Or is it their task to judge perfectionist restoration & refrabrication work?