Richard Mille rolls out successful Chantilly Arts & Elegance event
The latest edition of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille 2015 showcased the best of the automotive world in the presence of thousands of car and watch connoisseurs
The resounding success of the second edition of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille was witnessed by over 13,000 visitors that gathered at the Château de Chantilly on the 6th of September, 2015. Considered to revive a French tradition that was popular in the 1920s, this year’s competition was also supported by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, and saw 35% increase in the number of visitors since its first edition.
Kicking off the event was a polo tournament that was joined by some of the best international players, and organised by Pablo Mac Donough at the Polo Club de Chantilly, a recent Richard Mille partner. Furthermore, the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille 2015 opened the château gates for the exhibition of the finest automobile in the world, allowing the guests to admire the elegance of the cars of yesteryear with bodywork sculpted by some of the greatest names in automotive design.
The gardens designed by Le Nôtre, who also created the gardens of Versailles, played host to a number of automobile clubs such as Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar and Aston Martin. Also displayed at the 155-hectare park were the greatest car manufacturers such as Bugatti, McLaren and Mercedes, and the crowning glories of motor racing such as the 1967 F1 BRM H16 and the 1971 Ferrari 312B2.
Aside from the automotive exhibition, the event also saw three competitions that were judged by a panel of forty celebrated experts. The category of Concours d’Elégance paved the way for the connoisseurs to revel on the beauty of the participating concept cars. The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R gained recognition from its peers by winning the most prestigious of titles.
Meanwhile, the condition, restoration and historic interest of a hundred cars were assessed in the Concours d’Etat. The Richard Mille “Best of Show” prize went to Mr. Evert Louwman’s 1936 Mercedes 500 K Special Roadster, which was released from the Louwman Museum for this event.
For the category of the Concours des Clubs which featured almost eight hundred fifty cars from forty clubs, the cars were judged not only in terms of the presentation and the quality of the restoration, but also the manner by which the cars were showcased during the traditional lunch on the lawn. With the exceptional participation of its members, Amis de Delage was victorious in this category.
The successful Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille has scheduled plans of returning next year. Richard Mille, an automobile enthusiast with a passion for F1 cars from the ‘60s and ‘70s, was awarded the Alain Figaret prize for finest Formula 1 car with his BRM P 115 H16 lightweight chassis 01 from 1967, a unique model. Its 16 cylinder, H-formation, 3.0 litre engine is considered to be one of the most complex car engines ever created.
