The Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance is back for another year, marking the eighth year of the Southern Hemisphere’s most prestigious celebration of classic and cutting-edge motoring.
You wouldn’t think the industrial Cockatoo Island, a former convict penal establishment and naval shipyard, would be the host of one of Sydney’s most prestigious motor shows, but somehow, the mechanical shell of the Turbine Shop feels like the perfect location. The precinct does gritty glamour perfectly, and the sparkling lineup of million-dollar automobiles look incredible against its exposed walls.
It’s the annual Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance, a curated showcase of more than 50 rare, vintage, and exotic automobiles. An esteemed panel of judges will decide on which automobile will win “Best in Class” and “Best in Show”.
Prestigious automotive marques are available to peruse, featuring giants like Aston Martin Sydney, Bentley, Lamborghini Sydney, McLaren, Polestar and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Sydney. The Founder and Curator of Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance, James Nicholls, spoke on the stunning display of participating automobiles, stating,
“The continued involvement of these prestigious automotive brands underscores the international stature and unique appeal of this event.
This is a collection of the world’s very best in motoring – from the past, the present and looking to the future.”
We headed down to Cockatoo Island for an exclusive preview ahead of opening day, and here’s what we saw.
The world’s finest automobiles.
The talk of opening day was no doubt the unveiling of the McLaren hypercar, Project: Endurance, which will be on display for the first time in the Asia Pacific region.
The customer hypercar, a top-tier endurance race car purchased by private teams or individuals (not run by a factory), was developed by McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing. It was built as a customer track derivative of McLaren’s 2027 Hypercar, which is set to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) from 2027.
For automobile enthusiasts, the opportunity to see the sparkling racing machine on Sydney soil is a rare thrill.
Guests can also speak to experts and owners about the various cars and learn the exciting stories behind them.
There’s an adorable 1974 Bond Bug, which is the brainchild of Tom Karen from Ogle Design, who also designed Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder from Star Wars (which was built on a Bond Bug chassis).
One man carefully wipes the window of a 1966 Aston Martin DB6, which the Founder of Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance, James Nicholls, tells us is the only car of its colour in the world. He also points out a baby blue 1968 Austin 1800 Utility, which he tells us was restored by an 18-year-old girl.
If you want to check out something flashier, check out the purple holographic 2013 McLaren MP 4 12 C Spider or the 1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.
$450 for a ticket
The Concours d’Elegance is no regular car event. We’re told, “It’s a curated celebration of design, engineering, and lifestyle, set on a UNESCO World Heritage-listed island.” Hence why the tickets start at $450 for general admission.
Beyond the cars, there are plenty of activations, panels, talks, and activities for guests to enjoy.
You can watch artist Simon Cavelle creating a live artwork, painting a vehicle over the three-day event, or view Camilla Albertini’s photography exhibition “Women and Motors? Just Joy,” a high-impact cultural project conceived at the Fratelli Cozzi Museum in Italy.
Champagne Pommery is included throughout the day, as well as fine cuisine, a cheese and wine tasting, bespoke tailoring by Renkhoe Jordan and haute jewellery by Calleija. It’s all been especially curated for those who appreciate the finer things in life, not just automobiles.
Free public preview
There’s no denying that $450 for a single-day ticket is a serious splurge. But for an event built around luxury and a top-tier experience, the price tag comes as little surprise.
That being said, this year the Concours d’Elegance decided to host a completely free public preview on Bennelong Lawn, in front of the Sydney Opera House, something they’ve never done before.
On Thursday, 34 of the rare, classic and collector automobiles were put on display, including the Bond Bug, a 1952 Porsche 356 Pre A Split Window, a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB and a 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn.
The vehicles remained on public display for three hours before heading off in convoy from Bennelong Lawn to Hunters Hill Sailing Club. From there, they were loaded onto a barge for transport across the water to Cockatoo Island.
The event encouraged car fanatics and curious Sydneysiders to check out and snap shots of some of the world’s rarest cars, completely free of charge.
If you missed the public preview but are still keen to see the automobile spectacle, tickets are still available to the Concours d’Elegance Cockatoo Island event. You can purchase them here.
Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance
Where: Cockatoo Island, Sydney, NSW.
When: February 27-March 1 from 10am-4pm.
Price: Tickets start at $450.
