A Concours D'elegance
The Cartier 'Style et Luxe' is possibly the most coveted car design competition in the world. It's a concours d'elegance like no other: a celebration of the beautiful, the imaginative and the innovative in automotive design, a tribute to the talents that produced the great cars gathered at Goodwood.
Set on the tranquil lawn of Goodwood House, far from the throng of racing engines, the 'Style et Luxe' is a cherished bastion of artistry and good taste. The competition comprises around 50 cars in 10 classes representing the history of motoring.
Past categories have included everything from Victorian Steam Carriages or magnificent 19030s coach built limousines to gas turbine-powered concept cars and road-going Supercars of the 1970s.
The Judging
Unlike a conventional concours d'elegance, the judges of the 'Style et Luxe' are not car experts but eminent personalities from the arts. Judging is not a scientific points-scoring process, but a consideration of each car as an object of beauty and practicality.
While most of the panel may know little about cars, the artist's intrinsic understanding of proportion, detail, texture and finish invoke some intriguing and often rather alternative opinions, and the judges bring a wide range of sympathies to the panel.