Celebrating automotive elegance at Chantilly Arts & Elegance

September 16, 2026 Tim Havermans Chantilly, Concours d'Elegance, Peter Auto, Wilfried Geerts

Few automotive events combine history, glamour and sheer beauty quite like Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille. Returning to the magnificent grounds of the Château de Chantilly on Sunday, 13 September, the 2026 edition once again transformed the estate into a spectacular celebration of the automobile, bringing together some of the world’s finest historic cars, contemporary creations and passionate collectors.

Set against the grand architecture, formal gardens and expansive lawns of Chantilly, the event offered a fitting stage for machines that are as much works of art as they are feats of engineering. The concours remains distinctive for bringing together automotive history, fashion, design and the French art de vivre.

This year’s Best of Show honours highlighted the extraordinary breadth of the field. The pre-war title went to a 1933 Delage D8 SS, while the post-war award was claimed by a 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica. The modern Concours d’Élégance meanwhile celebrated the Bugatti Brouillard, underlining the event’s ability to connect historic coachbuilding with contemporary design.

Porsche: a thread running through the concours

Porsche enjoyed an especially compelling presence at Chantilly, with five significant cars illustrating more than four decades of the marque’s evolution. At the beginning of the story were two exceptional 356s: a 1958 356 A Carrera GT/Speedster Zagato and a 1959 356 A Carrera GS/GT. The former combined Porsche’s lightweight sporting philosophy with Zagato’s distinctive Italian coachwork, while the latter represented the increasingly competition-focused character of the 356. Both belong to the formative years in which Porsche established itself as a serious force in international motorsport.utation in the post-war era.

Porsche 904-050, winner of the ‘Cars in original Condition’ class

The transition to the legendary 911 was represented by a 1970 911 2.6 ST and a 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight. The ST was Porsche’s uncompromising competition evolution of the early 911, stripped of unnecessary weight and developed for racing. The Carrera RS, meanwhile, has become one of the most revered 911s ever built. Conceived to homologate the model for competition, its lightweight construction, distinctive ducktail spoiler and 2.7-litre flat-six created a formula that would influence Porsche performance cars for decades.

At the other end of the spectrum stood the extraordinary Porsche 911 GT1 from 1997, displayed as part of the “GT1: The Golden Age of Grand Touring” class. Alongside machines such as the McLaren F1 GTR, Ferrari F40 GTE and Nissan R390 GT1, it recalled an extraordinary period when manufacturers built road-going versions of their racing technology to meet homologation requirements

The Porsche selection therefore told a story in miniature: from the elegant and purposeful 356, through the iconic early 911, to the uncompromising GT1 racer.

Beyond the concours itself, Chantilly offered visitors an extraordinary variety of cars across the estate, while the club area achieved a record turnout in 2026. That broader enthusiast participation remains an important part of the event’s appeal.

Ultimately, Chantilly Arts & Elegance is not simply a competition to determine the most beautiful car. It is a celebration of craftsmanship, heritage and creativity, staged in one of France’s most spectacular settings. From pre-war Delages and Ferraris to Porsche icons and cutting-edge concepts, the 2026 gathering demonstrated once again that automotive elegance can take many forms.

Picture gallery Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille