In just over a decade, the Zoute GP event in Knokke (Belgium) became an icon in the European automotive world. The event is so much more than just the legendary rally with 250 of the most beautiful classic cars on the entry list. In 2023, the Bonhams auction house sold cars with a total value of over 27 million euros. On Sunday, about 150 modern GTs and hypercars drive the Zoute GT Tour. Close to 500.000 visitors had the opportunity to enjoy the event, about 30K of them paid a ticket. But despite that success, the organization faced heavy weather. And then there was Alychlo, the investment company of Marc Coucke, who came to the rescue together with CIM Capital.
After it was announced that the Zoute Grand Prix was assured of a restart, a lot of hard work went into building a solid organizational team. And this did not happen overnight. Not only was Koen Van Hout appointed CEO after a long and impressive career at Mercedes-Benz, but Philippe Quatennens (Effective Media, known from FLEET.TV) also brings a lot of experience in the organization of automotive events as a minority shareholder.
Today, in the Sphere in Knokke, the organization also announced the first important innovation for the 15th edition of the event. During the Zoute GP, weekend, the Sphere will not be the only eyecatcher on the Albertplein. This year, the organization chose to house all in one beach pavilion, about 1.5 times bigger than the Prado last year: the Zoute Grand Prix Gallery. This tent with a surface of approximately 11.000 square metres will be erected on the beach right in front of the Sphere on the Albertplein. It will house all the historic cars that will go under the hammer on Sunday at the ZOUTE SALE by Bonhams|Cars as well as all the contemporary cars from the most exclusive car brands. The past, present, and future of the automobile can be enjoyed and admired under one single roof. The cars participating in the Zoute Rally and the Zoute GT Tour will also parade on the promenade in front of the pavilion.
Due to the move to one location, only one ticket is needed to gain access to the entire event. For €85 per person, you can come and admire all the cars and have a front-row seat when the participating cars of the Zoute Rally and the Zoute GT Tour parade along the starting and finishing grid on the seafront. And the demanding customers who want some more luxury and exclusivity can buy a Deluxe ticket that gives you access to the event in the evening, including drinks and a walking dinner.
Unfortunately, the Zoute GP will not have a Concours d’Elegance this year. The brand-new CEO Koen Van Hout emphasized the ambition to reorganize the concourse. For the 2024 edition, however, time was running too short to guarantee the quality level they used to have in earlier editions. Quality is what they aim for when Van Hout explains the organization takes the Monterey Car Week, Pebble Beach, and the Mille Miglia as reference points. Very ambitious is the least one can say. But with Marc Coucke as one of the driving forces behind the new organization, you never know.
For more information and entry tickets, we advise you to visit the website of www.zoutegrandprix.be.
