ALFA ROMEO WINS BEST IN SHOW AT SYDNEY HARBOUR CONCOURS

The 2025 Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance once again presented some of the world’s best cars from Australian owners and collectors, including four from Clive Palmer’s impressive collection. But even amongst the best, there is a best, and this year, the concours’ Best in Show was awarded to a 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport with a stunning Figoni coupe body.

The seventh edition of this concours, and the second to be held on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, saw more than 80 vehicles displayed, covering concours entrants in vintage, classic and modern categories, as well as cutting-edge new energy vehicles, high-performance supercars and hypercars. Valued at over $120 million, the gathering of haute automobilisme was enjoyed by more than 2,000 motoring and luxury lifestyle enthusiasts across the three days of the event.

Concours Diversity

In addition to awards for Pre- and Post-War Passion, Restoration and Pre- and Post-War Preservation, there was a special Italian theme at the concours this year, as evidenced by awards for ‘Best Alfa Romeo’, reflecting patronage by the international RIAR (Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo) club, and ‘Best Italian Car’, in association with ASI (Automotoclub Storico Italiano), Italy’s historic car club federation. At the concours, ASI was represented once again by Dr Umberto Galloni, who bought his own 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C Sport Freccia d’Oro from San Marino.

Themed concours classes this year covered pre-war icons, convertibles, post-war Italian cars, motorsport, French classics and coachbuilt Australian pre-war cars. As with last year’s concours, entrants took part in parades around the open space at Cockatoo Island each day, providing an additional treat for visitors.

Along with Alfa Romeo, who were exhibiting at the concours for the first time, carmakers that presented their current wares included Lamborghini, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Fiat, Aston Martin, Maserati and newcomer to the Australian market, Zeekr.

More Than a Display

The list of special guests this year included Australian F1 GP winner Thierry Boutsen, editor of Octane magazine James Elliot, world-renowned custom car builder Justin Hills, adventurer Warren Brown and auction expert Jamie Knight.

Beyond the cars, attractions included a DJ, exceptional timepieces from Jacob & Co., an art exhibition by Lennox Steet Gallery, wine and whiskey tastings, premium food options presented by Maison Hospitality, coffee from illy and complementary French pastries from Chefin, plus an abundance of rosé from Château La Gordonne and champagne from longterm event supporter, Champagne Pommery.

“This is the biggest and best Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance in our seven-year history,” said Founder and Curator, James Nicholls.

“With more than 100 years of motoring heritage on display, the event is a celebration of engineering excellence, timeless design, and craftsmanship – all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Sydney Harbour.

“The extraordinary vehicles showcased, alongside curated luxury lifestyle experiences featuring haute couture, fine food, designer jewellery and watches, continue to elevate the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance as one of the world’s leading luxury lifestyle events.

“We are already looking forward to the 2026 Concours and the continued growth of this globally recognised showcase.”

Well-Travelled Alfa

The 1933 Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport coupe that won Best in Show had to beat out several premium contenders for the top honour, including a Porsche 917/30 in eye-searing Sunoco livery, a Lamborghini Miura P400 that had come from the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, an Alvis Speed 20 and Rolls-Royce Phantom I, plus Type 57 Atalante and Type 57 Aravis Bugattis (the latter with Pebble Beach concours history from Clive Palmer’s collection), to name a few.

The Best in Show winner was the product of Giuseppe Figoni, who had been building cars on his own for more than a decade before the more familiar (and flamboyant) coachbuilding firm of Figoni et Falaschi was founded in 1935. As well as Alfa Romeo, Figoni was producing bodies on chassis from Delage, Renault, Bugatti, Delahaye and Panhard in his Paris workshop.

While it was one of the last 6C 1750 Gran Sports that Alfa Romeo built, this car was one of the first to receive Figoni’s streamlined, teardrop body. Making its debut on the Alfa Romeo stand at the 1933 Paris Motor Show, this sleek, black-over-white coupe was awarded Prix d’Honneur at both the Monte Carlo and Nice concours d’elegance a year later. It then had its coupe body replaced with an open Super Sport body and was raced, including in the 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans by Guy Weisweiller and Jean Desvignes, where it won its class and finished sixth overall.

When its racing career ended a few years later, the Alfa’s Figoni coupe body was refitted, it was repainted blue and reportedly spent most of the next seven decades in South Africa. The current owner acquired the car there in 2008, then committed to a painstaking restoration (by RX Autoworks in Canada) that brought it back to original specification. Following completion of the restoration in 2012, the 6C 1750 Gran Sport Figoni won the Coppa d’Oro for Best in Show at that year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, as well as the BMW Group Trophy. It was also a Best of Show runner-up at Pebble Beach.

Concours Winners

Entries in this year’s Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance were judged by an international panel headed by Italian expert and Vice President of the Registro Internazionale Touring Superleggera, Alessandra Giorgetti from Milan. The winners, all privately owned by passionate collectors, were announced at the Champagne Pommery gala dinner that was held at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia on the evening of Saturday, 1 March.

The full concours winners list follows. For more on the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance, go to: sydneyharbourconcours.com.au

BEST IN SHOW OVERALL: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport by Figoni (1933)

MOST SPECTACULAR: Porsche 917/30 (1973)

BEST IN SHOW (PRE WAR): Bugatti Type 57 Aravis (1939)

BEST IN SHOW (POST WAR): Lamborghini Miura P400 (1967)

BEST ITALIAN CAR PRESENTED BY AZI: Lancia Flaminia GT convertible (1962)

BEST ALFA ROMEO PRESENTED BY RIAR: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Figoni (1933)

PASSION POST WAR: Fiat Abarth 750 GT Zagato (1959)

PASSION PRE WAR: Ford Roadster (1932)

SENSITIVE RESTORATION: Jaguar E Type OTS Series 1 (1963)

POST WAR PRESERVATION: Alfa Romeo 6C Sport Freccia d’Oro (1948)

PRE WAR PRESERVATION: Alvis Speed 20 SC (1935)