Jersey Concours D’Elegance celebrates 75 years of motoring elegance.
In 2026, Jersey Concours D’Elegance marks 75 years since the Island’s first Concours, held on 30 August 1951 along Victoria Avenue. What began as a stylish celebration of motoring design and presentation has become part of Jersey’s motoring folklore. This anniversary is a fitting moment to look back at the people, cars and community spirit that shaped it. Jersey’s first event, organised by the Jersey Motor Cycle and Light Car Club, drew more than 6,000 spectators and featured 75 entries, showing how quickly the occasion captured public imagination.
That first 1951 Concours had all the charm and ceremony of its era. Among the standout winners was the Prix D’Elegance, awarded to Mrs Michael Blampied and Mr Barnes’ 1951 Vauxhall Velox, registration J694. The Prix d’Excellence went to Mrs D Laidlaw’s 1950 Daimler Coupé, registration J9794. The Prix d’Honneur was won by Mr Melville S Walker’s gun metal Jaguar Mk VII, registration J9133, driven by Mr Len True. In the class awards, Mr S Logan’s 1948 MG won Class 4 for open cars up to £500. These names and vehicles are more than archive detail; they give the story its local heartbeat, tying the event to families and enthusiasts whose pride in their cars became part of Island life.
The Concours returned in 1952, but with a change of scene, moving to People’s Park. Again, local names were central to the event’s appeal. The Prix d’Honneur and Prix D’Elegance were both won by Mr J Trigg’s Rolls-Royce, registration J2666, driven by Mr J Trigg with Mrs Trigg as passenger. The Prix d’Excellence was awarded to Lady Beryl Horsman’s 1952 ivory Lagonda, registration J4263, driven by Mr Jack Gallichan. Among the class winners recorded from that year was Mr F Le Gros’ black 1939 Autovia, which took first prize in Class 1 for pre-war closed cars. Together, those entries help paint a vivid picture of post-war Jersey, proud, polished and enjoying a touch of glamour on home soil.
The modern revival of Jersey Concours D’Elegance has ensured this proud tradition did not remain only in photographs and newspaper cuttings. The event was revived by Le Riche Automobile Restorers, with Joe Castellino and Ian Le Riche launching the Island’s modern Concours in 2022. It has since been promoted with the support of experienced organiser Ian Barnes. Joe Castellino has described the appeal beautifully, saying there is “something both earthy and glamorous about mechanical engineering” — a blend of design, ingenuity and sound that fills owners of classic, vintage and supercars with “a buzz, affection and pride.”
Ian Barnes says: “Researching the original event, I found out my Father, Alan Barnes, won the Prix D’ Elegance with a Vauxhall Velox J694.” That personal connection gives this 75th anniversary particular meaning, linking today’s event directly to one of the winning entries from 1951. It is exactly the sort of story that makes the Concours feel not simply imported or imitated, but deeply rooted in Jersey’s own motoring history. The Jersey Evening Post has also previously recorded Ian Barnes’ reflection that his father won the Prix D’Elegance at Jersey’s first Concours along Victoria Avenue in 1951.
Looking ahead, the 2026 Jersey Concours D’Elegance will take place on Saturday, 13 June 2026 at People’s Park, St Helier, from 12 noon to 4pm, with free admission for the public. The official event announcement describes it as Jersey’s fifth modern Concours, planned by Le Riche Automobile Restorers with principal sponsor ROK Construction, and promises a curated display of vintage, classic and supercars as well as historic motorbikes. Seventy-five years after that first parade on Victoria Avenue, the road has curved back to celebration once more.
