Konkurs Elegancji 2024
Step by step. No hurry. Building a reputation is not an easy and immediate process. Maybe the differences between the following editions of the event are not spectacular, but constant progress is visible. I was very happy to be able to visit the 2024 edition of Polski Konkurs Elegancji – the concours of elegance that takes place each year in the gardens of Pałac Rozalin, located just a few kilometers west from Warsaw.
The Polish classic car market is a very chaotic environment. It’s growing rapidly, and a good visual indicator of this is the still-increasing number of spectacular cars exposed on many events and bigger and bigger queues of spectators waiting for entrance tickets to them. On the other side, building a stable financial foundation for a big enterprise is tricky, and one can often see interesting initiatives come and go. I hope that Konkurs Elegancji will go a different path. And there are arguments to support that opinion.
Firstly, the growing variety of unique cars. Space available in the gardens of Pałac Rozalin is limited, and there is no way to increase the number of exposed specimens without compromising the viewing experience. But there is nothing blocking raising the level of car quality and uniqueness. When I run around the event with my camera, I mainly focus on capturing the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the participants. In doing so, I often forget to take notes about the unique and valuable cars on exposition. As a result, I often have a tough time composing a list of the most valuable machinery. But please take a look at the photos, and I’m sure you’ll find something that will make your heart beat faster.
Secondly, I would like to praise the work done by the Jury. I won’t deny that my opinions are biased. I was closely following the work of the jury, which sported a few of my friends. Adam, Kuba, Karolina, Piotr and Michael were doing whatever they could to ensure the judgement process was done on a professional level.
Cars were grouped into 3 categories: Elegance, Sport and Daily. Beside the prizes for winners in each of those classes, a Grand Prix was handled to the best car of the whole event.
The audience at the event eagerly debated which car would win the Grand Prix award. The selection of vehicles was vast, and picking the winner wasn’t an easy task. Among the audience, two cars were frequently mentioned as potential winners: the Tatra T87 and the Steyr 220. Both manufactured in 1939. There were no leaks or hints from the Jury, keeping the outcome a mystery until the very end. Ultimately, it was revealed that the beautiful two-colored Steyr emerged victorious.
It was interesting to follow the Jury and listen to the stories told by the owners of the cars. Sometimes they were radically changing my perception of certain cars. For example, I was never a big fan of the Beetle. During the event, I was walking past one olive green VW 117 DeLuxe without even noticing it. But I completely changed my approach to this car after I heard the story of this car’s renovation. The owner, in a very passionate way, was describing the struggle to make sure that every detail of the car is correct. This attention to detail made a big impression on me. This situation made it clearly visible that even if the car may at first glance look not very interesting, there is a fascinating story behind it.
As I mentioned before, I always struggle to list the most interesting cars, but a few of them really caught my attention. One of them was probably the cheapest of them all: Fiat Panda. What was interesting about it was the attention to detail. The car was renovated up to the world-class concorso standards. It will be less surprising that someone wanted to put so much effort into a simple Fiat if it is mentioned that the owner of this Panda, a few years ago, won a class on Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este with his Fiat 8V.
Another amazing car was Salmson S4C Faux Cabriolet from 1933. The unique character of this vehicle comes courtesy of its beautiful patina and original, unrestored condition. But the thing that is the most stunning about this car is its engine and how it starts. Don’t expect any typical starter motor noises. After pressing the starter button, the engine just immediately runs. Smooth as silk, similarly to the modern mild hybrid cars.
I usually enjoy photographing with various analog cameras and love discovering new models. However, during Konkurs Elegancji, I traditionally return to my Nikon F3—one of my favorite cameras. When paired with the mighty 50mm f/1.2 lens, it creates an exceptionally elegant and compact setup that offers great versatility. Perfect for such occasions.
It's already a tradition to end the season in Pałac Rozalin at the Konkurs Elegancji. I hope the event will keep growing, and we’ll meet here again next year.
