All Roads Lead to Rome
Having driven on some incomparable roads in New South Wales and Victoria recently during the wonderful seventh edition of the Targa Classica (of which I have taken part in five) this month sees me taking a road less traveled as Tutti Le Strade Portano A Roma for the inaugural Anantara Concorso Roma where I am honoured to be a member of the Jury led by Adolfo Orsi of Maserati fame. For just three days in 2025, 24-27 April, Rome will be the capital of the historical car world. The Centro Storico, arguably the greatest open-air museum there is, will showcase the very best rare historic cars in the world, from around the world. An impressive concorso d’eleganza amongst the magnificent ancient Roman antiquities and Renaissance treasures.
This new motoring spectacle will offer a gathering of the rarest and most significant historic Automobili Italiane from around the globe, for a vibrant three-day celebration of the very best in Roman hospitality, Italian cuisine and luxury style—la dolce vita!
Uniquely, the Anantara Concorso Roma will only feature Automobili Italiane. A curated line-up of the very best Italian masterpieces of every age—from the early pioneering days, through the heroic decades of racing supremacy, the era of power, performance and style, up to the modern era of the first supercars. The story of the Italian sports car featuring all the great marques: Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, to include Bugatti—an Italian car by birth.
I am very excited and look forward to bringing you news and images of the Caput Mundi of the Motoring World but until my next post here are a few mages from https://targaclassica.com
Magnificent 7th
INTERNATIONAL JUDGES CROWN THE FINEST AUTOMOBILES AT 2025 SYDNEY HARBOUR CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE
Link to official video – https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CnB4W-iWEdpLx8EuBUbsFohZJfCR1A9F
An esteemed international jury of automotive experts has crowned the finest vehicles on display at the 2025 Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance, held this weekend on Sydney’s iconic Cockatoo Island.
More than 80 rare vintage and classic cars, high-performance super and hypercars, and cutting-edge sustainable new energy vehicles – collectively valued at over $100 million – were showcased at the seventh annual event, which welcomed more than 2,000 motoring and luxury lifestyle enthusiasts.
From the extraordinary display, the coveted Best in Show awards were determined by a panel of international judges led by Alfa Romeo expert and Vice President of the Registro Internazionale Touring Superleggera, Alessandra Giorgetti from Milan.
The prestigious winners, all privately owned by passionate collectors – including four vehicles on display from Clive Palmer’s personal collection – were announced at a gala dinner at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia on Saturday evening.
Event Founder and Curator, Mr James Nicholls, said this year’s Concours marked a milestone in the event’s legacy.
“This is the biggest and best Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance in our seven-year history,” Mr Nicholls said.
“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, Champagne Pommery and Château la Gordonne, 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.”
Renowned businessman and collector Clive Palmer praised the event’s growing international profile.
“What a wonderful international event for Sydney, bringing the world’s leading judges of classic cars to the city,” Mr Palmer said.
“The Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance is a major development on the global motoring calendar. Well done, Sydney!”
BEST IN SHOW OVERALL: 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Figoni
MOST SPECTACULAR: Porsche 917/30 (1973)
BEST IN SHOW (PRE WAR): Bugatti Type 57 Aravis (1939)
BEST IN SHOW (POST WAR): Lamborghini Miura (1967)
BEST ITALIAN CAR PRESENTED BY ASI: Lancia Flaminia GT Convertible (1962). PASSION POST WAR: Fiat Abarth 750 GT Zagato (1959)
PASSION PRE WAR: Ford Roadster (1932)
SENSITIVE RESTORATION: Jaguar E Type OTS Series 1 (1963)
BEST ALFA ROMEO PRESENTED BY RIAR: Alfa Romeo 6C 17540 GS Figoni (1933)
POST WAR PRESERVATION: Alfa Romeo 6C Sport Freccia D’oro (1948)
PRE WAR PRESERVATION: Alvis Speed 20 SC (1935)
CLASS 1 ICONS: Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Figoni (1933)
CLASS 2 WIND IN YOUR HAIR: Mercedes Benz 190 SL (1963)
CLASS 3 ITALIANISSIMO: Lamborghini Miura P400 (1967)
CLASS 4 FAST & LOUD: Brabham BT23E (1968)
CLASS 5 100 YEARS OF FRENCH REVOLUTION: Bugatti Type 57 Atalante (1935)
CLASS 6 SPEEDSTERS: Porsche 356 T2 Speedster (1958)
CLASS 7 PRE WAR AUSTRALIA COACHBUILT: Rolls-Royce Phantom (1926)
Special Offer
The oo7 Edition of the Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance is the leading event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and notable for ‘haute automobilisme on the edge of the Pacific’. Taking place on Cockatoo Island on 28th February to 2nd March you can obtain a 25% discount on ticket pricing by going to the website https://sydneyharbourconcours.com.au and using the code COF&F
To give you a feel check out last year’s event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71SZiEgRzYo
As the Founder and Curator of the Sydney Harbour Concours I look forward to welcoming you to Cockatoo Island to view such marvels taking part as this 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C by Figoni pictured below in Nice in the South of France in 1934 and when it swept the board at the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy (bottom).
Welcome 2025
Happy New Year, and let us hope it is the best it can be for anyone and everyone.
On Boxing Day once again I was out on Sydney Harbour photographing the start of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Herewith half a dozen images from a wonderful day on the water to whet (or should that be wet) the appetite!
Merry Christmas one and all
Earlier this month I was enjoying the sunshine in the wine region of New South Wales, Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley, working on a photo shoot of the Bristol 408 chassis number one with master lensman Gareth Carr https://www.exposedwolf.com for a forthcoming feature story in Octane Magazine https://www.octane-magazine.com. Make sure you keep an eye out for some great images and an interesting story in the New Year in which I hope 2025 will bring peace on earth and goodwill to all men and women, not just for the coming holiday period but for everyone in these troubled times.
Meanwhile herewith a couple of photos which will not make the final edit!
Fashion!
It was a fun and interesting evening at the end of November when master bespoke tailor Renkhoe Jordan https://renkhoejordan.com.au held its first catwalk runway show to celebrate the anniversary of the opening of its store in The Strand Arcade in Sydney. Held at The Best Car Company showroom http://www.cumminscars.com it was a glamorous mix of high fashion, beautiful people, tv personalities, cars, and Champagne Pommery led by Creative Director Jordan Renkhoe with yours truly as Master of Ceremonies.
Podcast
Thank you to Stephen Wells for featuring me in Episode 120 of his recently relaunched podcast Motoring Weekly, which is back and better than ever.
Check it out https://www.motoringweekly.com.au/the-motoring-weekly-podcast/
or of course you can listen to it on your favourite app such as Spotify etc.
Any comments more than welcome – you may not want to listen to me every week but it is worth tuning in regularly and subscribing to Motoring Weekly as Stephen covers a wide variety of topics relating to the Australian historic motoring scene https://www.motoringweekly.com.au
Hot Off The Press
To order your copy of this indispensable reference book please contact me james@marinamarini.com.au
Goodwood Wet & Wild Revival
In true Dunkirk spirit everyone kept calm and carried on in weather that made me realise why I upped sticks and moved to sunny Sydney. But never mind the Goodwood Revival was still great fun with some great motor racing over the three days.
London Buses
There is saying in my old home town of London, that you wait and wait for a bus and then two come along together. Is it not always the same, you having nothing on this weekend and then on the next two events turn up together just like London buses.
So it is for the first weekend in September. I would love to be on Lago Maggiore to photograph the wonderful Rivas but unfortunately, or fortunately I will be at the Goodwood Revival taking pictures of historic racing cars and the participants in period dress on those days. I must say I can hardly wait as I have not been to the Revival for a while so am very much looking forward to it. I am also very much looking forward to the following weekend when I will be at Chantilly just outside Paris for the wonderful Arts & Elegance, surely the most sophisticated concours d’elegance where I will once again be a member of the Jury and also taking part in the Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugVvxHKccW8.
And when I return home there is the Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive to look forward to….everything for a worthy cause https://www.gentlemansdrive.com
So wherever you are in the world let’s get out and about in those cars and boats!
