From 26th to 28th June 2026, Creaghton Collectibles attended the inaugural Bolesworth Concours, The Art of Horsepower, at Bolesworth Castle in Cheshire. Staged on the opening weekend of the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth International, the estate’s elebrated international horse show, the concours brought together a carefully curated field of rare and historically ignificant motor cars across six judged classes.
The company’s founder, Tom White, was deeply honoured to be invited to join the judging panel, which was led by Chief Judge Iain Tyrrell, the renowned restoration specialist. Alongside Tom, the panel included Dr Matthias Rabe, Member of the Board for Research and Development at Bentley Motors; automotive designer Julian Thomson; Ferrari specialist and consultant valuer Tony Willis; Dominic Taylor-Lane, founder of the Association of Heritage Engineers; publisher, motoring writer and collector Stuart Shield; and Nina Barbour, Managing Director of Bolesworth and host of the event.
Judging took place on the Saturday, with each car assessed on criteria including provenance, originality, historical significance, craftsmanship and presentation. On the Sunday, the class winners were paired with horses and presented in the International Arena for the Power & Grace finale, a celebration of both mechanical and equine horsepower.
Best in Show was awarded to Michael Jewell’s 1933 Standard Swallow SS1 Coupé, winner of the Coachbuilt Masters class. One of William Lyons’ earliest creations before the formation of Jaguar, the SS1 has remained in the same family for more than 90 years. The remaining class honours went to the 1927 Bentley 6½ Litre with Harrison coachwork, the 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, the 1952 Jaguar XK120 once owned by Sir Stirling Moss, the 1968 Lamborghini Islero and the 1955 Lotus VIII. The Host’s Choice award went to the 1938 Talbot-Darracq T23, and the People’s Choice award to the 1949 Jaguar XK120 once wned by Clark Gable.
For Creaghton Collectibles, the weekend also carried a personal connection. Among the entries in the Mercedes-Benz class was a 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG sold by the company in February 2026, shown alongside its celebrated forebear, the 300 SL Gullwing. Across the three days, it was a pleasure to spend time with clients, friends and familiar faces in such a remarkable setting.
Creaghton Collectibles extends its thanks to Nina Barbour, Concours Chairman Guy Le Saige de La Villèsbrunne and the Bolesworth team for an exceptional weekend.
