If you’ve ever wondered what Pebble Beach might look like if you swapped Californian cliffs for Queensland sunshine, expensive American coffee for a flat white, and a gentle ocean mist for perfect winter weather, the answer arrived on the morning of Saturday July 18 Saturday in Noosa.
Against all odds, the weather behaved itself, and that’s important because at precisely 9:45am, Hastings Street transformed into one of Australia’s greatest automotive theatres.
As the official Media Guest of the event, Retro Rides had a front-row seat – and what a seat it was. The procession of cars rolling slowly into town reminded me of those magical early Sunday mornings at Pebble Beach, where every few seconds something extraordinary appears over the horizon.
One moment it’s a pre-war masterpiece that looks like it belongs in a museum. Next comes a Ferrari worth more than most waterfront homes. After that, a perfectly restored Australian muscle car. Then something so rare you must remind yourself to blink.
The beauty of Noosa Concours is that it isn’t built purely for collectors – it’s built for everyone, and that’s the clever part. While the event sits comfortably amongst the boutiques, restaurants and luxury hotels of one of Australia’s most exclusive destinations, entry is completely free.
This means anyone with even the slightest interest in extraordinary machinery can spend an entire day walking amongst some of the finest cars ever built. Seriously – if you’ve never been, you must put this in your calendar for 2027.
Whether your passion is pre-war elegance, European grand tourers, Australian muscle, Formula One heritage, or the latest hypercars, this event somehow manages to cater for all of it without feeling overcrowded or pretentious.
Noosa Concours celebrates 100 years of Sir Jack Brabham
The morning included one of the finest collections of Brabham’s you’re ever likely to see outside a museum. Leading the field was Sam Brabham, grandson of three-time Formula One World Champion Sir Jack Brabham.
We caught up with Sam to talk about growing up carrying one of motorsport’s most famous surnames, stories about his legendary grandfather, his father David Brabham and Sam’s own racing career.
It’s a fascinating conversation that you’ll be able to hear soon on an upcoming episode of The Retro Rides Podcast.
Zeigler/Bailey steals the show with Aussie-engineered masterpiece
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day wasn’t wearing an Italian badge, but instead held an Australian passport. The Ziegler Bailey Z/B 4.4 stopped people in their tracks, and it’s not hard to see why. At first glance you think it’s simply another beautifully restored Porsche 911, but it isn’t – it’s something altogether more ambitious.
I caught up with designer and co-founder Greg Bailey to understand the philosophy behind what can only be described as an Australian engineering masterpiece, because the Z/B 4.4 isn’t a restoration or even a restomod – it’s an entirely new interpretation of what the classic air-cooled 911 could have become if Porsche engineers had been given another fifty years and unlimited freedom.
Virtually everything has been redesigned: chassis, suspension, ergonomics, electronics. Even the notorious right-hand drive footwell compromises have disappeared thanks to an entirely bespoke floor-pan.
Then there’s the engine – a unique 4.4-litre air-cooled flat-six, machined from solid aluminium billet. More than 3,500 bespoke components make up the car, with around 1,200 parts inside the engine alone.
It’s less a modified Porsche and more an Australian engineering statement that just happens to wear timeless 911 styling. It’s impossible not to admire the ambition behind it.
Star-studded cast claim Noosa Concours’ top honours
Another thing the Noosa Concours d’Elegance deserves enormous credit for is investing in the future. The event continues to train the next generation of concours judges, ensuring the knowledge required to assess these remarkable machines isn’t lost.
Just as importantly, there were countless young children wandering amongst cars they’ve only ever seen in books, on YouTube or as posters on bedroom walls. Some of today’s future designers, engineers and restorers probably discovered their dream car on Hastings Street. That’s precisely why events like this matter.
As the afternoon drew to a close, the judging panel had the unenviable task of selecting winners from such an astonishing field.
The People’s Choice Award deservedly went to the magnificent 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage, owned by Supercars Team 18 owner Charlie Schwerkolt. This rare Vantage VC-powered example restored to concours standard after being discovered as a barn find is one of only two finished in Mink colour scheme.
The Next Generation Award and Best Modern honours were both claimed by the spectacular 1990 Ferrari F40, still one of the most significant supercars ever built and showing just 2,000 kilometres from new.
Australia’s own motoring history was celebrated with the Best Preservation Award, presented to an exceptionally original 1971 Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III, one of the country’s most iconic performance cars.
The Best Pre-1945 Classic went to a magnificent 1932 Cadillac Series 355-B Roadster owned by Clive Palmer, while the elegant 1960 Lancia Flaminia Zagato Sport claimed Best Classic (1945-1965) following an extraordinary competition career in Italy before finding its way to Australia.
The Best Classic (1966-1985) title returned to the stunning 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage, reinforcing just how exceptional the car really is.
And finally, the ultimate honour: Best in Show was claimed by a breathtaking 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, quite simply one of the most important road cars ever built.
Originally owned by Sir David Brown – yes, the Sir David Brown who was the longtime owner of Aston Martin – the beautifully restored Gullwing perfectly captured everything concours events are supposed to celebrate: engineering brilliance, history and timeless beauty.
As the crowds slowly dispersed and the last of the cars headed home, one thing became obvious. Noosa Concours isn’t simply trying to become Australia’s Pebble Beach, even if it has the cast of cars for it.
Instead, it’s becoming something uniquely Australian – relaxed, welcoming, and unequivocally world-class. If this Saturday was anything to go by, it’s already well on its way.
