Pret-à-Manger
The beauty of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance is that there’s enough room in the vast (and immaculately maintained) grounds of the Domaine de Chantilly to picnic quite literally between the concours entrants. Naturally, the Classic Driver Market has all the essentials needed for a tasteful picnic at France’s premier concours event, from appropriate transport to a vintage Louis Vuitton hamper.
If you’re travelling with your partner, you’ll certainly turn heads upon your arrival at the Château de Chantilly in the gorgeous drop-top Maserati 3500 GTi Vignale Spider, with its sumptuous red interior that’s as appealing as the vintage Burgundy you’ll take to drink. Should the family be joining you, the pretty little Peugeot 504 is a suitable French chariot, with more than enough room for your children, a special-order vintage Louis Vuitton picnic hamper (complete with Villeroy Boch porcelain and Christofle silverware) and even the dog. A gold watch – we thought a timeless Audemars Piguet Royal Oak – coupled with The Outlierman’s tasteful brown driving gloves will match the 504’s yellow-tinted headlights and the gold Peugeot badge beautifully.
The choice of food and drink, of course, is down to you. However, an afternoon cigar is undisputable – the fabulous vintage humidor should keep that Montecristo as fresh as the day it was rolled. After a day of fun, frivolity and sensational cars, who wants to spend several hours travelling? Why not head to an evening retreat such as the 18th Century restored farmhouse in Vendôme or the grand apartment in nearby Paris’s desirable seventh arrondissement. You can find all our 2016 Chantilly Arts & Elegance coverage, kindly supported by Richard Mille, in our regularly updated overview.
