concours d'élégance

[ French kawn-koor dey-ley-gahns; English kong-koor del-i-gahns, -gans ]

noun

, plural con·cours d'é·lé·gance [kaw, n, -koo, r, dey-ley-, gahns, kong-, koorz, del-i-, gahns, -, gans].

1. a public exhibition and competition in which automobiles or other vehicles are judged, chiefly on the basis of elegance and beauty.

concours d'élégance

/ kɔ̃kur deleɡɑ̃s /

noun

1. a parade of cars or other vehicles, prizes being awarded to the most elegant, best designed, or best turned-out

Word History and Origins

Origin of concours d'élégance¹

1935–40; < French: literally, elegance competition

Example Sentences

Norman Mayersohn’s guide to summer destination car shows includes the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance near Owen Sound, Ontario.

From New York Times

Spanning a broad range that includes formal concours d’elegance in country club settings as well as impromptu parking-lot cruise nights, there are gatherings to satisfy most enthusiasts.

From New York Times

The location, however, was anything but typical — the Concours d’Elegance was held for the first time at the Detroit Institute of Arts, a Beaux-Arts museum in the heart of America’s Motor City.

From New York Times

Events like the Concours d’Elegance, which tend to showcase classic cars built during the first half of the 20th century, usually take place at upscale resorts such as Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula of California or Villa d’Este on the shore of Lake Como in Italy.

From New York Times

The Acura Precision EV concept is publicly debuting today at The Quail, a motorsports gathering, and will also be showcased at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday.

From The Verge