THE PINNACLE OF AUTOMOTIVE ARTISTRY

The Pinnacle of Automotive Artistry: 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Claims Best of Show at the Second Royal Bahrain Concours

Where GCC Royalty, High Society, and the World’s Rarest Automotive Masterpieces Converge in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Under the distinguished patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the greens of the Royal Golf Club in Riffa were transformed into an open-air sanctuary for the world’s most discerning collectors. Over two glorious November days, the second edition of the Royal Bahrain Concours gathered 85 of the rarest, most historically significant motorcars ever produced—expanding upon its inaugural edition to cement its position as the GCC’s premier automotive event.

A Homologation Legend Victorious

Steeped in the golden era of GT racing, top honors for Best of Show were awarded to the breathtaking silver 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, owned by prominent Bahraini collector Dr. Khalid M. Abdulrahim.

Built to homologate Mercedes-Benz’s dominant GT1 racer—which swept back-to-back FIA GT Championship titles in 1997 and 1998—the street-legal CLK GTR remains one of horology and automotive design’s ultimate holy grails. Powered by a formidable 6.9-litre V12 engine, it is one of a mere 20 coupés ever built worldwide.

The triumph marks a consecutive Best of Show victory for Dr. Abdulrahim, following his 2025 win with his historic 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV ‘Shah of Iran’. Further underscoring the world-class caliber of his garage, his 2005 Maserati MC12 claimed second place in the Sports & Race Classics class, sealing an extraordinary one-two finish.

“The CLK GTR is a worthy Best of Show—one of the great homologation specials. To see it win in front of a home crowd for a Bahraini collector is a fitting result.”

— James Brooks-Ward, Chairman of the Royal Bahrain Concours

World-Class Judging & New Categories

For 2026, the Concours introduced a refined international judging format. Moving away from peer judging, this year’s field was evaluated on absolute authenticity and originality by a panel of world-renowned experts, chaired by Richard Charlesworth MVO and featuring legendary former Lamborghini chief test driver Valentino Balboni.

The competitive classes expanded to include two headline additions:

The Big Six: Tracing Ferrari’s halo supercar lineage from the 288 GTO to the groundbreaking F80.
Mercedes-Benz Black Series: A dedicated showcase celebrating Stuttgart’s most hardcore performance engineering.

High Society, Haute Couture, and Lifestyle

Beyond the immaculate concours lawns, the weekend delivered a curated lifestyle programme tailored for high-net-worth guests:

Haute Fashion on the Fairways: The Main Concours Stage hosted two runway showcases—The Gulf Air Fashion Show on Friday evening and Lexus Presents The Fashion Show by Annada on Saturday.
Ladies’ Afternoon Tea & Heritage: Guests gathered for an elegant afternoon tea on Friday, accompanied by a traditional exhibition of royal falcons and Arabian hunting dogs.
Master Talks & Media: Automotive luminaries shared rare insider stories during Master Talks, including an Aston Martin Legends session and a deep dive into the Dodge Viper legacy. Broadcast coverage was streamed globally via RBC TV, hosted by Amanda Stretton, David Green, Richard Charlesworth, and Sara Essa.
RBC Car Club: Curated for dynamic collector vehicles across nine categories, featuring over 100 handpicked machines. The Steering Committee awarded Best Overall Car Club to a pristine split-window Chevrolet Corvette.

2026 ROYAL BAHRAIN CONCOURS WINNERS

Headline Awards

Award	Vehicle	Notable Heritage
Best of Show	1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR	1 of 20 coupés built to homologate the FIA GT1 champion
Patron’s Award	1985 Audi Sport Quattro	Iconic short-wheelbase Group B rally homologation special
Steering Committee Award	1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow 2-Door	Coachbuilt by H.J. Mulliner Park Ward; original delivery to H.E. Sheikh Khalifa Al Khalifa

Class Winners

Pre-1940 Cars

1st Place: 1939 Packard (One of the final pre-WWII American luxury masterpieces)
2nd Place: 1934 Horch 780 B
3rd Place: 1930 Ford Model A Phaeton

Sports & Race Classics

1st Place: 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR
2nd Place: 2005 Maserati MC12
3rd Place: 1985 Audi Sport Quattro

European Classics

1st Place: 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing (Iconic tubular spaceframe chassis and upward-opening doors)
2nd Place: 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
3rd Place: 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT

Hypercars

1st Place: 1997 McLaren F1 (Gordon Murray’s central-seat V12 icon; fastest naturally aspirated production car)
2nd Place: 2022 Ferrari Daytona SP3
3rd Place: 2024 Gordon Murray T.50s

Supercars

1st Place: 2006 Porsche Carrera GT (Le Mans-derived V10 masterpiece)
2nd Place: 2006 Ford GT (Gulf Livery)
3rd Place: 2008 Lamborghini Reventón

The Big Six (Ferrari Halo Series)

1st Place: Ferrari 288 GTO (The Group B homologation icon that started the halo lineage)
2nd Place: Ferrari F50
3rd Place: Ferrari F40

Mercedes-Benz Black Series

1st Place: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series

British Classics

1st Place: 2000 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Le Mans V600 (1 of 40 twin-supercharged 600hp editions)
2nd Place: 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Fixed Head Coupé
3rd Place: 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III ‘Chinese Eye’

American Classics & Muscle Cars

1st Place: 1989 Stutz Bearcat II (1 of 12 hand-built in Turin; debuted at the 1987 Geneva Motor Show)
2nd Place: 1958 Buick Limited Convertible
3rd Place: 1954 Chevrolet Corvette C1 ‘Bubble Face’

Modern Classics

1st Place: 1994 Jaguar XJ220 (Former world speed record holder; 1 of 281 built)
2nd Place: 2013 Aston Martin V12 Zagato
3rd Place: 2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato

Flat Tops

1st Place: 1988 Italdesign Aztec (Giorgetto Giugiaro’s futuristic twin-cockpit roadster)
2nd Place: 2021 Ferrari Monza SP1
3rd Place: 2021 Aston Martin V12 Speedster