This weekend, Bahrain claims its long-awaited spot on the global concours stage as some of the automotive world’s best-kept secrets are finally unveiled.
The inaugural Royal Bahrain Concours, taking place 7 – 8 November at the Royal Golf Club, isn’t going to be your average car show. This is 90 of the world’s most exceptional collector cars, plus 300 more from GCC-based clubs, all gathered in the Kingdom for what promises to be a spectacular debut.
Let’s talk about the star of the show: the 1996 Koenigsegg CC prototype. The very first Koenigsegg ever built. The car that made people take a young Swedish entrepreneur seriously when he said he could compete with Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Picture this: a 22-year-old Christian von Koenigsegg, sketching hypercars by hand, knowing that if his creation didn’t match or exceed the existing supercars, no one would give a startup from Sweden a second glance. Three decades later, Koenigsegg stands shoulder to shoulder with the world’s greatest hypercar manufacturers.
The bronze wedge you’ll see this weekend, known internally as XP 001, is where it all began. Those famous dihedral synchro-helix doors, the removable hardtop, the semi-carbon fibre monocoque – all the DNA of what would become one of the most celebrated hypercar brands in history, right there in 1996.
Fun fact: von Koenigsegg wanted bright burnt orange to put Scandinavia on the supercar map. A miscommunication with the painter resulted in that stunning metallic bronze instead.
By 2019, this prototype had become an automotive myth – a folklore. Enter Gaurav Dhar, whose Numero Uno collection specialises in prototypes and number-one build slot cars. After discussions at an RM Sotheby’s auction about which 1990s icons would dominate future headlines, one question consumed him: what happened to the very first Koenigsegg?
What followed was four years of obsessive detective work: forums, internet archives, a network of Koenigsegg engineers, historians, and museum workers. The hunt finally led him to Motala Museum in Sweden, where the car sat in remarkable preservation.
The restoration that followed was overseen by members of the original team who built it in the 1990s. The priority was to maintain Mechanical integrity while preserving the original paint and interior. This isn’t a car that’s been restored to within an inch of its life. This is the real thing, authentic character intact.
The Koenigsegg might be the headline act, but the American Classics are bringing serious heat; ten of the finest examples of automotive innovation and coachbuilding artistry. A big part of this iconic contingent is the 1955 Lincoln Indianapolis – a product of Italian design vision and American engineering.
Designed by a young Gian Paolo Boano, it’s pure 1950s futurism: aircraft-inspired, pontoon-like wings, a glassy canopy that recalls streamlined Le Mans racers from the 1930s. When it debuted at the Turin motor show in 1955, it caused an immediate sensation. Henry Ford II himself reportedly arranged its purchase.
After decades in private collections, it underwent a two-year restoration that earned top honours at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Then there’s the Cord L-29 Cabriolet, America’s first major production car with front-wheel drive. Finished in Navahoe Red and Black with rare Woodlite headlamps, this example achieved three perfect 100-point scores in Classic Car Club of America judging. It’s not just rare. It’s flawless.
Eight more American classics round out the class, representing everything from pre-war elegance to the golden age of custom coachwork.
“The Royal Bahrain Concours is about celebrating automotive innovation and the visionaries who dared to dream,” says James Brooks-Ward, the event’s Chairman. “Christian von Koenigsegg’s prototype represents exactly that spirit. A young entrepreneur from Sweden who believed he could compete with the world’s greatest supercar manufacturers.”
This weekend isn’t just about beautiful cars (though there will be plenty of those). It’s about Bahrain establishing itself on the global concours calendar, joining the ranks of prestigious events in the US and Europe. It’s about celebrating the dreamers, the risk-takers, the people who looked at the impossible and said, “Watch this.”
Tickets are strictly limited and still available on the website.
If you’re interested in automotive history, innovation, or seeing some of the most stunning machines ever created, this is an unmissable event happening right here in Bahrain.
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