explore sweden’s hypercar heaven: the aurora scandinavian concours returns

the aurora scandinavian concours 2025

The pastures and harbors along Sweden’s southwestern coast roar to life as the Aurora Scandinavian Concours returns for its second year. Here in Båstad, the fields are dotted with cows and iron-red holiday homes. Being over an hour’s drive north of Malmö means that the place is relatively remote. Even so, the elite automotive event brings gleaming supercars and rare classic restorations alike from across the world, with an international crowd of enthusiasts and collectors to follow — especially the famed ‘Porsche guy’ Magnus Walker with his hat full of roadside wildflowers.

designboom traveled to Båstad to join the three day-long concours, which took place from June 27th — 29th, 2025. Here it’s often noted that it’s Sweden’s answer to the Hamptons in New York. Many of its residents stay only for the summer season, and its sunny harbors are crowded with sailboats and yachts. With Scandinavian midsummer still in the air, it’s the idyllic place for exploring decades of the best in automotive design.

the Aurora Scandinavian Concours is held at Norrviken Gardens in Båstad, Sweden | image © designboom

The venue: norrviken Gardens

Among the most beloved destinations of this area is the Norrviken Gardens, where the stage is once again set for the Aurora Scandinavian Concours. It is a long-stretching oasis whose landscaped pockets reference various countries and time periods. A French-style promenade leads toward the Concours Stage while Japanese-inspired gardens trail down toward the ocean. Each perspective is a lush view fit for a postcard.

While the main Concours takes place here at Norrviken, the Aurora 2025 programming extends to the marine harbor at Båstad where the Aurora Yacht Show is held. For Concours participants the event spans further still, with a private tour and test drive at the Koenigsegg supercar factory, and a rally drive across the scenic roads of Sweden.

the Concours lineup includes sixty rare cars | image © designboom

the concours

Sixty of the world’s best and rarest cars thread the length of the main garden at Norrviken, a gleaming array which makes up the Aurora Scandinavian Concours. This collection exclusively displays cars of the highest global standard, the oldest being a 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom, and the newest having just premiered at the event — the Koenigsegg Sadair’s Spear celebrates its world premiere at the Aurora. Only thirty units of this ultra-lightweight megacar will ever be produced, and a shimmering example is displayed at the forefront of the Concours lineup.

A major highlight is a selection of rare cars by iconic Italian design studio Zagato — from a Maserati Mostro to an ISO Rivolta GTZ. The AGTZ Twin Tail, a radical idea which was unveiled just last year, was theatrically displayed both with and without its tail. Emphasizing the timeline of the Zagato legacy, this brand-new model gazes onto a 1959 Porsche 356 Coupé, which neighbors a humble 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

AGTZ Twin Tail presented by Andrea Zagato (left) and host JP Rathgen (right) | image © designboom

Meanwhile, near the front of the Concours is a vibrant Ferrari F512 M, a rare model which debuted in 1994 and made even more rare when transformed into an Art Car by German painter Peter Klasen. Alongside the stage at the far end, a whispering Rolls Royce Black Badge Spectre glimmers in Vapor Violet.

As we overheard this weekend: ‘Ninety percent of good cars have a good story.’ With this in mind, one of our favorite cars is a unique Porsche 911 Targa, a retired Dutch police car. Across its hood reads Rijkspolitie — ‘national police’ in the Netherlands. The removable panel of its Targa roof means that police officers can stand on the seats and signal traffic. The police force drove these cars from the 1960s until the 1990s. Now in 2025, one example was at last test-driven by Magnus Walker during the Aurora weekend.

Outside the Concours itself, the more inclusive Aurora Showfield displays nearly four hundred more cars. It is open to more participants to showcase the full spectrum of car culture, ranging from grassroots enthusiasts to experienced collectors.

Dutch Rijkspolitie (State Police) Porsche 911 SC Targa at the Koenigsegg Test Track | image © designboom

the aurora awards

Beyond the display, these sixty Concours cars are competing for a prestigious award across eight categories, along with one award reserved for a non-Concours car. Each class celebrates a different facet of automotive excellence, from historic preservation to cutting-edge design and performance. The ceremony takes place on the final afternoon of the Aurora and draws a massive crowd to the main stage for a moment of shared anticipation. Trophies are presented by Michel Franssen, Concours President; Filip Larsson, CEO of The Aurora; and Marcus Berggren, Head of Concours, who together recognize the craftsmanship, provenance, and passion behind every vehicle on display.

1970 Lamborghini Miura P400, Best of Show – Classic Car Concours | image © designboom

Explore the award winning cars:

Best of Show – Classic Car Concours: 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400

Best of Show – Hypercar Concours: 2025 Koenigsegg CC850

Restomod Glory Class Winner: 2025 Kimera EVO38 Prototype 00 ‘Aurora’

Zagato Class Winner: 2019 ISO Rivolta GTZ by Zagato

Preservation Award: 1957 Talbot-Lago T14 LS 2500 Sport

President’s Award: 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 ‘Daytona’ Spyder

Jury’s Choice: 1938 Lancia Astura Gran Lusso by Pininfarina

Elegance in Motion Class Winner: 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy

Best of Showfield: 1948 Jaguar MK IV

2025 Kimera EVO38 Prototype 00 ‘Aurora’, Restomod Glory Class Winner | image © designboom

talks, Exhibitions and lounges

The Concours is complemented by a series of conversations, the Aurora Talks, whose lineup of speakers includes major automotive designers Andrea Zagato, Domagoj Dukec and Christian von Koenigsegg. Each speaker shares their perspective on how they challenged industry norms and became game-changers in the design world.

Visitors exploring the sprawling gardens meander between scattered exhibition spaces and lounges, with a Vogue Scandinavia lounge and Koenigsegg, Motikon and BMW exhibitions always on view. A highlight is BMW’s pavilion celebrating fifty years of Art Cars. This installation displays a selection of four BMW Art Cars, beginning with the first-ever example from 1975: a BMW 3.0 CSL which Alexander Calder painted with broad brushstrokes in just twenty-eight minutes. Other Art Cars on view include those by Roy Lichtenstein (1977), Andy Warhol (1979) and Jeff Koons (2010).

At the Vogue Scandinavia lounge, an activation shows artist duo Madelen and Robert Möllard hand-painting a new MINI Art Car in-person. The Swedish siblings of Maison Möllard are known for their dreamy botanical paintings and floral patterning, a clear celebration of the event’s summery Scandinavian context. 

Alexander Calder’s BMW Art Car displayed at the Aurora 2025 | image © designboom

the Aurora Tour

Ahead of the event’s public opening on June 27th, designboom joined the adrenaline-driven group of auto owners for a rally tour across the Swedish countryside. The exclusive tour is held for the most adventurous of the Concours participants. Over fifty rare vehicles can be spotted cruising by sunlit meadows and farmlands backdropped by distant wind farms, and the rural roads are often lined with waving Swedes.

The tour takes a rest-stop south of Båstad at the harbor Mölle Hamn. With the full group together, the scenic place becomes an elaborate pop-up auto show for the public. Here, collectors are able to drive and display their vehicles for one more day outside the exclusive context of the Norrviken Gardens.

a view of the Aurora Tour, held only for Concours participants and Concours cars | image © designboom

koenigsegg test track

With speed limits and road rules, these supercars don’t often get a chance to showcase their true potential. So the Aurora Tour’s final destination is the headquarters and test track of Swedish brand Koenigsegg. Established in 1994, it’s one of the youngest hypercar manufacturers and is located on a former military airfield in Ängelholm, Sweden. The hangars have been converted into production facilities, while a new design studio has been introduced with architecture led by Sebastian Von Koenigsegg, the son of the company founder Christian Von Koenigsegg.

Still, the airfields remain in operation and clients are even invited to fly directly to the studio for a private visit. On the occasion of the Aurora Tour, the test track is open for drivers to compete in a high-speed course — we were strapped into the passenger seat of a McLaren 675LT alongside its owner Peter Söderberg.

competing on the Koenigsegg test track | image courtesy The Aurora

The Koenigsegg Sadair’s Spear

Drivers in the Aurora Tour head inside the supercar factory for an exclusive look at Koenigsegg’s Sadair’s Spear ahead of its public unveiling, which took place the next day at the Concours. The car’s predecessor, the Koenigsegg Jesko, takes its name from Christian’s father, Jesko von Koenigsegg. He was an avid equestrian who raced into the 1970s. This newest model is a tribute to a racehorse named Sadair’s Spear, whom Jesko rode in his final race. Honoring its namesake, the car is engineered for track performance: 1,625 horsepower, 1,385 kg weight, and a 360 km/h (224 mph) top speed.

During the unveiling in his factory, Christian notes that the car debuts an advanced aero package that generates meaningful downforce earlier in the speed range. A new active, top-mounted double-blade rear wing, underfloor strakes, and wheel arch louvres all work together to improve stability and airflow.

The Legacy of the Aurora

While it just concluded its second edition, the Aurora Scandinavian Concours is already setting its position among the most important global events like Italy’s Villa d’Este and California’s Pebble Beach. What separates the Aurora is its Scandinavian spirit. Because it avoids an atmosphere of urgency or hierarchy, and because of its Showfield class, it feels uniquely inclusive and relaxed. It’s sometimes said that other major concours suggest an ultra-formality and come with rigid scheduling. The team behind the Aurora has instead curated a collective experience which unfolds at each visitor’s own pace, and makes space for everyone.

project info:

event: Aurora Scandinavian Concours | @theauroraconcours

location: Norrviken Gardens, Båstad, Sweden

dates: June 27th to 29th, 2025

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