From Soestdijk to Mariënwaerdt: the Netherlands' premier concours moves to a new home

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For a quarter of a century now, one of the biggest and best historic motoring events in the Benelux has been Wheels at the Palace, which took place first at Het Loo Palace and then at Soestdijk Palace, the central feature of which is a concours d'élégance. In 2024, however, there will be no Wheels at the Palace. Instead, we will have Wheels Mariënwaerdt, now that the event has moved to the beautiful Mariënwaerdt Estate, with its expansive grounds and 18th-century country house, near Beesd in the central Netherlands. Organiser Jan-Peter Nijmeijers gives a glimpse behind the scenes at running the concours, and the challenges involved with a big move.

Twenty-five years ago, back in 1999, the first Wheels at the Palace concours d'élégance was organised at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn. The first event was, in terms of cars, really first-class, thanks to the organisation of Jan Bruijn and Tony Paalman. On the fields in front of the palace, cars were lined up on the immaculate lawn. There was a little crowd and a only few sponsors, but the cars were of the highest quality and were brought from all over Europe to Apeldoorn, no matter what cost was involved.

Every year, the event got bigger. There were more tents for sponsors, a rotating stage, and an even thicker visitors' guide. It was in 2003 that it it really became a major event. If I recall rightly, there were 25 tents then and a few of the now-ubiquitous "food trucks," which were not so popular then. After the Amsterdam Motor Show was held for the last time in 2015, many car manufacturers also joined the swell of activity in the gardens of the palace, hosting premières of new models. The serene setting and handsome backdrop of the palace contributed to the event's wonderful atmosphere, and in later years we made the most of it, displaying cars around the base-court and photographing the Best of Show winner in the fertile garden. Alas, in 2018, we heard some bad news. The announcement was made that the palace was to be comprehensively refurbished; the building we treasured for its beauty would be covered in scaffolding for the next five years.

Fortunately, the very generous Meijer family, who had won the concours a few years earlier with their Lancia Astura, had just bought Soestdijk Palace and offered us the opportunity to relocate. Very little actually changed—only the ornamental backdrop, the palace itself. It was perfect, we thought at first, but after a few years it became clear that the palace couldn't adequately meet all the needs of the concours d'élégance itself, as well as the sponsors and visitors.

After three events at Soestdijk (two were cancelled during the coronavirus years) it became clear to us that we could not continue to run Wheels at the Palace at Soestdijk while maintaining the concours as its central feature. We knew that, at some point, Soestdijk would also be scheduled for redevelopment, and the plans submitted would make it increasingly difficult for us to get an event permit and have a car park for the concours visitors. For the first 10 years at Apeldoorn, getting a permit had been a piece of cake—after a few cups of coffee at the town hall and a bit of smooth-talking, the permit would be granted in no time.

In the municipality of Baarn it was much more difficult. It wasn't that they did not co-operate, but the rules became stricter and stricter and the building plans posed a lot of challenges and uncertainties. One year, we were allowed to park close to the Palace... the next year, the permit made everyone park almost three miles away! Visitors of a car event like to come with their car; it does not matter whether it is a classic or a lease car, it's all just about feeling welcome.

Eventually, we had to make a decision. We approached three venues about hosting the 2024 concours with the understanding that we were looking for a home not just for 2024, but for many years into the future. Returning to Apeldoorn was not an option—the concours was no longer deemed suitable for the "sustainable" plans of Het Loo...

After a week, we received a nice message from the Mariënwaerdt Estate with an invitation for a visit and a cup of coffee. After so many years of organising, we knew what is needed for our kind of event. The most important things are easily-accessible parking and a good-natured relationship with the owner and the municipal licensing authority. Mariënwaerdt had experience of hosting major events before and already had the important infrastructure we would need. They regularly organised a fair on their estate and knew very well the requirements of such large-scale events.

The change of name, of course, would be an obstacle. Firstly, Het Loo, then Soestdijk and now Mariënwaerdt... you have to make sure all the participants, sponsors and visitors know about the change and which venue they need to arrive at! So far, the relocation has been very good... Almost all our sponsors have come along with us. Many of them participated in a tour of the region, and even though it took place in winter conditions, everyone agreed that Mariënwaerdt has something special, a sort of Goodwood-like atmosphere. It's a majestic estate approached by a driveway almost two miles long, and with lots of parking front.

We have been able to position the concours right at the centre of the estate. Our sponsors have their pavilions around it, and by using the existing buildings as well, we've got the perfect set-up for a smooth-flowing event. Oh, yes, we've got it all... there is room for the pre-war sprint around a primeval Dutch dyke and there's an area of loose sand which is perfect for the trial. Beautiful cars, of course, remain very important. After 25 years, we have had over 1,900 different concours cars through our hands, and each year I am surprised again by what turns up in the Netherlands. Many concours have been founded and fizzled out in a fraction of the time we've been going. We're looking forward to a long life. The present, past and future play an important rôle in our event and we're aware of our need to enthuse younger generations.

There's an awful lot involved with a move like this, but with the necessary experience, it doesn't take too much more than a bit of time and a lot of talking, but I can do that. I think I'll just put talkative under my business card... I think it's fair to call myself an enthusiast, and I like to think that enthusiasm is all it takes to be persuasive.

Wheels Mariënwaerdt takes place from September 13th to 15th. For more information, visit wheelsatthepalace.com.

Words by Jan-Peter Nijmeijers

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