A silver 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR owned by Bahraini collector Dr. Khalid M. Abdulrahim has won Best of Show at the second Royal Bahrain Concours, bringing the top honour home for a second consecutive year.
The event took place on 6–7 November 2026 at the Royal Golf Club in Riffa, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain. In its post-event announcement, the organiser reported 85 concours cars competing across 11 classes, alongside more than 100 selected RBC Car Club vehicles.
A winning return for a Bahraini collection
The CLK GTR also took first place in Sports & Race Classics, with Dr. Abdulrahim’s 2005 Maserati MC12 finishing second in the same class. His 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV had claimed Best of Show at the inaugural event in 2025.
For 2026, an international expert panel chaired by Richard Charlesworth MVO assessed the cars for authenticity and originality. The judges included former Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni. Two new classes highlighted Ferrari’s flagship lineage and Mercedes-Benz Black Series models.
More highlights from the awards
The Patron’s Award went to a 1985 Audi Sport Quattro, while a 1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow two-door received the Steering Committee Award. Other class winners included a 1939 Packard, a 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, a 1994 Jaguar XJ220, a 2006 Porsche Carrera GT and a 1997 McLaren F1.
A Chevrolet Corvette ‘Split Window’ received the Best Overall Car Club award, selected by the Steering Committee.
Cars, conversation and community
The weekend combined the concours displays with fashion shows, live music, speaker sessions and a ladies’ afternoon tea. RBC TV brought daily coverage to audiences beyond the venue, while the new RBC Car Club gathered vehicles across nine categories.
Royal Bahrain Concours chairman James Brooks-Ward described the winning CLK GTR as a fitting result for a Bahraini collector in front of a home crowd. Thorough Events organised the gathering in collaboration with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority.
Read GGN’s earlier coverage of the announced car selection and programme. The results and final participation figures above come from the organiser’s post-event release issued on 10 November.
Photo gallery
Further event information: Royal Bahrain Concours.