The Aurora announces its jury and a unique dual – concours format 

A distinguished international jury will judge both classic automobiles and contemporary performance cars through a system developed specifically for The Aurora. 

Båstad, May 13, 2026 — The Aurora is proud to announce the jury for its forthcoming concours, bringing together a distinguished group of international voices from across automotive heritage, design, collecting, curatorship, craftsmanship, journalism and motorsport. 

A concours (full name: concours d’elegance) is often described as a sort of beauty pageant for cars. At its highest level, however, it is far more than a display of beautiful automobiles. It is a carefully judged celebration of excellence, where each car is considered through its history, authenticity, provenance, design, craftsmanship, condition, innovation and cultural significance. 

The Aurora Dual Concours 

The Aurora has been created around a unique dual-concours format, bringing together two worlds that are often treated separately: significant classic automobiles and the most exciting modern performance cars. While both are judged with the same ambition for excellence, they are not judged by identical criteria. Instead, The Aurora has developed a dedicated judging system with parameters tailored to each category, ensuring that every automobile is evaluated in relation to its era, purpose, technology and meaning. 

This allows a historic car to be recognised for its authenticity, preservation, provenance and story, while a supercar, hypercar or contemporary special can be assessed for its innovation, engineering ambition, performance, design and relevance within the modern automotive landscape.

Between these two worlds sits Restomods — a class that bridges the gap between past and present. Restomods represent the meeting point of classic design and modern engineering, where heritage, craftsmanship, performance and personal expression come together. 

Together, these classes reflect the full breadth of The Aurora: from coachbuilt elegance and historic competition machinery to discreet high-performance icons, restomods, supercars, hypercars and a dedicated celebration of Koenigsegg.

Julius Kruta, Chief judge of The Aurora

Information about the jury

Leading the jury is Julius Kruta, Chief Judge of The Aurora, joined by Carolina Keller-Breucha, Eugenio Amos, Tobias Reichle and Gianluca Pellegrini. 

Julius Kruta | Chief Judge
A freelance historian, automotive advisor and one of the leading international authorities on Bugatti. A former Head of Tradition at Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., Julius has judged at leading concours events including Villa d’Este, Amelia Island and Pebble Beach.

Carolina Keller-Breucha
With more than two decades of experience in the management, research and documentation of one of the world’s most significant historic car collections, Carolina brings precision, sensitivity and a strong understanding of design, proportion and historical context.

Eugenio Amos
An Italian automotive entrepreneur, collector, car builder and rally driver. Founder of Automobili Amos and Casa GTO, Eugenio brings a highly personal perspective shaped by craftsmanship, adventure and the belief that great cars should be understood, driven and enjoyed.

Tobias Reichle
After working at Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., Tobias is one of the Managing Directors and Curator of Friedhelm Loh’s collection. He brings a curator’s eye, a historian’s respect for detail and a lifelong passion for classic cars and hypercars.

Gianluca Pellegrini
With more than three decades in automotive journalism, Gianluca has held leading editorial roles at Quattroruote, Ruoteclassiche and Editoriale Domus. He is also a member of the Car of the Year jury, bringing editorial clarity and a broad cultural perspective.

A serious approach to automotive excellence 

The Aurora jury represents a rare combination of knowledge, taste and experience. Their shared task is to recognise not only beauty, but also the stories, craftsmanship, performance, innovation and spirit that make an automobile truly exceptional. 

Through its dual-concours format, The Aurora creates a dialogue between past and present: between the preservation of automotive history and the ambition of contemporary engineering. It is a celebration of the automobile in its many forms, but also a rigorous and carefully structured concours with judging at its core. 

High-resolution press images are available here

Press contacts

Trendgruppen PR   
Maria Hartog-Holm, CEO & Senior PR Consultant 
Tel: +46 72 924 22 10  
E-mail: maria.hartog-holm@trendgruppen.se  

The Aurora    
Maria Giertz, Head of Marketing & Communications  
Tel: +46-70 999 80 38  
E-mail: maria.giertz@theaurora.com 

The Aurora 
Marcus Berggren 
Car Curator & Head of Automotive PR 
Tel: +46 707 81 40 53 
E-mail: marcus.berggren@theaurora.com 

About The Aurora
The Aurora is an international event where automotive culture, design, and lifestyle come together in a curated environment. At its core is The Aurora Concours, where 68 carefully selected cars from around the world are showcased on Swedish soil: 34 classic cars and 34 hypercars. The cars are judged by an internationally assembled jury according to a carefully developed framework adapted to each category of vehicle.

The concours exhibition forms part of The Aurora’s wider weekend programme, during which nearly 500 cars are displayed throughout the park. By bringing together historic collector cars, modern hypercars, international brands, and influential profiles, The Aurora has become one of the world’s most recognised reference points for automotive culture and design.