There are multiple adjectives which have been used to depict Top Marques Monaco since it began 14 years ago, all of which, bar none, exude an enormous level of enthusiasm for the supercar show.

“The ultimate auto show” screamed Bloomberg TV after a visit last year, while the New York Times went that little bit extra to call it “the world’s most exclusive auto show.” Other superlatives used to describe what has quickly become one of Monaco’s most popular events of the year include 

“eyebrow raising, a show unlike any other” and “four days of excessiveness, luxury and sheer pleasure.” 

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Cynics might argue an element of hyperbole, but the attendance figures speak for themselves. Last year more than 42,000 visitors attended the show, which also exhibits the very best in haute jewellery, exclusive watches, superboats and luxury products in designated areas of Monaco’s award-winning exhibition centre the Grimaldi Forum. The show has grown four-fold since its inception in 2004, and is now considered the event to attend for the very latest luxury lifestyle trends. 

This year Top Marques will celebrate its 14th anniversary when it opens on April 20th under what organisers, exhibitors and visitors alike hope will be a clear blue sky. Monaco is blessed with a wonderful Mediterranean climate, and Top Marques is one of the first social events of the spring when the Principality becomes overrun by ladies in summer dresses and gentleman in short-sleeved shirts.   

The world’s second smallest country, where luxurious high-rise residences cling to the hillside overlooking the famous F1 circuit, also serves as a magnet to supercar owners who flock to the Principality for the four-day show to be ‘seen’ and often more importantly – ‘heard’. The density of supercars on the boulevards and avenues of Monaco during Top Marques is almost unparalleled anywhere else in the world with the event attracting car vloggers and their adoring public from as far afield as Canada, Australia and the Middle East.

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Not all of the supercars circulating in Monaco during the show are just there for the ‘ride’ – up to 30 vehicles each year are those participating in approved test drives offered by Top Marques exhibitors to potential clients, VIP visitors and international journalists. These test drives on a closed circuit of the legendary F1 circuit are a huge cachet for this exclusive event. Last year, more than 1,000 visitors were taken for a test drive on the privatized section of the track, which includes the famous Rascasse hairpin bend, with a number of direct sales resulting from this unique selling point of the show.