An almost total absence of open roads, a one-lane monopoly of the road network and short distances between the proverbial A and B fuel the island’s love of cars.

Indeed, the numbers are nothing short of staggering, with the latest statistics showing that the stock of licensed vehicles stands at more than 375,000.

And that figure is constantly on the rise. The point has been made on many occasions that the result of increased traffic is poor air quality, a loss of productivity and traffic jams around every corner.

Yet some of the better-loved vehicles are rarely seen on the roads. Some spend their well-earned retirement in polished glory, loved by their owners and only driven on special, sunny occasions, which means that whenever they are taken out for a drive, they attract the admiration and curious gazes of many.

They retire in polished glory, beloved and only driven on special, sunny occasions

Valletta on Sunday hosted its own Concours d’Élégance, featuring a selection of the island’s finest historic automobiles, including David Arrigo’s 1904 Siddeley and Cadillac, the first and second cars to be registered in Malta. Other local beauties included two Vanden Plus Princess presidential cars.

Peter Mullin, a classic car collector and philanthropist from California, US, flew in to showcase his Chapron Citroen. This car is usually on show at the Mullin Automotive Museum in California, which boasts a selection of the world’s most expensive cars, some valued at over $40 million.

Organised by John Saliba, the 2018, second edition of the Concours was held at St George’s Square and judged by renowned international judges including Pebble Beach chairwoman Sandra Button, Gary Axon from Goodwood Estate, editor-in-chief of Octane magazine James Elliot, consultant to the Louwman Museum in the Netherlands Raoul San Giorgi and Jeremy Jackson-Syntner, from Concours of Elegance UK.