More than 200 classic British imports converged on Bristol over the weekend of June 12 to June 14 for the inaugural British Motorcar Festival, where Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Jaguars, Aston Martins and a parade of exquisite vehicles — some reserved for royalty — were on display for all to behold.

Modeled after The British Invasion, a similar event held for the past 25 years in Stowe, VT, the organizers of that event, Michael and Paula Gaetano, brought the same enthusiasm to Bristol, drawing a good showing for the first-time event.

“We were looking for a different venue to add (a show),” Ms. Gaetano said of the Bristol event. “This is so beautiful. Some absolutely spectacular cars showed up for this one.”

For judging, the cars are divided into 33 classifications, with the Concours d’Elegance showcasing the epitome of classic British motorcars.

After 14 years of restoration, Jay Dutton of St. Augustine, Fla., stood beside his 1957 Bentley S-1, voted the best in the Concours class. One of six such cars made in 1957, it was designed and built for Britain’s elite.

“You had to be part of the Royal Family to obtain one,” Mr. Dutton explained.

As its third owner, Mr. Dutton restored the car to its original condition, as if it was new. “The judges expect that,” he said.

The event began on Thursday, June 11, with more than 50 classic British imports taking a drive through rural roads of Tiverton and Little Compton, returning to Bristol where, on Friday, the public got their first glimpse of the cars on display at Independence Park.

Saturday’s event blanketed Colt State Park with British cars and flare as spectators hovered over the priceless classics.

On Sunday, as the festival was wrapping up, a new category — the tailgate competition — was judged by Ms. Gaetano and Rena Swezey.

With only a few entrants, the competition was more of a social gathering, with cheese and crackers and a cold beverage offered by the participants to those passing by.

“We look and we eat,” Ms. Gaetano said of the judging.

At the same time, the judges looked for humor, costumes, elegance, creativity and the most British theme. While tailgating hasn’t been a category in the Stowe, VT, festival, it was added in Bristol for a simple reason.

“For a lot of car enthusiasts, tailgating is a fun thing to do,” Ms. Getano said.

Organizers of this inaugural event were happy with the turnout of both participants and spectators, and are looking to make next year’s festival even better. Ms. Gaetano anticipates that once the word spreads of this success in Bristol, there is “the potential of the show to maybe double next year.”

One of the show’s organizers, Mike Byrnes, was happy with the event’s initial success.

“The show on Saturday could not have been better," he said. "There were about 220 spectacular cars on the field and the Concours entries marked it as one of the best all British Concours in the Northeast."

Saturday night was capped by a "Downton Abbey" themed dinner, which included about 20 cars on the Linden Place lawn.

“The people who were in thew show loved the venue,” Mr. Byrnes said.

While the event was planned and executed over a six-month period, discussions are already beginning for next year’s event, with hopes to add Bristol’s British Motorcar Festival to the list of Fourth of July activities.