Concours Blog
Best of Show "Gallery of Champions"
May 16, 2013
Best of Show award winning cars for every concours d’elegance in the US during 2013 are shown below. The Best of Show (or Best in Show) vehicle is decided by an experienced panel of judges and is presented during the awards ceremony, where the owner drives the car to the podium area and is interviewed by the emcee.
By the end of the year, the results of more than 60 outstanding motor vehicles will be highlighted. Also, a photo of the every car and owner’s name will be posted on the Concours Dates Facebook page. To receive timely notification of future winners, please visit and “like” this page.
The following results show the most recent events at the top.
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Celebration of Automobiles
Indianapolis, Indiana
April 11, 2013
(Photos courtesy of Mike Edgerton)
Best of Show – Pre-War: 1929 Duesenberg J Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton
Owner: Charles Letts Jr., Bloomfield Hills, MI
***
Best of Show – Post-War: 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Coupe
Owner: Roger Eiteljorg, Indianapolis, IN
***
Best of Show – Foreign: 1936 Delahaye 135 Competition Figoni
Owner: Roger Willbanks, Denver, CO
***
Best of Show – American: 1930 Stutz SV 16 Monte Carlo
Owner: Joseph and Margie Cassini, West Orange, NJ
Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance
April 5, 2013
Best of Show: 1913 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout
Owner: Petersen Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance
April 5, 2013
Best of Show: 1938 Steyr 220 Glaser Roadster
Owner: Peter Boyle, Oil City, PA
Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance
April 4-5, 2013
Best of Show – Automobile (European): 1960 Maserati Birdcage Tipo 61
Owner: Ken Dougherty, Houston TX
***
Best of Show – Automobile (American): 1930 Stutz Victoria
Owner: Richard Mitchell, Montgomery, TX
***
Best of Show – Boat: 1937 Trumpy Mathis, 61′ Motor Yacht — “Flying Lady”
Owner: Scott Monroe, Seabrook, TX
Concours d’Elegance of Texas
Montgomery, TX
April 5, 2013
Best of Show Pre-War: 1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court
Owner:
awaiting photos
***
Best of Show Post-War: 1969 Ford GT-40
Owner: Randy Johnson, Dallas, TX
La Jolla Concours d’Elegance
April 7, 2013
Best of Show – pre-war: 1937 Bugatti Type 57
Owner: Paul Emple
***
Photo courtesy of Dean Kirkland Photography
Best of Show – post-war: 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
Owners: Russell & Elena Hook
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
March 10, 2013
Concours d’Elegance: 1936 Duesenberg SGN
Owner: Helen & Jack Nethercott
Concours de Sport: 1968 Ford GT-40
Owner: Rocky Mountain Auto Collection
Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance
February 24, 2013
Best of Show: 1947 Talbot Lago T26
Owner: Jim Patterson
A stunning 1947 Talbot Lago T26 that has been making the rounds at concours events these last few years was named Best of Show at this past weekend’s Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance.
Designed and crafted by flamboyant French coachbuilders Figoni et Falaschi, the Talbot Lago was originally owned by noted Hollywood director George Sidney, then Pebble Beach Concours co-chairman Lorin Tryon. Currently owned by Jim Patterson, it has more recently won a Best in Class and the Elegance in Motion awards at Pebble Beach in 2003 and Best Post-War European Open Car at the Amelia Island Concours in 2004.
Its grille is reminiscent of a 1940 Buick; the long, flowing lines of the body are simply spectacular, as is the two-tone blue color combination, which enhances its curving, yet elegant shape. No wonder the spectators were crowding around it throughout the day.
(Text and photo: Hemmings.com)
Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance
February 24, 2013
Best of Show: 1931 Chrysler Imperial CG Roadster
Owner: Chuck Swimmer www.thesandiegocollection.com
Getting out of MG sports car - funny video
May 13, 2013
Exiting an MG sports car always requires a bit of agility, but when the canvas top is up, it takes considerable creativity. This video was shot at the 2013 Celebration of Automobiles Concours d’Elegance, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the opening day of practice for the 2013 Indy 500.
The owner is shown arriving at the Speedway in a 1932 MG J2, a car he raced in last year’s Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. This unrehearsed performance was recorded by an MG owner, who had no advance knowledge of the car’s scheduled appearance and serendipitously was in position to witness this display of dexterity. It’s fitting that this occurred only 150 yards from Pit Row, where IndyCar drivers often need assistance getting out from their cars.
After viewing the video, the 6’5″ tall owner shared, “I appreciate your capturing the only time we have ever had the top on the J2. If my back has anything to say about it, it was a one-time affair!”
Note the right-hand side steering and the difference in size from the adjacent 1926 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
Videos of cars entering the display area
May 13, 2013
Perhaps the most exciting activity on the day of a concours is the arrival of the show cars. Some are driven to the show site, but most arrive by trailer: flatbed, enclosed or double level transporter. The parking and unloading of a hundred or more trailers in a two-hour stretch is a production unto itself.
Once a car is on the ground, there is often the suspense of whether the motor will start. Early vehicles are hand-cranked. Others equipped with electric starters may have a button to push, knob to pull or floor pedal to depress. There are ignition switches with and without keys. There may be choke knobs, ignition advance levers or priming mechanisms. By the 1960s, nearly all American cars were equipped with a key operated ignition switch, a form of which is still used on current models. Then there’s the shifting, braking, cussing and smiling as cars are driven to the designated display areas.
It’s the sound of the engines and exhausts that most stirs the senses. Some are tremendously loud, others rattle like a bucket of bolts and some — like a Rolls Royce, for example — are so quiet, you’d think there was a Prius drivetrain beneath the coachwork. Lastly, some vehicles cars are pushed, pulled or towed to the show field.
Since vehicles typically arrive from 7am to 9am and spectator gates don”t open until 10am, most visitors arrive to a static display of parked cars. Here’s a taste of what you missed:
Tough time exiting MG sports car
Exiting an MG sports car always requires a bit of agility, but when the canvas top is up, it takes considerable creativity. This video was shot at the 2013 Celebration of Automobiles Concours d’Elegance, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the opening day of practice for the 2013 Indy 500.
The owner is shown arriving at the Speedway in a 1932 MG J2, a car he raced in last year’s Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. This unrehearsed performance was recorded by an MG owner, who had no advance knowledge of the car’s scheduled appearance and serendipitously was in position to witness this display of dexterity. It’s fitting that this occurred less than 200 yards from Pit Row, where IndyCar drivers often need assistance getting out from their cars.
After viewing the video, the 6’5″ tall owner shared, “I appreciate your capturing the only time we have ever had the top on the J2. If my back has anything to say about it, it was a one-time affair!”
Note the right-hand side steering and the difference in size from the adjacent 1926 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
1936 Delahaye Competition enters display area.
Car parts, Italian style
April 30, 2013
Ferrari, Fiat and Alfa Romeo enthusiasts surely know the Italian words for common car parts, don’t they?
Americans might know British terms like boot and bonnet, but most haven’t gotten around to learning what volante and ruota have in common. Here’s a cute video that will teach you the basics.
Sylvia Tosolini began recording Italian video lessons for kids when she was six. Her parents, Paolo and Francesca, write an entertaining travel blog called Italy from the Inside.
P.S. “When in Rome, don’t drive a Toyota.”
Thank you, Massachusetts Police
April 19, 2013
“Appreciating Massachusetts Police and response teams who have put their lives at stake throughout the decades in the Boston area.”
From the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance, located 20 miles north of Boston, on their Facebook page.
This was posted April 19, 2013, several hours prior to the apprehension of the second Boston Marathon bombing suspect.
Margaret Dunning: 102-year-old concours celebrity
April 8, 2013
The indefatigable Margaret Dunning, a lifelong car enthusiast who lives near Detroit, will make a return visit with her 1930 Packard to the Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance, near Houston, in May. The following excerpt is from a recent New York Times Wheels story, by Mary M. Chapman.
Margaret Dunning and her 1930 Packard at last year’s Keels & Wheels Concours.
At 102, Margaret Dunning could be living a genteel, quiet life. Instead, Ms. Dunning, who owns a 1930 Packard 740, has become a doyenne of the show-car circuit and is often away from home.
She recently returned from the Amelia Island Concours d’Élégance in Florida and in May will take part in the Keels and Wheels concours in Seabrook, Tex. She hopes to attend the coming Indy 500 race and will speak this summer at the national Packard Club’s annual meeting, to be held in Pontiac, Mich.
In between, there is philanthropic business to attend to, and she will keep tabs, as usual, on Plymouth’s museum and library.
However well she is doing, though, Ms. Dunning is 102 — 103 this June — and her beloved Packard roadster is 83. Each needs proper maintenance and preparation to keep them going strong.
As for the Packard, there is a routine. Before it’s transported to out-of-state shows, Ms. Dunning and Dan Clements, a friend of more than 20 years, go over it thoroughly. He begins underneath, cleaning and polishing, then does the wheel wells. After that they clean the engine, shining up the aluminum block. Next up is the car’s body. Mr. Clements looks for spots that need paint touches. Ms. Dunning helps with polishing, particularly the chrome headlamps and bumpers.
“You’ll notice that Margaret never allows anyone to touch the chrome, because she knows that fingerprints leave lasting marks,” said Mr. Clements, a Roush racing employee who works with the special-vehicles team at the Ford Motor Company.
The interior is usually next. The two will polish wood grain touches and the aluminum shifter, and massage the leather seats with a liquid that cleans and softens. “In the old days the stitching trim was made of cloth, and unless you put something on it, it’ll eventually crack,” explained Mr. Clements, who has restored and owns several cars, including three Fords, a 1940 sedan, a 1942 pickup and a 1965 Mustang. “Nowadays it’s made of plastic, so it lasts longer.”
Mr. Clements typically ends with the car’s roof. “At some point we run the car to the gas station, just a few gallons since we don’t want gas sloshing around on the hauler,” he said. “And we get a chance to see how it’s running.”
He said the process takes about a week, a few after-work hours daily, finishing up on weekends. “Margaret and I enjoy talking while we’re cleaning, she might even check fluid levels, and then we go to dinner,” he said.
Because the Packard is so wide and tall, it usually takes two people to load it, said Mr. Clements who, along with his wife, JoAnne, usually accompany Ms. Dunning to major car events, where he is informally known as her handler.
When it is not at a show, the Packard sits in Ms. Dunning’s temperature-controlled garage, along with three Cadillacs and an unrestored 1931 Ford, which she will show at Keels and Wheels. It’s on exhibit at the Plymouth Historical Museum. “Because it’s all original, it’ll take more work getting it ready,” Mr. Clements said. “I need to find some touch-up paint to match it.”
Ms. Dunning gets many car-show invitations, but she chooses carefully. “Sometimes the location, maybe it’s not a handy place to get to,” she said. “Or, the timing is wrong. But if it’s a place you’ve been to before, and you know the people, you’re more liable to give them consideration.”
Ms. Dunning, who still drives, said she would continue her schedule for as long as she is able. “I’ve never thought of myself as retired,” she said. “This is a wonderful life, a wonderful world. I want to do all I can.”
Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
results, awards, winners
March 15, 2013
Click logo below to view complete list of all awards.
Complete 2013 official results of winning cars, best of show, special awards, trophies, best in class and Amelia Awards. Porsche, Duesenberg, Ford GT-40, Miller race cars, Ferrari, Corvette, and more.
Amelia Concours Social Media Blitz is on!
March 8, 2013
This weekend (March 9 & 10), car enthusiasts attending the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance are encouraged to participate in the world’s first Concours d’Elegance Social Media Blitz by posting photos, videos and links to:
www.facebook.com/ConcoursDates
This awareness campaign is sponsored by www.ConcoursDates.com, a non commercial website that promotes the efforts of more than 50 concours events across the US to raise millions of dollars for charitable causes by showcasing outstanding motor vehicles.
Concours participants and spectators have been accused of being as old-fashioned as the cars on display when it comes to using social media. Here’s a chance to reverse that perception:
- Visit www.AmeliaBlitz.com for social media links.
- Take photos and videos with your smart phone.
- Post to Facebook and Twitter
Research has shown that the majority of concours d’elegance Facebook and Twitter pages are underutilized. On Facebook, the Hilton Head Concours leads the way with more than 20,375 people liking the page, followed by Pebble Beach with 8784. There’s a group in the 1000-2000 range that includes this weekend’s Amelia Concours d’Elegance, which has 1143 likes. From there, some events are slowly growing an audience, while others just don’t understand the value of social media to promote their causes.
It’s not necessary to have a Facebook account to see what’s happening at the collector car extravaganza in Florida this weekend. Just go to www.AmeliaBlitz.com and click on the Facebook or Twitter links.
Contact John Olman at blitz@ConcoursDates.com for additional information.
Boca Concours is underway!
February 24, 2013
Boca Raton Concours D’elegance is packed w/ record breaking attendance! Awesome classic cars! twitter.com/DrAlanBauman/s…
— Alan J. Bauman, M.D. (@DrAlanBauman) February 24, 2013
Which concours d'elegance feature Porsche?
January 27, 2013
With 2013 marking the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911, these concours shows are featuring Porsche as a special class:
Iconic Porsche 911 shown with its designer “Butzi” Porsche.
Please let us know of other concours or other major U.S. events to include above.
Aston Martin centenerary featured at several Concours d'Elegance
January 27, 2013
Concours d’elegance events in the United States will join the Aston Martin Owners Club throughout 2013 in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the famous British marque.
At www.ConcoursDates.Com, we have identified the following concours as having feature or special classes for Aston Martin cars:
Here is a story about a 1957 DB Mark III scheduled to appear at the Ault Park Concours d’Elegance.
Please let us know of other concours or other major U.S. events to include above.
Concours proceeds benefit local non-profits
January 19, 2013
The primary mission of virtually every concours d’elegance is to raise money for charitable and other non-profit organizations. Millions of dollars have been raised through this unique appreciation of the history and beauty of vintage automobiles, motorcycles and other vehicles.
Healthcare, medical research, education, and community service are some of the categories that benefit from concours events.
Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance -- Community Hospice
Ault Park Concours d'Elegance -- Juvenile Arthritis programs
Keeneland Concours d'Elegance -- Kentucky Children's Hospital
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance -- Pebble Beach Charities
Glenmoor Gathering cancelled for 2013
January 15, 2013
On January 15, 2013, the following announcement was posted on Facebook:
Junior judges score at Ault Park Concours
January 7, 2013
The Ault Park Concours d’Elegance was one of fourteen concours events last year to partner with Hagerty’s Youth Judging program, an initiative that gives kids an up close look at classic cars, boats and other vintage vehicles.
The structured program calls for the judges, ranging in age from 8 to 16, to be escorted by adult guides through the show to learn the basics of judging and to interact with owners of a select group of vehicles. After examining a car, truck or motorcycle, the boys and girls consider the details, facts and history before filling out their scoresheets, which are then tabulated to determine the order of finish.
Last year, more than 70 classic car and boat events took part in Hagerty’s Youth Judging. This activity is a component of Operation Ignite, a series of hands-on educational programs designed to attract the younger generation to the old car and boat hobbies.
In the video above, taken at the 2011 Ault Park show, Monica Janning explains the features of her Best in Class 1922 American La France Type 75 fire truck to the Hagerty Youth Judges. Although the beautifully restored truck won Best in Class for the special fire apparatus category, it was the 1950 Packard Eight Station Sedan shown below that took home the Youth Judge’s Ambassador Award.
The 2013 Ault Park Concours d’Elegance will mark the third consecutive year for Hagerty’s Youth Judging at the show.
Concours. . . not concourse
January 1, 2013
For the New Year, let’s resolve to eradicate the use of the word “concourse” when referring to an elegant car show. Concourse — rhyming with horse — most often refers to a long open space at an airport or rail station.
The following pronounciations of “concours” are considered appropriate:
Kon-koor
Kawn-koor
Kong-koor
Con-core
Con-kor
In the car world, the French phrase “concours d’elegance” translates as “competition of elegance.” When the word “de” — meaning “of” — is contracted to become part of the next word, the combination sounds like “della-gonse.” There is no ”duh” or “dee” in the pronunciation.
If you can say “hors d’oeuvres” properly, then “kon-KOOR della-GONSE” should flow off your tongue. Note that when used in this phrase, the second syllable of concours is emphasized, but when the expression is shortened to a single word, the emphasis moves to the first syllable.
“kon-KOOR della-GONSE”
NEXT: An explanation of “hors concours”
1957 Aston Martin DB coming to Cincinnati - video interview
December 29, 2012
Peter Conover discusses the history and restoration of his 1957 Aston Martin DB Mark III in this video produced by Classic Recollections.
This car will be featured in a special class honoring “100 Years of Aston Martin” at the Ault Park Concours d’Elegance in Cincinnati on Sunday, June 9, 2013
What is a concours d'elegance?
December 26, 2012
- A formal display of antique and classic cars grouped by style or make that undergo precise judging to determine the best in class.
- Extraordinary collectible cars presented in an exceptionally social setting.
- An auto show conducted for the purpose of raising funds for charity through ticket sales, social events and driving tours.
- An elegant car show where the cars are invited by a selection committee to most accurately represent a style, theme, marque or special display.
- A gathering of up to 200 or more accurately restored or original condition cars, usually held at a spectacular location such as a golf course or estate.
Here’s what Wikipedia says:
A Concours d’Elegance (from French meaning a competition of elegance, lit. “concourse of elegance”, referring to the gathering of prestigious cars) dates back to 17th Century French aristocracy, who paraded horse-drawn carriages in the parks of Paris during Summer weekends and holidays.
Over time, carriages became horseless and the gatherings became a competition among automobile owners to be judged on the appearance of their automobiles. These commonly are held at automobile shows or after racing competitions. Notable Concours d’Elegances include… Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Ault Park Concours d’Elegance (Cincinnati), Keeneland Concours d’Elegance, and Louis Vuitton Classic in midtown Manhattan.
From the Salisbury Concours d’Elegance:
Concours d’Elegance events began over 100 years ago in the parks of Paris, the Riviera and other elegant towns of Europe. The rich and famous of European society gathered to socialize and celebrate as unique art forms the latest automobiles as well as women’s fashions that graced their lives just as much as the homes in which they lived and the dinner parties they attended.
They called these events “Concours d’Elegance”, a phrase that, when translated, literally means ‘competition of excellence’. The proper French pronunciation is kong-koor del-i-gahns. The Concours made its American debut in 1950 in Pebble Beach, CA. Today there are dozens of automobile exhibitions that have adopted the Concours title.
Dr. Cy Conrad, Chief Judge, La Jolla Concours d’Elegance:
According to Webster, “Concours” comes from the French, and means “a crowd or confluence of things; also a park promenade.” The term conjures up romantic visions of beautiful women in haute couture in a park-like setting surrounded by sparkling coaches, glistening groomed horses, gorgeous flowers, champagne, fine art and sculpture, and later, by the finest automotive art.
Man, being the perpetual competitor, has generally sought to triumph. Civilized chivalry, combined with grandeur, became the prevailing spirit of the Concours d’Elegance. Originating in the late 17th century, the early Concours was a leisurely social affair where light-hearted competitions among coaches and fashions were rewarded with rosettes, wine and champagne. As coaches and carriages segued into automobiles in the late 19th century, the competitions became more defined. By the mid 1920s, no society season on the French Riviera was complete without a variety of organized Concours events.
As the romance of the Roaring 20s and the refined elegance of the 30s gave way to the perils of world war, we find the demise of the Concours as it gave way to the bare survival of nations. Once the free world was able to right itself and move beyond subsistence, it was the troika of visionaries Jules Huemann, Reverend Paul Woudenberg and Loren Tryon who in 1950 created what was to become the grandfather of all post-war Concours—Pebble Beach.
From the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance:
“كونكورز دي اليجانس” للسيارات الفارهة هي حدث عالمي تتنافس فيها السيارات الكلاسيكية من حيث جمال االتصميم والاناقة.بداية المسابقة كانت في فرنسا فترة العشرينات من القرن الماضي، فبعد ان اصبحت باريس العاشقة للفن عاصمة العالم للثقافة،اصبح الناس مفتونون ببذخ عالم السيارات وخصوصا الدوائر الاجتماعية الراقية في المجتمع الباريسي والذين انجذبوا الى السيارات الانيقة واحدث صرعات التكنولوجيا.
How many concours d'elegance shows are there?
December 1, 2012
Some car collectors are surprised to hear there are about 60 concours d’elegance events in the US. Our current master list contains about 70 shows, but some are in transition and others require confirmation for 2013. Our goal is to keep visitors informed about every concours with regular updates.
There are many concours events, notices, updates, reports, photos, schedules, videos, and other details that still need to be uploaded to this site. Please understand that we’re pedalling as fast as we can.
If you feel there’s an event requiring immediate attention, please give us a push by posting your suggestion to our Facebook page or by sending an email to info@concoursdates.com
Most classic, vintage and antique car owners take it for granted that a concours d’elegance is an upscale automobile event, with maybe a class or two for motorcycles. Some shows have a special categories for other kinds of vehicles, such as boats, trucks, airplanes, and even pedal cars. However, there’s a whole realm of motorcycle only concours of which a few will be included here.
There’s also the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance for boats only that’s been held annually since 1972. The beautiful wooden boats are shown where they belong. . . in the water! It’s such a classy display that we plan to include it with reports on the automotive concours.
This one will “float your boat.”
