By Stuart Schwartzapfel, Team Speed Editor

• What: 2008 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance
• When: June 7-8, 2008
• Where: Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, Greenwich, CT
• When is the next one? – Check out the Scarsdale Concours on Sunday, June 15th Scarsdale Concours - Home

Concours Competition Categories

• Antique and Vintage Cars
• American Classic, Open Cars
• European Classic, Open Cars
• American Classic, Closed Cars
• European Classic, Closed Cars
• American Post-WWII, Open Cars
• American Post-WWII, Closed Cars
• American Muscle Cars
• Imported Post-WWII, Open Cars
• Imported Post-WWII, Closed Cars
• Post-WWII Sports and GT Cars
• Competition Cars
• Contemporary Supercars
• Special Interest Vehicles
• Motorcycles
• Boats

Fast Fact: Nearly 300 cars of various makes, models and vintages were on display throughout the weekend. Check out the full list below.

Hey Speed Freaks,

I attended the thirteenth annual Greenwich Concours d’Elegance [French for a Concourse of Elegance] last weekend and it was worth the maddening Route 95 traffic and torrential rain that was experienced throughout the day. Concours events originated in France in the 1920s as gatherings for owners and coachbuilders who wanted to show off their latest custom-bodied creations. The modern Concours events pay homage to this classic tradition of taking a rolling chassis and fitting a personalized body to it. No two alike indeed. It is a refreshing look into the past, especially when contemplating the mass production and homogeny we see all over the road today. Not to knock today’s iconic high-end brands or their base of loyal/devoted customers, but cars from brands like Ferrari and Bentley are not nearly as rare or personalized as they used to be. So walking around the show grounds, located on the edge of the Long Island sound, is truly like taking a trip back in time. I am exposed to new brands and manufacturer/coachbuilder collaborations each year.

The Greenwich show is something I look forward to every year because it is close to NYC and nearly as wonderful as some of the more prestigious Concours events like Pebble Beach and Amelia Island. In case you have not had the pleasure of attending one of these shows, allow me to summarize. No ordinary gathering of cars and car lovers, well-regarded Concours events like Greenwich either invite or accept entries into what is essentially a best of the best competition that spans country of origin and date of manufacture. Although many of these events have an un-restored class, most of the entrants are restored to a caliber that is better than when the vehicle left the factory. An all-star team of judges [comprised of industry experts, historians and journalists alike] is broken up into teams. To avoid ties, there are 3 judges per team and each team is assigned approximately 15 cars to judge. Greenwich does not favor a point system for judging; instead, the panel relies on the visual impact of the car in order to reach a decision for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.

Saurday was dedicated to American vintage, classic and collectible automobiles from the turn of the century to the present. Also available for viewing was the Bonhams collectors’ motor cars auction consignments. Then all the domestic gems were shuttled off the field because Sunday was dedicated to the international sports, touring and competition cars from the 1900s to the present. Among the high ticket auction items sold were a 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Double Cabriolet Stelvio [$326,000] and a1965 McLaren-Elva M1A Chevrolet Sports Racer [$249,000].

Everybody is entitled to his or her own show favorite, but mine was easily the 1963 Pininfarina-bodied Chevrolet Corvette "Rondine". The one of a kind Corvette concept car fetched $1.6 million at this year’s Barrett Jackson auction in Scottsdale and the proud owner wasted no time in showing off his new baby. I had read extensively about this couture Corvette and immediately recognized its identity upon stepping onto the lawn. No one can deny the arresting effect that Italian styling fused with American muscle has on the senses. Domestic manufacturers traditionally scraped concept vehicles from the 50s and 60s in an effort to curb piracy from competitors, which makes this offering so special in the minds of collectors and enthusiasts. Just to show you the relative worth of a concept car like this, consider that Barrett-Jackson sold an all-original Daytona Blue 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe at the same auction for $68,000.

From muscular American icon to seductive Italian temptress, the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette "Rondine" Edition was built for the 1963 Paris Auto Show by renowned Italian design house Pininfarina, and commissioned by Chevrolet. Prior to the sale at Barrett-Jackson, the concept had been stored and preserved at the Pininfarina Museum since new. Amongst the many changes from a stock 1963 Corvette, probably the most apparent departure is the lack of a rear split window design. The Pininfarina body style is based upon the idea of maximum simplicity and functionality, and the limited use of chrome was meant to stress elegance of design and harmony of the whole. The heavily altered rear end also features a unique "swallow tail" arrangement.

Be sure to check out the pictures below for more pristine examples of automotive excellence from the concours.

Until next time,

Stuart

 

2008 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance Entrants
+ A few more pics and the Best In Show

 

The black roadster pictured last was named Best in Show. It is a 1927 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A Roadster.

Stu