HomeCar CultureCommentaryElegance at Hershey lives up to its name

Elegance at Hershey lives up to its name

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Cars on the lawn at the Hotel Hershey for The Elegance at Hershey concours — and more | Andy Reid photos

The Elegance at Hershey is one of those events that collectors and spectators just love to attend. Part of this has to do with the incredible venue.

Held at the Hotel Hershey courtyard in eastern Pennsylvnia, the Elegance at Hershey provides a feeling of old world elegance. It is difficult to think of a better backdrop for viewing and enjoying classic automobiles.

This year not only were the cars better than before, but so were the seminars and the Grand Ascent hillclimb that opens the weekend.

Cars of the original Cannonball coast-to-coast race

A special exhibition this year featured cars from the Cannonball, the fabled illegal road race that the late Brock Yates created. Cannonball cars in attendance included the Porsche 911 which is somehow still owned by Amelia Island chairman Bill Warner, and the event-winning Ferrari Daytona that was driven in the Cannonball by Dan Gurney and Yates. The Elegance also included a seminar with men who drove in that first Cannonball event.

Some standouts on the concours field this year were one of only two 1934 Chrysler Imperial Airflow CV Coupes, a 1938 Darracq Talbot Lago T-150-C, a 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Spider by Fontana, and the 1950 Plymouth XNR Concept by Ghia.

But these were by no means the only amazing cars at the Elegance. There was a preservation class which included a 1964 AC Cobra, a 1958 AC Bristol, a 1934 Bugatti T-57, and the preservation class winer, Joe Cassini’s 1924 Isotta-Fraschini 8 that was one of the finest examples of what a true preservation car is that I have ever seen.

At the end of the day, there has to be an overall winner and that honor, named the Governor’s Cup, went to the 1934 Packard 1106 (Twelve) Runabout Speedster owned by Bob, Sandy and Gary Bahre.

Other award winners were the Founders Cup-winning 1929 Duesenberg J/SJ Convertible by Bohman & Schwartz owned by Harry Yeaggy, the The Hotel Hershey Award-winning 1938 Talbot-Lago Darracq T-150-C Roadster by Figoni et Falaschi and owned by J. W. Marriott, Jr., and the Jack Rich Award-winning 1925 Locomobile 48 Convertible Sedan by Derham and owned by Mr & Mrs Robert S. Jepso, Jr.

Photos by Andy Reid

Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andy Reid's first car, purchased at age 15, was a 1968 Fiat 124 coupe. His second, obtained by spending his college savings fund, was a 1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2. Since then, he has owned more than 150 cars—none of them normal or reasonable—as well as numerous classic motorcycles and scooters. A veteran of film, television, advertising and helping to launch a few Internet-based companies, Reid was a columnist for Classic Motorsports magazine for 12 years and has written for several other publications. He is considered an expert in European sports and luxury cars and is a respected concours judge. He lives in Canton, Connecticut.

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