Carlisle Events’ Winter AutoFest arrives in Lakeland, Florida, for three days of car festivities at the Sun n’ Fun Expo Campus from February 21-23. Known for its something-for-everyone offerings, the AutoFest features special displays, celebrity guests and, of course, plenty of vendors, swap meet and a flea market with collectibles, merchandise, home goods, automobilia and the sundry parts and pieces needed for DIY restoration projects.
There’s also a two-day collector car auction February 21-22 featuring more than 400 vehicles for sale, including an all-Corvette themed hour February 22. In addition, there is a car corral with vehicles for sale by owner.
Returning features include the 42nd annual NCRS Winter Regional Corvette Meet, the free cruise-in, Corvette and Mustang displays, and vendors. New this year is a major Mopar presence with all sorts of Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth and other Mopar brands displayed, as well as seminars, vendors and swap meets.
Two other special displays will feature race-prepped cars, including the rare appearance of a Ferrari FXX-K hybrid racer, and a 50th anniversary gathering of 1970 model year cars and trucks.
For more information, visit the event website.
Greenwich Concours announces featured classes
The Greenwich Concours d’Elegance has announced its 8 featured classes for its 25th anniversary event May 29-31 at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, overlooking the Greenwich, Connecticut, harbor on Long Island Sound.
The classes are: Shelby vs. GM; 100 Years of Duesenberg; 70 Years of Allard; Right Coast Rods; Lancia; Vintage Off-Road; 25 Years of Greenwich Concours – a display of vehicles from the first event; and Four or More Cylinders, a motorcycle class.
The event will continue its tradition of featuring back-to-back concours but will introduce a new Concours de Sport on Saturday that celebrates race cars and sports cars with an emphasis on speed and performance, according to a concours news release. On Sunday, the traditional Concours d’Elegance will spotlight both domestic and international vehicles, emphasizing the best of design and craftsmanship.
The Greenwich Concours was acquired by the Hagerty collector car insurance and valuation company last fall from the Wennerstrom family, which founded the event.
“The Concours de Sport is an exciting addition to an already first-rate show,” said McKeel Hagerty, chief executive of Hagerty and chairman of the Greenwich Concours. “Fans can expect a fantastic best-of-the-best field for the traditional Sunday Concours d’Elegance but Saturday will bring a whole different vibe, centered around fun, fast cars.”
For more information, visit the event website.
Famed automotive designer Peter Brock honored
Peter Brock, one of the most-influential American race-car designers and team owners, will be celebrated with the 2020 Lifetime Design Achievement Award from EyesOn Design, which will present award to Brock June 9 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
“Brock was chosen by a group of top automotive designers for his outstanding career in vehicle design,” EyesOn Design said in a news release. “Besides his successful racing team, Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE), he is perhaps most known for his work on the XP-87 Corvette Stingray Racer and the Shelby Daytona Coupe.”
The award is unique in that the selection is made by the previous winners of the award, which include automotive designers from around the world.
The 2020 EyesOn Design commemorative poster was created by artist and designer Michael Goettnert. The official unveiling will be February 20 at 9:30 a.m. at the EyesOn Design office inside the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology in Grosse Point Park, Michigan.
The 33rd annual EyesOn Design Automotive Design Exhibition takes place June 21 at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan.
For more information, visit the EyesOn Design website.
International Drive History Conference planned
The International Drive History Conference, the first event of its kind known to have taken place in North America, is scheduled for April 23-25 to bring together scholars, practitioners, hobbyists, students and others, who are interested in the history and preservation of motor vehicle heritage.
The conference, hosted by the Historic Vehicle Association at its headquarters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is designed for exchanging ideas about the preservation of motor vehicle heritage.
Bill Warner, chairman and founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, will speak at the conference about his latest book, Cuba’s Car Culture. Warner will be joined by Barnfind Hunter host Tom Cotter in explaining how the country’s automotive culture has evolved since the Cuban Revolution of 1959.
For more information, visit the event website.
AACA annual convention
The 84th annual convention of the Antique Automobile Club of America will be held February 6-8 at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel in Philadelphia.
Events include a trade show, seminars, receptions and dinners, awards banquet, a tour of Philadelphia, youth programs and pinewood derby racing.
For more information, visit the club website.
Heading for the hills in Arizona
The 7th annual Concours in the Hills, the popular and diverse car show in Fountain Hills, Arizona, takes place Saturday, February 8, with nearly 1,000 collector cars expected to group around the famous fountain, one of the tallest in the world.
The show is known for its wide-ranging entries, from pre-war classics and ’50s cruisers to 21st Century exotics from such brands as Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren.
Concours in the Hills is the largest show of its type in Arizona, according to organizers Scuderia Southwest, and it brings in cars from surrounding states as well as the local area. Fountain Hills is situated just east of Scottsdale on the edge of the Tonto National Forest.
Admission is free for spectators. For more information, visit the event website.
More Concours and events
The 56th Annual Darryl Starbird Car Show takes place February 14-16 at River Spirit Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is billed as the largest indoor car show in the country, plus outdoor cool car corral, celebrity appearances, live music and motorcycle stunts. For more information, visit the event website.
More than £70 million worth of classic cars from some of the world’s most prestigious marques will be gathered under one roof at this year’s London Classic Car Show on February 20-23. Now in its sixth year, the event will showcase about 500 classic cars at its new home of Olympia London, with many cars available for purchases. For more information, visit the event website.
Two new events have been added to Beaulieu’s popular Simply range of car shows with Simply British Classics on September 20 and Simply BMW on July 19 joining the packed 2020 line-up at Beaulieu Abbey that includes the new Simply Electric, plus Simply Audi, Simply Aston Martin, Simply Jaguar, Simply Land Rover, Simply Ford, Simply Japanese, Simply VW, Simply Mercedes, Simply Porsche and Simply Smart. For more information, visit the event website.
Do you have a totally unexceptional vehicle? Now’s your chance to show it off as the Festival of the Unexceptional hosted by Hagerty UK opens for applications February 14 for its July 25 show at Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire, UK. Show cars will be chosen on the basis of their being quite ordinary and mundane. For more information, visit the event website.
