When McKeel Hagerty and his family-owned insurance and automotive lifestyle company began buying up concours d’elegance events, he said one reason was to preserve them. But another motivation was to try some new things that might make such events more appealing to a younger audience.
The company makes its debut as a concours owner October 22-24 with the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in Connecticut. It will be the 25th Greenwich showcase, but the first under Hagerty ownership.
So what sort of changes will we see?
On October 22, starting at 11:30 a.m., concours cars will take part in a driving tour that will include crossing the state line into New York.
The following day, there’s a “Croissants, Coffee and Chowder” event hosted by McKeel Hagerty to look into the future of the collector car hobby.
Then at 10 a.m. the Concours d’Lemons, RADwood and Porschella events all open, as does the Concours’ Kids Zone, which will offer slot cars, racing simulators and a visit from Lightning McQueen.
Concours d’Lemons, featuring some of the strangest (dare we say worst?) vehicles to emerge from anyone’s imagination (or from anyone’s junkyard). RADwood features vehicles — and clothing — from the 1980s and 1990s. Porschella will be a celebration of modified Porsches, from, we’re told, “outlaw street racing cars to safari builds.”
There also will be a ride-and-drive program offering hands-on experiences with some vintage vehicles, and starting at 10:30 a.m., a series of seminars looking at such things as autonomous driving (actually, isn’t it autonomous riding?), alternative power sources, the collector car market, barn finds, and the future of car shows and concours.
The day ends with a concours waterfront party.
The actual concours is scheduled for October 24, and with cars being judged, not only by standard concours judges but also by a group of 8-to-14 year-olds. The concours will include some unusual classes, among them right-coast hot rods, muscle cars, vintage SUVs; two classes — road and track — for Allard; classes for Moto Guzzi and Indian motorcycles; and instead of a post-war European sports car class, there will be separate classes for post-war English, Italian and German sports cars.
Audrain Newport sets schedule
The Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week schedule has been announced. Activities begin September 30 with the opening of the Concours Village at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, where seminars on subjects of interest to the car collecting community will feature Jay Leno, McLaren F1 chief executive Zak Brown and Jay Ward of Pixar Studios, among others.
There also will be a Wine By The Water event at Forty 1 North in downtown Newport and a Hilltop Hangout cocktail and cigar party.
On October 1, an upscale lawn party, The Gathering, is scheduled at Rough Point, with Bonhams collector car auction that evening at the Concours Village.
The Audrain Tour d’elegance and a cars and coffee event are set for the morning of October 2, when the Bellevue Car Display takes over Bellevue Avenue. A fund-raising gala is set that evening featuring Kenny Loggins. The Concours takes place October 3 at The Breakers.
Torque Media doing Newport video
Can’t make it this weekend to the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week events in Rhode Island? Fret not, because co-hosts Tommy Kendall and Justin Bell and Emmy-winning producer Jason Jacobson from Torque Media will be on hand to produce a video report of the various events.
Details of when and where that video will be available are yet to be announced.
Innovative vehicles featured at Chattanooga
Innovative vehicles will be among those showcased October 15-17 at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, including four Tucker Models 48s, four General Motors Motorama concept cars — the 1953 Cadillac Le Mans, 1954 Firebird 1, 1956 Firebird II, and 1959 Cadillac Cylone — the Gyro-X that travels on only 2 wheels, as well as the Hirohata Mercury, considered to be among the most iconic of custom builds.
Hilton Head explores an electric lifestyle
The Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance annually features a “Life” section that showcases an aspect of life and the automobile. Featured have been such things as military vehicles, farm equipment and more. This year, it’s “Life Electric.”
The special display area November 5-7 will feature electric vehicles and the lifestyle around them, ranging from early EVs to Teslas, electric motorcycles, and the new electric-powered supercars.
‘Overshadowed’ 914/6 celebrated
Back in 1970, Porsche claimed its first overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann driving the No. 23 917K to victory.
That historic accomplishment overshadowed another outstanding performance in the race by another Porsche, the little No. 40 914/6 that Claude Ballot-Léna and Guy Chasseuil drove through torrential rain to win the GT class while placing sixth overall.
Another 914/6, built and liveried in tribute to that Le Mans effort by Randy Cassling and Omaha-based Classic Auto Restoration Services, made its vintage racing debut this past weekend in the Historic Sportscar Racing Fall Classic at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Bespoke Rallies adds Cotswolds event
Bespoke Rallies has added a one-day event to its 2021 calendar that will include a private tour of the British Motor Heritage factory in Oxfordshire, where replacement panels and complete bodyshells for various British classic vehicles are produced.
The “Rally The Wolds” event is scheduled for October 16 and launches from the BMH facility in Witney.
As a footnote, BMH has just announced the addition to its parts portfolio of replacement carpet sets for the Mini, MGB and other British classics
2021 car show and concours calendar
The following are dates currently set (but subject to change) for a variety of concours d’elegance, car shows and driving tours scheduled during 2021:
September
1-30 – Cars at the Capital, Washington, D.C.; 29-October 3 – Fall Carlisle, Pennsylvania; 30-October 3, American Speed Festival, Pontiac, Michigan; Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week, Rhode Island
October
1-2 – Euro Fest, Ridgeland, Mississippi; La Jolla Motor Car Classic, California; 1-3 – Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Italy; Goodguys Del Mar Nationals, California; 6-9 — AACA Eastern Fall Nationals & Flea Market, Hershey, Pennsylvania; 6-10 – Zoute concours, Belgium; 8-9 – Z Nationals, Road Atlanta; 9 – RADwood, Austin, Texas; DesutscheMarques Oktoberfest, Hickory Corners, Michigan; Drive Toward A Cure Genau Rally, Golden Gate Bridge; 13-14 – Goodguys Get-Together, Pleasanton, California; 16 – Gilmore Fall Color Tour, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 17 — Packard Proving Grounds fall open house, Michigan; 19-21 – Goodguys Southwest Nationals, Scottsdale; 21-24 – Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance, Nevada; Auto e Moto d’Epoca, Padua, Italy; 22-25 – Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, Connecticut; 23 – RADwood, Greenwich, Connecticut; 29 – Fort Lauderdale Concours, Florida
November
2-5 – SEMA Show, Las Vegas; 7 – Exotics on Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Simply Smart, Beaulieu, UK; 11-15, AACA Southeastern Fall Tour, North Carolina; 11-13 – AACA Special Western Nationals, Phoenix; 12-13 — Carlisle Events at Lakeland, Florida; 14-17 – AACA Western Divisional Tour, Arizona; 15-17, Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, Chattanooga, Tennessee; RADwood, Los Angeles; 28 – VW Santa Run, Beaulieu, UK
Have an event to add? Email details to [email protected].
add 2021 car show schedule
Outstanding!!!!