Like a Parking Lot in Heaven 

Cars from the South Carolina Ferrari Club on display at the Hilton Head Island Condours d’Elegance.  The yellow 2002 360 Spider is owned by Mario Grande of Hilton Head Island.

The 7th Annual Hilton Head Island Concourse d’Elegance and Motoring Festival was held in Savannah, Georgia and on Hilton Head Island October 30-November 2.  The Concours is one of the best and most eagerly anticipated events of the year.  It is most popular with people who like cars, fantasy, nostalgia and  meeting many friendly people.  Does this leave anybody out?  For one thing, it is held at Honey Horn Plantation which is a bit of heaven all by itself.  When the Concours comes to Honey Horn Plantation, it’s like heaven’s parking lot.  

Motor-Youthfulness Everywhere

Car owners and enthusiasts are influenced by cars that seem new regardless of their model years.  The key may be love - they love cars.  We know that cars stimulate our minds in many ways.  It may be sociability - enthusiasts love to talk about cars and it is well known that the Concours is a very social event.  What is going on here?  Fun?  History?  Nostalgia?  Definately, and motor-youthfulness. 

The Coastal Carolina Corvette Club of Charleston, S.C.

This 1962 Corvette made onlookers sigh.  This was the last year of this body style before they went to the Sting Ray and the famous split rear window coupe.

 The Brass-Era Cars Were Celebrated on Sunday 

On Sunday, the vintage cars were featured and the history of automobiles from the Brass Era was celebrated (before 1916).   This year,  and at least one car  from each of the years 1899-1915 was featured on Sunday including rare early steam-powered and electric vehicles.   Before 1916, Brass Cars were originally constructed almost entirely from wood, steel, sheet metal and brass - as explained in the excellent magazine included with the admission price of $25.  Sunday was also the day for  day for the “Best of Show” and “People’s Choice”awards.     Sorry to disappoint anybody about this but I was there only on Saturday and the oldest car that I saw was the 1931 Model A.  It is pictured later in this article.  There are no pictures of the brass era cars in this article.  I understand that General Motors had an exhibit of both historic and future cars on Sunday.   Perhaps someone who saw that exibit will comment on it. 

The Lowcountry Oyster and Motor Driving Society

1956 Austin-Healy Model 100-4, original owner.  Lowcountry Oyster and Motor Driving Society.	John Edwards of Sea Pines with his 1954 Jaguar XK-120.  Lowcountry Oyster and Motor Driving Society

The 100th Anniversary of General Motors

Also this year, the Festival celebrated the 100th Anniversary of both General Motors and of Morgan, the 60th Anniversary of Porsche, the 50th Anniversary of the Edsel and the Centennial of the three Great Savannah Races of 1908.  Savannah built the best race track of the day and the success of these races contributed to Savannah briefly becoming the center of American auto racing when it hosted the Grand Prize in 1910 and 1911 - this information from the event magazine.

Each Day at the Concours is Different

1931 Ford Model A owned by Jonathan and Melissa MacCabe of Hilton Head Island, S.C.

The Concours is held outdoors except for the car auction which is held in a large tent.  Each day is different.  This year, Thursday and Friday were held at the recently reopened road course on Hutchinson Island in Savannah, Georgia.  Festival goers were able to become racing passengers and travel at racing speeds, drive the autocross and Gymkhana courses (timed contests for automobiles featuring a series of events designed to test driving skills) and ride in the latest sports car models. 

1965 Pontiac GTO inspired the Beach Boys and one of my high school friends who owned one.  The Lowcountry Oyster and Motoring Society.	1972 BMW 3.0 CSL.  BMW Club of America.  This was the high-end BMW in 1972.

Saturday is for Car Clubs and the Auction 

Saturday had multiple highlights that included new luxury cars, sports cars, race cars, car clubs and a car auction.    I attended only on Saturday this year and it was outstanding.  The  weather was perfect for viewing cars in the fields of Honey Horn Plantation and talking with one car owner after another.  Music of the 50s and 60s filled the air. 

The Peach State Cadillac Lasalle Club

• Above, black:  1935 Cadillac Model 662 Limo.
• Above, blue:   1937 Cadillac Model 7519 Limo.
• Above, green and gray:  1941 Cadillac Model 63.

Coastal Empire Region, Porsche Club of America

1970 Porsche 914-6.  Coastal Empire Region, Porsche Club of America.  I used to own a racing green 914-6 that I drove in college and then coast to coast after I graduated.  The engine is air-cooled. The top unclips and sets quickly into the trunk.	Late model year Porsche Carrera with Porsche racer in the background.  Sorry - I must have slipped into a daydream because I did not get the specifics on either car.

New and Almost-New Dealer Cars

Maybach

Michael Wall of the Baker Motor Company of Charleston, South Carolina was at the Concours with the Maybach pictured at the left and a Maserati, not pictured.  About the Maybach, he said:  ”Wilhelm Maybach and Karl Benz started the first patent motor car back in 1886.  And developed the car all of the way out through the 1930s.  After the depression the car was discontinued and Mercedes brought back the ultra-luxury brand in 2003.  Initially they had two models being the 57 (5.7 meters) and the 62 (6.2 meters) long .   We upped the exclusivity of the cars, the AMD  - the performance division of Mercedes Benz - an acronym for the town where the cars are made.  In  layman’s terms, they can make a station wagon that will outrun this car - the ‘S’ versions just raised the horsepower and the top speed - and then then the new Landaulet which has yet to make it stateside - a convertible Maybach at 1.25 to 1.5 million dollars. 

Aston Martin and Ferrari

The 2010 GM Camaro

The sign said: "The 2110 Chevrolet Camaro, a 21st Century Camaro incorporating advanced technology, fuel efficiency and power. It comes with either V-6 and V-8 engines. Distinctively Camaro with a strong stance, expressive form, and a unique style that will definitely turn heads."

 The Racing Cars

1929 Ford Special owned by Ray Morgan of Atlanta, Georgia.  “With the onset of the Great Depression, new rules for the Indy 500 were designed to lower the cost to build race cars.	In the 1930s, Studebaker, Hudson, Chrysler, Buick and Ford competed along with the more exotic Millers and Duesenbergs”

Lola T-70 Endurance Car	2.5 Pontiac Nascar Trans Am

1979 Mark Super Vee	McCray Formula 5000 from the ’70s

The Super Vee

Tom Fralich said, ”The Super Vee (picured above) was a purpose built for the Rodder-Bosch Gold Cup Volkswagen Series that started in the early 70s with the air-cooled Volkswagen motors and then in ‘79 when Volkswagen was looking to sell Rabbits and Jettas rather than Beetles, they changed the specifications over to the water cooled engine out of the Volkswagen Rabbit.   Between Volkswagen North America and the Robert Bosch Corporation, they put hundreds of thousands of dollars of money into the series and prize money.  It was a professional series that ran both on road road racing courses and on ovals.  Most of the prominent professional drivers of that era came up though these cars.  They ran as a support race for the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen;  They ran support races for the Indy Car Series and for the Can Am Series.  Guys like Michael Andretti and Al Jr, and Jeff Avum and a whole bunch of fellas came up through these cars.  They went directly from these cars into Indy cars or on to Formula One.”   

1964 Corvette Gransport

1964 Corvette Grandsport owned by Dennis Clark from Kingsport TN. It took hundreds of hours of research and five years to build. This car is a replica of Mecom Chassis. #003 has raced at Sebring in 1964 by A.J. Foyt and Jim Hall. Took Promoter Choice at Sevierville Corvette Expo. Won Oliver Gavin Award at Alams Show at Mid-Ohio. Mr. Clark indicated that he backed it down when it reached 175 MPH at test session at Road Atlanta and he had a lot left. This Vette has been autographed by A.J. Foyt.

Richard Kadesch, Owner and Broker-in-Charge The Gated Community Specialist ® Go Gated Realty ® Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Rich@gogated.com www.GoGated.com 1-800-333-5025 Read Some of My Clients’ Success Stories

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.