Event Coverage Classy Chassis Concours d' Elegance

While I certainly appreciate and enjoy the "stuffy" cars, having down-to-earth cars there lightens up any party!

Good on Jim and his cronies!

 

That's pretty awesome!!! I remember seeing it at the Peterson Museum and being start struck. It was really hard for me to grasp that a car that nice was built back in the day. I mean the suspension/chasssi with the x member and bull dog front end is one thing but the part of the car that put it over the top for me was the interior. The arm rest is fucking bananas and looks like something on a 100K would have included. But no, it shows in these old pics you've supplied that it was there all along. Crazy.


Also, I never put together that the car with "SEX" painted on the cowl for the DS roadster. I always thought that was kind of funny but when you're car's that bad ass you can do things like that right?

 

Ryan at a concours!??! Holy smokes the "rapture" is here!!

 

Anyone else notice that the first photo is 'reversed'? The steering arm is on the wrong side....

Regardless, I agree, one of THE best Hot Rods of all time.



Malcolm

 

More and more of the Concours are creating classes for 'historic hot rods'. I was fortunate enough to have our family's 32 Ford roadster invited to the Cincinnati Concours last year.

I arrived not knowing what to expect from the 'wine and cheese' crowd. I left feeling that they could not have treated us any better. Most importantly, all the proceeds went to the Cincinnati Childrens Arthritis foundation.

 

That's the limited edition Australian version.

 

It's hard to believe that when Neal East owned that car, he drove it from LA to Tulsa for the '76 Street Rod Nationals!

 

Sex!

 

They were supposed to do and episode of "Worlds Most Expensive Cars" or a section of it, on the Doane Spencer roadster last year I think.They used a few pictures that I provided from the Bob Wright collection, one of which is included in your group of images, taken in '49 or '50 at the Rose Bowl (Pasadena Roadsters Reliability Run) was wondering if anyone ever saw it?

 

Theres my coverage of PB HERE too

 

It was our very own @Deuce Bruce Meyer and @Chopperken Gross that got the "Stuffy Concours Snobs" to include Hot Rods & Customs at their events:

Hot Rods & Customs At Pebble Beach
by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide

Since 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance has been the ultimate car show. Steeped in tradition, it is an exclusive and elegant celebration of the history of the automobile. To be invited to display a car at Pebble Beach is an incredible honor. To win your class is an affirmation that your car is the best of its breed.

The Dick Williams 1927 Ford Model T was entered
in the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance​

Held each August at the Lodge on the 18th green at Pebble Beach, which overlooks Monterey Bay, only 175 cars are invited to participate each year. Anyone willing to pay the triple-digit admission fee is welcome to attend.

Known primarily as the purview of blue bloods and their vintage Ferraris, Duesenbergs, and coachbuilt classics, hot rods had never appeared "on the lawn" prior to 1997. In fact, the rebellious hot rod spirit was somewhat at odds with the staid atmosphere of such an elite car show.

Initiated by longtime Pebble Beach competitor Bruce Meyer, a group of crossover automotive enthusiasts changed all that. Meyer, along with Pebble Beach judges Ken Gross, Gordon Apker, and Glenn Mounger, as well as regular competitors Kirk White and Dennis Varni, appealed to event organizers Jules Heumann and the late Lorin Tryon to include a class for hot rods. After years of asking, their wish was finally granted with the introduction of the Historic Hot Rod class in 1997.

Gross established the class criteria and invited the first hot rod competitors. He chose nine fenderless roadsters from the 1940s and '50s, all of which had pedigrees as either street/show or street/lakes race cars. Gross, Ray Brock, Alex Xydias, and Don Montgomery were the judges at that first event.

Ray Brock, Ken Gross, Alex Xydias, & Don Montgomery were
the judges at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance​

The winner was Bruce Meyer with his restored Doane Spencer Deuce, which also won the Ford-sponsored Dean Batchelor award for the most historically significant hot rod. Kirk White took second with his '32 Ford lakes racer originally owned by Ray Brown, and third place went to Don Orosco for his Tony LaMasa Deuce roadster.

Kirk White and Ray Brown in the 2nd
place Ray Brown '32 Ford lakes racer​

When the winners drove across the ramp to accept their awards, the standing ovation they received confirmed that hot rods belonged at Pebble Beach.

A hot rod or custom class has been part of the Concours every other year since the 1997 event. Don Orosco won in '99 with his Dick Flint '29 Model A roadster, then took first in 2001 with the Alex Xydias So-Cal Coupe. Brock Yates won in 2003 with the ex-Duffy Livingston Eliminator track roadster/sports racing car.

The 2005 event marked the first-ever custom car class. Given the number of legendary rods and customs being restored today, they should be well-represented at Pebble Beach for years to come.

article from the HowStuffWorks website​

Today most Concours d'Elegance events held in the United States include a H.A.M.B. friendly class (e.g., "Historic Hot Rods", "Legendary Rods & Kustoms", "Bonneville & Dry Lakes Racers", "1960s Drag Racing", "American Heritage Racing", etc., etc.) ... Here's a list of Concours that include a class for our beloved Traditional Hot Rods and/or Customs:

February
* Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance at Palm Springs (California)

March
* Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance (Florida)

May
* Marin Sonoma Concours d'Elegance (California)

June
* Classy Chassis Concours d'Elegance (Texas)
* Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance at Stanford (California)

July
* Forest Grove Concours d'Elegance (Oregon)
* Keeneland Concours d'Elegance (Kentucky)
* Concours d'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook / Inn at St. John's (Michigan)

August
* Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance (California)

September
* Kirkland Concours d'Elegance (Washington)
* Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance (California)

October
* Santa Barbara Concours d'Elegance (California)​

 

I went to my first Concours d"Elegance last year in Greenwich, Ct. and had a great time. It was not the stuffy, snob type event I'd thought they were all these years. If the is one near you, go, have a good time and the entry cost always goes to fund a charity.

 

You're absolutely right about Concours events. I've attended a couple & yes, there are a few "snobs" around, but these people love old/classic cars as much or more than anyone I've been around. A friend of mine has taken me to a few "private" collections that I probably never would have seen w/o knowing him & the guys that own them couldn't have been more enthusiastic & gracious hosts. Like the old saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover,,,,,,,

 

Like so many things elegance is in the eye of the beholder. The Doane Spencer Roadster certainly projects its own grand interpretation of automotive elegance.

 

I like that photo with the flat-track bikes. That almost looks like a Mopar axle.

 

Add Santa Barbara Ca to the list. Twenty cars last year, fifty this year (hopeful).

 

Thanks for the reminder. I always seem to miss it, hopefully I can make it this year.

 

Gary Howard and Vernon McKean swept the awards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the Custom Class 1951-1960 for Jimmie Vaughan's 51 Chevy, Mike Young's 60 Chevy and Mercury Charlie's 51 Mercury. A clean sweep for the Howard/McKean team. Charlie was 1st, Mike was 2nd and Jimmie was 3rd.

 

On wheels!

 

I hadn't seen this post and had no idea the car was going to be there. It blew my mind....on top of all the other cool stuff at the show.

Here's a link to all of my pics, most of it "non-HAMB friend;y". There was a LOT of cool stuff there.
http://igotocarshows.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-unbelievable-show-i-never-heard-of.html

 

Son of a bitch that looks like a great show!!! More then just a couple cars I would cut my foot of to have.

 

anyone have info on the heads on the brownish/red '32 the last pic in Andersons post. never seen those before. thanks in advance

 

The heads themselves are Fentons that have been painted - over those are Thickstun finned covers.

 

thanks Anderson that's a real cool look.

 

Hahahaha... you touched the Doane Spencer roadster. Cool.



Bruce probably had the people down at CSI scan the print and you'll be hearing a knock on the door any minute.

Very cool that the cars weren't roped off. Hopefully people kept a respectful distance.