St Michaels Concours d'Elegance photos

I know this is an unusual subject for this forum but my hope is to motivate some of us hot rodders to check out some "other" types of car shows. The concours scene is pretty cool with incredible hand built cars coming out of collections to be shared with the public. They are a great opportunity to see some rare stuff.

The 2010 St Michaels Concours d'Elegance was a great show. IMHO, it's the finest concours on the east coast. There are only 50 prewar cars on the field, situated right on the water. So you have Pebble Beach quality cars with out the crowds or the cost. If you live anywhere in between NY and Virginia, this is a worthwhile trip. The area is beautiful, the weather can be fantastic.

http://stmichaelsconcours2010.org/?gclid=CLrFn7DXsqQCFVVx5QodbFiB2Q

Well, since I got to bed Saturday night at 1 am and woke up at 4:30am, I was a bit tired. The wife forced me to attend a very fun wedding on Saturday. I would have preferred spending the whole weekend but that was not to be.

I got to St Michaels around 6:30 and the field started to load starting at 7. It was a bit drizzly but not raining. This didn't scare any of the cars from the field. There were some tarps out. This was my first invitation to judge at St Michaels and I was very excited to be a part of the show. The judges meeting was held at the Inn at Perry Cabin at 8 am. That is one first class place. Very nice food and very expensive rooms. http://www.perrycabin.com/web/omic/inn_at_perry_cabin.jsp?gclid=COmk_7vXsqQCFZpN5Qod7WH-0g

We had some great judges on the field. Look up some of these names, Ken Gross, Dr Paul Sable and Dave kinney to name a few. Some Pebble Beach veterans as well as Amelia Island and every other major concours in the US. I hope to get to judge at both those events some day.

I had the American Open Class 1924 to 1932. Our cars included

1931 Cadillac, 8, 355A, Conv. Coupe, Fleetwood Charles B. Gillet, Baltimore, Maryland (this was our class winner)
For 1931, the Cadillac was longer and lower than the 1930 model. Both Fisher and Fleetwood bodies were offered, with Fleetwood being the premium offering. In 1931 Cadillac purchased the Fleetwood coachbuilder in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania and relocated the company to Detroit. Production of all Fleetwood bodied Cadillacs reached 5,733 vehicles in 1931. This Convertible Coupe sat on a 134” wheelbase and produced 135 h.p. from its V8 engine.

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1932 Cadillac, 8, 355 B, Conv. Coupe, Fisher Millard Young, Piedmont, Alabama
This black beauty underwent a complete restoration recently by Al Prueitt & Sons. There were only 2,693 total 355 B models produced in 1932, and very few convertible coupes. The eight cylinder models produced 115 h.p. 1932 was the lowest production year of the Depression Era. This automobile has received a Senior First Place CCCA award, and has been shown at Amelia Island, Florida and the Meadowbrook Concours in Michigan.



1924 Dodge, touring David M. Berkey, Crownsville, Maryland Only two owners from new; has had a complete restoration. In talking to the owner, he found the car in the NYTimes classifieds. It was parked 35 years previous with only 9000 miles. He bought the car from the previous owner's son, restored it then had the son come back to get a tearful remembranced filled ride in the Dodge.




1929 Duesenberg J-147, Convertible, Murphy Robert Perry, Birmingham, Alabama
The “J” Series was produced from 1929 through 1937. The total production of J Series was 481. The original owner was H. Leslie Atlas of CBS. Murphy only built 60 of the body styles during J production. This car was restored in 2009 by Al Prueitt & Sons. It was shown at the Amelia Island Concours.





This Duesenberg had an amazing history. Beginning life with LeBaron Sweep Panel Phaeton coachwork, this particular short wheelbase example (chassis no. 2168, engine no. J-147) was purchased new on July 9th 1929 by H. Leslie Atlass. A battery maker turnedradio pioneer whose WBBM-AM station had become affiliated to CBS in 1928, he and his brother Ralph received a $265,000 windfall the following year when the broadcasting giant purchased a 67\% stake in their company. Retained as WBBM general manager but relocated to premises within the magnificent Wrigley Building, H. Leslie Atlass celebrated his new found status in Chicago society by acquiring the Model J - a position he would consolidate in 1933 when he was named Vice-President of CBS’s Central Section. Perhaps inevitably Atlass came to the attention of fellow Duesenberg owner, Philip Knight Wrigley (son of William Wrigley Junior founder of both the family’s chewing gum empire and the Wrigley Building). Born in 1894, the two were further united by a love of jazz. WBBM was the first station in the USA to adopt a jazz format and had featured Jimmie Wade’s Moulin Rouge Orchestra as part of its opening-day broadcast (it went onto play more African-American jazz during the 1920s than any other Chicago station). Possibly enamoured of the more commodious four- / five-seater accommodation offered by his friend’s LeBaron Sweep Panel Phaeton bodywork, PK Wrigley convinced Atlass to swap it for the Murphy Convertible Coupe coachwork (body no. 821) that his own Duesenbergwore (chassis no. 2177, engine no. J-121). Believed to have taken place in 1930, this must have been one of the earliest Model J body switches ever performed (though, quite why the two men did not just swap ignition keys remains a mystery).

1929 Ford, Model A, Pick-up, Roadster Gale Petronis, Royal Oak, Maryland
In the year of the Stock Market Crash of 1929, Ford Motor Company manufactured 1,715,100 cars and trucks; this is no wonder, given that the price of this Ford new was $445, $30 less than the hardtop model. This wonderful example has been fully restored and is always a crowd pleaser.



1929 Cadillac, Model 341, Sport Phaeton, Fisher Byron L. Alsop, Oak Hill, Virginia This Cadillac was delivered new to the original owner in March 1929. It has won numerous awards including First Place at Ault Park and the CCCA 2010 Grand Nationals in Kansas City. The current owner had just purchased the car at the Atlantic City Auctions last year.

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Pretty cool cars with some interesting provenance. The rain held off and the sun sort of came out. As you'll see through out my posts, we had some wonderful cars on the field. The rain held off till the show was over.

I'll continue the story later.

regards

ken

 

Damn, I have a boat that we berth at the museum and no one told me about this event!
Wish I was there, but thanks for the photos..got any more?

 

Speaking only on my own behalf, thanks for the photos.
I like the write-ups you added as well. It's nice to know a little more about a car in photo than yep that's a car. I know I'm guilty of just sticking my photos on here with no explanation, so thanks.

 

That is a damn shame, to be so close, and to miss this event. Put it on your calendar for next year, last weekend in September.

I took at 800 photos during the day. A few of them turned out pretty nice. I'll get to posting more in the next day or so.

If you are interested, perhaps we could meet up next year. I hope to be invited back to judge again.

regards

ken

 

I happen to have a bit more info on these cars since I researched them for judging purposes. It takes some time to put together such posts but I will try to have some info on the rest of the photos that I plan to post.

regards

ken

 

kvisser: thank you for the shots, that is definitely a class show ...great shots and write up.
Thanks for sharing...

 

St. Michaels is a cool little town. Never knew they had a nice show like that there. That's a pretty nice museum too. I like seeing them work on the handmade boats in the shop. Kind of hungry for some crab cakes now. Thanks for sharing.

 

I live near Annapolis and made it to the show too. There were some spectacular cars there. I especially liked the Hispano-Suiza with the skiff body. I also liked the 1908 Lozier that belonged to Jim Grundy (yes, the insurance guy). The wooden boats were damn nice too.

 

Quick funny story about Jim Grundy. I had photographed the 09 Pierce Arrow at the Radnor Hunt Concours a couple of years back. He had a cute much younger gal on his arm the whole time. I made a nice collage of he, his gal and the car which I gave to him a year later. Fast forward to this past Sunday, I went up to Jim and said hello. He had a younger blonde with him (Jim has to be in his late 60's at the very least). I was talking with him and reminded him about the collage. He looks at me then laughs, "Oh yeah, that was with another gal" I then got the evil eye from his newer model.





I hope I can be a player like him at that age....

regards

ken

 

Very Nice - Love the 1931 Cadillac Dash!

AB

 

Yes, that 31 dash was beautiful, that's why I took so many shots of it. I love the art deco stylings and details.

It interesting that this show is only pre-war. I wonder how long they can keep it in that format. You would think that at some point, they will run out of participants. But I've got to tell you, the first 4 years they have had spectacular fields. I love seeing all that rare iron. The craftsmenship and ingenuity was just exploding in the transition from the horseless carriage to the automobile. Engineering was just off the hook.

What really got me on this vein was the 1914 Locomobile that I first judged at Radnor back in 2006. Here is the description out of the judges sheet: 1914 Locomobile Berline Limousine, Kellner Bill Alley, Greensboro, Vermont
This Locomobile is a one-off automobile with French coachwork by Kellner and is the only surviving example of this model. It stands nearly eight feet tall. The original owner was from a prominent family in Illinois. The T-head six-cylinder engine delivered 63 horsepower from its 504 cubic inch displacement…quite a feat for its time. Among its many custom features
are Tiffany lamps and French upholstery. Its many Best in Show and People’s Choice awards include: Amelia Island, Hilton Head, Greenwich, and Pebble Beach.

What I found particularly compelling, besides the fact that it was an 8 foot tall parlour on wheels, has a 504 cubic inch motor, the car has air suspension! Who knew that such technology was available back in the day. That's what got me thinking about producing a car show that puts these vehicles in perspective technically, socially and economically. There is not much new in automotive technology today. So much comes from the technological developments from the turn of the century onward.







The owner was telling me that he had nearly 1000 hours in the interior which features Tiffany fixtures.





Here is the front left air suspension





504 cubic inches of pure 63 hp!



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It just amazed me that this level of comfort and technology was dated to 1914.

regards

ken

 

Cool stuff!

 

That Loco is out of this world. Thanks for sharing Ken.

 

I went to one last month in CT and going back to another next wknd in NJ

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=510211

Always nice to see what else is out there ............

 

Excellent coverage of a great event. Well done, thanks.
Allen

 

This car blew me away when it entered onto the show grounds. The sun was just poking above the bay and this car graced the gravel entrance.

Heres the description:

1938 Delage, DB-120S, Aerosport Coupe, Letourneur & Marchand Jown W. Rice Sr., Pottsville, Pennsylvania This rare Delage carries one of the finest and most elegant bodies ever to grace a Delage. It was displayed at the 1938 Paris Salon. The eight cylinder engine has inline overhead valves and the 4.75 liter block delivers 120 h.p. This sporty and elegant coupe spent most of its life in Europe until 1988 when it was offered at the Sotheby’s Automobile Auction in Geneva. It was purchased by the Blackhawk Collection in Danville, California. Shortly thereafter, Blackhawk restored it to the highest standards. In 2008, it was purchased by the current owner and resides in the John W. Rich Collection of Pennsylvania. It has won numerous awards including “Best in Class” at Ocean Reef in Florida in 2009.







I can't remember specifically which award this took home.

regards

ken

 

This was the first car that loaded on to the field at St Michaels. It wasn't a classic like the duesy and some of the big boys. However, it was a very unique, one off car with really interesting lines. I really dug the twin trunk doors.

1931 Franklin, Series 153 Deluxe, Custom Concept Sedan, Walker
Carol & Tom Kidd, Zionsville, Pennsylvania
This one-off air-cooled six cylinder Franklin has coachwork by the Walker Body Company and was created for exhibit at the 1931 New York Automobile Salon. The design was very futuristic for its time and one of the first “Concept” automobiles to explore the evolution of automotive design. The cost new was $8,750. This Franklin was in the Bill Harrah Collection where it was restored in the original Art Deco colors. This special Franklin has been shown at Pebble Beach, and was judged “Most Elegant Closed Car” at Greenwich. It was also presented with an Artist Design award at Radnor Hunt.





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regards

ken

 

I don't know nutin' about no wooden boats. But what I do know is that the examples onsite at the St Michaels concours were spectacular.

I thought that trying to keep my 64 Lincoln on the road was alot of work. Think about a vintage wooden boat that gets wet...

If you have any knowledge about any of these boats, please share. The first 3 pictures were of a boat that was out of this world. I love the cockpit.

regards

ken

 

Ken,beautiful stuff,very much appreciate it here...great to get some infos on such special cars too...being an art deco automotive nut my favorite is the Delage,no doubt!
The top boat its an italian Riva...cant say if an Aquarama,Superama or else but it's beyond cool...great dash.Usually the first Rivas were Hemi equipped (354/392)the best on performance,style and craftmanship...the company has a registry also were they know exactly all the Rivas around the world,and in wich condition..
If you have ,please post more...lovely work!!

 

From another forum I just learned that: The first boat is a Riva Aquarama owned by Jim Grundy (Grundy worldwide). It's first owner was Brigette Bardot. The KITTEN is original and wears her original varnish as well!! I think this Riva has aged a little better than Ms. Bardot.

 

The Norths had a display of their 3 wooden skiffs at St Michaels.

Here is part of the story: (as directly quoted from the St Michaels Concours handout.

"Wood is so warm, so alive, that it adds an additional dimension, I think, to what most people would think of as a purely mechanical device, that is an automobile." says Judge North II describing the allure of skiff bodied cars.

The bodies for the 29 Dusenberg Roadster, 25 Hispano Suiza Dual Cowl Phaeton and 39 Rolls Royce Wraith have all been designed and built in Maryland. Each car has a unique design, but the skiff based theme and wood construction of all 3 lends them elegance familiar to those with a yachting background and is perhaps even more striking to those less acquainted with the special luster of varnished wood.

The first skiff bodied project originated in the 60's. Judge North had assembled a large number of Duesenberg parts and was intersted in building a complete car from this collection. The effort took on new vigor with a retired Duesenberg designer, J. Herbert Newport, moved to Wittman, just a few miles from St Michaels. Newport had designed several special cars for Duesenberg, including SSJ models for Gary Cooper and Clark Gable, as well as the Mormon Meteor record holding car. He collaborated with North on the original design of this roadster, now known as the "Northport"

The Northport is a small Duesenberg, using a short 115" wheelbase relative to other Duesys that were built on a 125", 142" or 153" chassis. To get the proportions right, North and Newport lowered the hoodline by about 4.5 inches relative to the standard Duesy. The engine, which the Norths found in a Californian Desota hot rod, was rebuilt but retains the racing cams to this day. The standard 17" or 19" Duesy wheels were over large and so custom 16" wheels were made to maintain proportions.

The construction story continues. In the 60's, wood glues were inferior to today's products, so the task of fastening the curved mahogany for the body was quite a challenge. The car, mechanically complete by the late 60's became a weekend project which stretched into the 70's then 80's with several different people working on the body. A local paint and metalwork master, Virgil Maxwell, had shaped the 4 fenders in the 60s, the ash frame for the body was in place, and the mechanicals were ready, but the car remained without a finished wooden body.

Enter local woodworking master John Todd, Jr. Judge North says of Todd "When I talked to Todd, I was in the right ballpark because he simply is a magician with wood." David North (the Judges's son) had spent summers in high school working for Todd who was operating a marina in Oxford. Todd agreed to finish the work started b Newport and Maxwell on the duesy. He figured out how to bend the wood over the compound curves of the body, fastening it all together with fastidious laminates and the gel of greatly improved epoxy glues. The car was finished over a couple of winters and the late Virgil Maxwell completed the paintwork.

David North recalls seeing the Northport with 65 license plates, and then finishing it up just in time for the 97 Pebble Beach Concours where is took best in class in the New Coachwork category.

These photos were taken at a private function a few years ago. The beauty is in the details and this car has a million of them.



















I managed to squeeze myself into the Duesy for a ride on Sunday back to the North's place. A perfect car to leave a great event in! Insanely cool!

 

WOW... Great stuff!

 

A real hot rod Duesenberg running with a hot cam! Chopped and channeled with custom rims.

 

Gawdamn that is kewl.

 

Thanks for sharing such great shots. I wish I could have made it but work kept me away. My folks live in Easton and I grew up in Queenstown, Maryland...between this show, the active Delaware rodding scene and the great rods being turned out by the Hot Rod Garage in Denton, MD, my beloved Delmarva Peninsula is slowing becoming a surprisingly hot little spot for automotive enthusiasts.

 

If you think that one is cool, wait till I get to the Rolls.

 

Meanwhile, the Judge acquired another car that would eventually have a skiff body, a 1925 Hispano Suiza. He picked it up for $1000 from an ad in Car and Parts magazine back in 1966. The car was in California where it had been stored outdoors for many years and eventually survived a brush fire. All the original mechanical components were present.

He bought the car and had it shipped to Maryland where he discovered that it needed a complete restoration. It lived in the backyard for many years.

Another local master wood worker in the 80's was Don Loweree, a gentleman in the marine trade. he had started a project in 86 assisted by his faithful assistant, Tom Campbell. They were commissioned by a local resident Johathan McLane to build a new wood body to retrofit a Rolls Royce with a hearse body. After they completed the new wooden body, it was stored as opposed to being installed. Judge North commissioned him to build a skiff body for the Hispano. David, the Judge and don Loweree developed a design for the Hispano that was not a replica of an existing car, but took cues, themes, and features from cars of the period of the late 20s. Loweree finished the body in Spanish cedar, the chosen material for Loweree's own acoustic guitars. He then moved away from the area and the Hispano languished unfinished until the late 1990's.

Having worked with John Todd on the Duesenberg to great success, the Norths asked Todd to finish the Hispano as well. It was entered in the 1999 Pebble Beach concours as a "Loweree and Todd Dual Cowl Phaeton. It attracted great attention and was invited to be displayed at the Essen, Germany International Auto Show. It was shipped there at the expense of the show management.

The Hispano, originally delivered to Italian prince Cito in 1925, is noteworthy for many reasons, but it highlights a very strong theme that runs through the pedigree of all three cars. Local artisan talent completed almost everything related to the substantial construction of these cars. The Norths themselves completed much of the mechanical work, with contributions from local technicians and metalworkers. The wooden coachwork was completed entirely within Talbot county. The huge aluminum fenders on the Hispano were fabricated by Ram Mosher.

The preceding story was quoted directly from the St MIchaels concours magazine. You really have to see this car in person to get a feel for just how big it is. The fenders on the front are a good 7 to 8 feet long and beautifully hand crafted.



These shots were taken at a private function. I couldn't get the car with good direct light but you get the feel for this huge vehicle.

 

Nice, and right in my backyard.

 

In the March 2007 edition of Auto Afficionado magazine, there was a series of articles by Terry Cook about 'new' coachbuilt cars and in one article, there was a series of sketches done by retired Chrysler designer, Dave Cummins, for an elegant, smallish baby-Duesenberg roadster about the size of a Bugatti Type 35 GP car that was supposedly to be fabricated for the North family collection. Kvisser, might you or anyone on here know if that project ever got off of the ground?

Just curious-Mark

 

Thanks for the great pics and write up. Sucks, event was right around the corner and I missed it.
Do they have the event around the same time every year?