Meadow Brook Concours D'Elegance 2006

MEADOW BROOK CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE 2006
Featuring the Classic Era and Mercedes
By Steve Purdy
TheAutoChannel.com
Detroit Bureau

Anyone who loves classic and other special cars and is within striking distance of Detroit could do nothing better with their time this weekend than immerse themselves in the 28th Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance events in Rochester Hills, MI, just north of Detroit. Meadow Brook is considered by most to be the second most prestigious show in the world, next only to Pebble Beach in California. The French Concours, the original and the show upon which these are based, has gone away.

About 250 classic and collector cars

Auburn boattail Speedster at Meadow Brook

from around the world will be carefully organized in circles throughout the 17th and 18th fairways of the Oakland University golf course, which wraps around the elegant stone Tudor-revival mansion known as Meadow Brook Hall. Built by the widow of auto baron John Dodge and her second husband in the 20s the spectacular mansion makes a perfect backdrop for these beautiful and unusual automobiles.

Don Sommer, noted collector and charming old guy, started this show

Don Sommer, Father of Meadow Brook

years ago. “We’re so proud of what this show has become,” he says, “and what the show has done for the preservation of Meadow Brook Hall.” This year’s show features cars of the classic era: five rare DuPont automobiles, Waterhouse bodied cars and perhaps the greatest gathering of rare Mercedes Benz automobiles ever assembled. And this is only one class of many. The oldest in the antique class will be an ’03, and you’ll see an 800-cubic-inch Austin as well. Muscle cars, convertibles, 40s classics, . . . you name it. I’m looking forward to seeing my neighbor’s freshly restored ’41 Mercury among these pre-war automobiles. As a treat for all car lovers the Pixar Cars stars Lightening McQueen, Sally and Mater will be there.

Fashion model with classic Marmon

The invitational Concours d’Elegance literally translated as an (“exhibition of elegance”) is not just a classic car show. In the early days in France it was the consummate life-style show featuring exotic and luxury automobiles along with fashion creations of the finest French couturiers. Meadow Brook continues that tradition by presenting a full-fledged fashion show on Friday, this year featuring designs from St. John and fragrances from Yves St. Laurent. The awards presentation at the Concours on Sunday will be interspersed with beautiful models, in their special outfits climbing in and out of the winning automobiles.

The RM Auction folks will be presenting a plethora of classics and special interest cars for sale on Saturday led by Bill Chorkey’s Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Murphy Boattail expected to bring bids in the high six-figures. Cord, Stutz, Rolls Royce, Auburn . . . better hurry if you want to bid – www.rmauctions.com.

One of my favorite elements of the Concours is the Automotive Fine Art show, hosted by internationally renowned artist Tom Hale, who every year

assembles more than a dozen automotive artists from around the world to display their work. Hale continues to discover the best artists, for whom automobiles are a central theme of their work, and bring them to Meadow Brook. This year’s featured artist is François Bruérer, born in LeMans on race day into a family of car collectors. His painting style is unusual and exemplified by the official poster featuring a rich blue Auburn Speedster against the sepia-toned backdrop of the mansion.

The best way to finish the show is bring a blanket and sit on the grassy knoll across from the reviewing stand where Ed Lucas, probably the most knowledgeable guy in the collector car business announces the winners, chats with the owners and provides his own color commentary in his rich deep voice.

I’ll be immersed in the show all week, so watch for a report next week on the winners, my favorite cars, the art and fashion shows and the whole ambiance on this, the best car show east of the Monterey Bay.

For details log on to www.meadowbrookconcours.org.