Krasl Concours d'Elegance
2010 Krasl Art Center Concours Biggest And Most Exciting Yet Annual Event Scheduled For Saturday, August 7, 2010 90 Vintage Machine Display Largest Ever St. Joseph, MI – June 24, 2010 – The sixth Krasl Art Center Concours, scheduled for Saturday, August 7, 2010, is well on its way to being the biggest and most exciting yet, with more than 90 vintage cars and trucks on display, plus special exhibits of vintage motorcycles and bicycles, and, for the first time, an exciting new Youth Judging program. The Concours is a fundraising event for the Krasl Art Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, American Association of Museums-accredited museum. A modest admission of $5 per person or $10 per family will be charged. Greenleaf Trust Joined By Gladiator/Garage Works Davis also announced that for the sixth year in a row, the Concours’ lead sponsor will be Greenleaf Trust of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and that Gladiator/Garage Works, a division of Whirlpool Corporation, has signed on as a second major sponsor. Activities Get Underway At 10 A.M. The Concours begins at 10 a.m., with Pass In Review events at noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. All entries will be examined by teams of experienced judges and a total of 14 trophies, including Best of Show and People's Choice, will be presented following the final Pass In Review. Pass In Review events will be narrated by F. Edward Lucas, well known in automotive circles as “the voice of Meadow Brook and Amelia Island.” Concours Keeps On Growing In Prominence And Stature Since its inaugural in 2005, which featured 40 vehicles, the Krasl Art Center Concours has exhibited a wide variety of restored classic and vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles 35 years old or older owned by private collectors and museums and, during that time, has grown in prominence and stature, increased attendance each year and consistently improved the quality and variety of vehicles on display. 2010 Concours To Be A Real Crowd Pleaser According to Dar Davis, Concours founder and chairman, this year’s program is going to be a real crowd pleaser, with the largest display of vehicles in Concours history and some new special events. “Last year,” he noted, “we had 80 fabulous cars on display, twice the number we started with in 2005, and that was a self-imposed limit. But,” he continued, “I’m happy to report that, thanks to growing awareness of our show throughout the world of car collectors, we’re up to 90 vehicles and applications are still rolling in.” Ford Mustang To Be Featured Marque The Ford Mustang, now in its 45th model year, will be the featured marque at the 2010 Concours and a goodly number of beautifully restored Mustangs built between 1964 – its first year – and 1975 will be on display. Motorcycles And Bicycles Also On Display “In addition to cars and trucks, we also will have several vintage motorcycles and, for the first time, vintage bicycles on display,” Davis announced. “Last year was the first for motorcycles and we had several classic machines, including a 1920 Cleveland Single. We expect several more this year. As for bicycles,” he continued, “these will be displayed in a special area and we already have at least 12 vintage machines signed up.” Jack Telnack, Retired Ford VP Of Design Featured Designer One highlight of the Concours in recent years has been the appearance of a featured automobile designer. Last year, the featured designer was Wayne Kady of General Motors, and the year before, Wayne Cherry, retired GM vice president of design. This year, Jack Telnack, 40 year Ford veteran and former vice president of design, will be the Concours’ featured designer. Telnack joined Ford as a designer in 1958 and rose through the ranks, becoming vice president of design in 1987. In 1982, he led the team that designed the breakthrough 1986 Ford Taurus, one of the most successful cars in Ford history. On Friday evening, as part of the Concours opening festivities, Mr. Telnack will make a special presentation to exhibit car owners and Krasl Art Center members. New This Year: The Hagerty Operation Ignite! Youth Judging Program Another new feature this year is the Hagerty Operation Ignite! Youth Judging Program, a program aimed at introducing young people between the ages of 8 and 18 to the excitement and camaraderie of the automobile collector and restoration hobby. The program, created by Hagerty Collector Car Insurance Company of Traverse City, Michigan, also strives to instill an appreciation of the automobile as an art form, not just an appliance. The Krasl Art Center is proud to host a program that brings area youth into the world of beautiful modes of transportation. After a training session with Hagerty staff, teams of participating youth from the area are given official shirts, hats, clipboards and checklists and then sent out to judge a limited number of vehicles entered in the Concours. They check interiors, paint, engine compartment and even the car's horn. Owners of cars judged winners by the Hagerty kids receive special awards. Youngsters wishing to participate in Operation Ignite! should call or e-mail Education Director Julia Gourley at 983-0271 (jgourley@krasl.org) for details. Post War Thoroughbred Cars Also Featured According to Davis, in addition to classic and vintage machines and Ford Mustangs built between 1964 and 1975, the Concours will feature examples of a special group of cars he refers to as Post War Thoroughbreds, which, he says, would include such cars as a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado, 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II, 1955-56 Packard Caribbean, 1953 Nash Healey, 1950 Healey Silverstone, 1954 Kaiser Darrin and a 1957-58 Cadillac Brougham. For further information: Dar Davis: 269.983.0742 drd43@sbcglobal.net # # # #