The Best Summer Car Show East of the Mississippi - Concours D'Elegance of America at St. John 2014

By Steve Purdy
TheAutoChannel.com
Michigan Bureau

This Sunday, July 27th I’ll be off before the crack of dawn for the one-hour drive to The Inn at St, John’s on Five Mile Road just east of Sheldon in Plymouth, Michigan to get my early morning artsy photographs of some of the finest and most unusual classic and collector cars in the world. The organizers promise the best show yet. Considering the level of past shows that’s a big promise.

In addition to the European and American luxury and sports cars of the first half of the last century, like the Duisenberg’s and Bugatti’s, always a staple of a Concours d’Elegance, we’ll see a class of pre-1916 motorcycles, vintage drag bikes, a Lamborghini anniversary celebration class, stylish 1950s pickups, along with anniversary celebration classes for both Mustang and Pontiac GTO.

For the first time the Concours will honor a notable collector – Oscar Davis of Elizabeth, New Jersey who will bring five unique cars from his magnificent collection. We do not say “unique” lightly. These are all one-of-a-kind exotics: 1938 Talbot Lago by Figoni et Falaschi, 1954 Maserati with Zagato body, 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Speciale, 1937 BMW 328 Mille Miglia “Buegelfalte,” and a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 “B” Touring Spyder.

Virgil Exner will also honored as one of the most important designers of his age. Starting out working under GM’s famous Harley Earl and then the famous designer Raymond Lowey he landed at Chrysler in the early 1950s guiding that company’s designs into the 1960s. That was a golden age of car design that Chrysler may have missed had it not been for the inspired designs of Mr. Exner. Three classes will honor Exner, including one of concept cars.

RM Auctions hosts one of their best sales at St. John’s with inspection of cars and a reception Friday and sale all day Saturday. If you register to bid you’ll have the opportunity to buy the kind of cars you’ll see at the Sunday show. RM produces auctions all over the world and they handle only the finest cars. Stop by Saturday if you just want to see all these great cars ready to change hands.

Another wonderful adjunct to the Concours is the Automotive Art Exhibition housed in a ballroom inside the Inn on Friday and Saturday then moved to a large tent on the field for Sunday. Here you’ll see and be able to buy the works of some of the best artists in the world for whom the automobile is a central theme.

As has been a tradition with this Concours, an exhibit of period clothing will punctuate the pass-in-review. Margery Krevsky, talent agency owner and author of Sirens of Chrome, produces the Mode du Concours with some of her models wearing clothing she has collected from past auto shows. The models ride to the reviewing stand in some of the most interesting cars as Ms. Krevsky narrates.

You’ll not have to get up as early as I to see the show. It opens to the public at 10AM and goes until 4PM. Admission is $25 and kids under 12 are free with paid adult general admission. A VIP ticket is also available for $125 and includes onsite parking, lunch at the Inn and special viewing stand.

If you are anywhere near the Detroit area and would attend even one car show a year, this would be the one. With over 300 rare and significant cars, automobile art, a variety of vendors, and hours of narrated pass-in-review it is a great way to spend the day.

For details go to: www.concoursusa.org or call 248-643-8645.