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Ned J. and Kate Lawler Shamrock Motoring Images
It was very blustery, and cold—but when the gray morning dawned it was no longer raining. And the third annual Audrain Concours d’Elegance on the grounds of the legendary Breakers “cottage” went on as planned October 2. The convertible tops were down, but the winter coats and scarfs came out and some owners huddled in their cars for warmth and wind evasion.
As at Pebble Beach, this is a Concours and Motor Week, with a full round of seminars and events (yoga was canceled because of the weather!). It’s an increasingly successful attempt to make this historic New England summer retreat famous for something other than its annual folk and jazz festivals. Saturday’s Tour d’Elegance around Newport, Rhode Island, and vicinity got drenched, but heavy rain didn’t deter the 25 to 30 hardy souls, some of whom were driving topless. There is precedent for Newport’s automotive bona fides, because the first US car race—the Vanderbilt Cup—was held on its roads in 1900.
Cadillac was a sponsor this year, and that brought out not only the Lyriq electric car and Escalade V-Series but also a big display of vintage examples of the marque. The most spectacular was a 1953 Series 62 coupe bodied (just one of two) by Ghia with a bold wraparound rear window—new technology in 1953. The Petersen Automotive Museum owns this beautiful example, which it turns out was not a gift to Rita Hayworth from Prince Aly Kahn. Another display Caddy, a 1929 town sedan, had been impounded as evidence by the Bridgeport, Connecticut, police during the investigation into the disappearance of flyer Charles Lindbergh’s son.
The Best in Show award went to William Medcalf for his 1930 Bentley Speed Six Sports Saloon. It also won in the European Luxury 1920 to 1935 category. The Most Elegant award was scooped up by Lawrence Auriana for his racy red 1968 Alfa-Romeo 33 Stradale.
Jay Leno, who has a house nearby and is a close friend of Audrain Automobile Museum CEO Donald Osborne, is a regular at the concours and was seen admiring the Nethercutt Collection’s 1931 Bugatti Type 51 coupe. “In the old days, cars like this would have been broken up, with one person getting the chassis and someone else the engine,” Leno said. “It’s a beautiful car.” The attendees thought so too, because the Bugatti won the People’s Choice award. The Hagerty Youth Judges award went to the 1912 Mercer 35C Raceabout from the Heritage Museums and Gardens.
Here are some other highlights:
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