The second annual Arizona Concours D’Elegance was held on January 11, 2015 to kick off a week of classic car auctions being held in the Phoenix, AZ region. It was held on the grounds of the Arizona Biltmore hotel and raised over $70,000 for their charity, Make A Wish Arizona.
Being a traditional concours judging show, there was some serious judging going on. Combined with great weather and friendly people, how could you go wrong?
There were two Mercedes Benz gullwings, one of my all-time favorite designs. One, a 1955 300SL, was festooned with a number of racing tech inspection stickers for Laguna Seca and obviously was a well used rally car. It had never been restored and still had the original plaid interior. The other, an earlier 1954, turned out to be the first “delivered” gullwing and was probably actually a factory pilot car that was rushed to sale, with many hand formed parts before the factory tooling ramped up. I even saw a third gullwing parked in the garage and not even entered into the competition.
At first glance, one might assume this was just another Volkswagen until you look at the rear end. That's when you know something is up! The rear end featured a “pope's tail” that makes it notable. This was a Hebmuller Cabriolet produced under license from Volkswagen. The exact number made and still in existence is hazy, but this car is amazing. It won first in class for the avant garde category.
Any car show with a 1953 Corvette is a keeper for me. Many of you may know that only three hundred Corvettes were made in their first year; all the same exterior body and interior colors. This was #298 out of 300 and actually made on Christmas Eve, 1953. The current owner has owned it for four decades.
A 1952 Oldsmobile 98 Holiday hardtop won a class award, and with only 29,105 original miles and 100% original everything, why wouldn't it? This beauty was a three owner survivor and drew lots of admiring glances. I always feel a deep attraction to survivors, cars that have made it with their original factory pieces and colors.
Finally I fell in love with this over the top 1937 Rolls Royce. At first glance, one might think this was gaudy, until you stop and appreciate all the workmanship on this lovely, graceful lady. The Rolls Royce was originally a ‘37 but in 1947 it was rebodied by the then owner John Gaul. Afterwards it has been affectionately known as Gaul's “Copper Kettle” and for good reason! That is copper over steel body work and includes extensive rattan lacework and copper burnishing. Absolutely breathtaking and countless hours were utilized to make this one a classic.
After the concours on Sunday there was a short private rally for the participants on Monday. They drove these classics around the roadways and had another great day in the Arizona sun.