Another Saturday, Another Car Show

“Put 100 cars in a parking lot and I’ll have a good time.” This is my standard answer when someone asks what I thought of a particular car show.

In most areas, you can find three or four car shows in any given weekend. You can probably find a dozen or more within driving distance on any particular Saturday between May and September in the United States. Unfortunately, I have other things in my life that prevent me from attending each and every one of the shows that are within range in this rather car-show-rich region. So I get rather picky about the shows I attend.

Among my favorites are the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), the Burn Prevention Concours d’Elegance of the Eastern United States, the Fall AACA Meet and flea market in Hershey (Pennsylvania), and three particular Carlisle shows.

I have a special place for the Burn Prevention show. It remains one of the best Concours events in the United States even though new shows of this type are popping up left and right. In 2000, I was honored when I was asked to judge at this show. For the next six years, I worked the field judging the vehicles in attendance and it’s a great way to view these cars; especially when you are teamed with one or two other car fanatics who see things you miss (and vice versa).

When I judge a car show, I want to disagree with my fellow judges. As the first judge announces that his/her choices are car A, car B, and car C, I just want to offer another choice by pointing out the significant points of car X or car Y. Like I said, these are car fanatics and usually the best cars are car A, car B, and car C and cars X and Y are not nearly as nice. But when you can persuade a fellow judge to see your point of view, it just boosts your confidence in your judging and debating skills.

This year, I was unable to attend and judge the Burn Prevention show. As I was realizing this, I started looking for other shows that could replace it in my schedule. I couldn’t possibly go an entire summer without a concours event, could I?

Fortunately, there was another regional car show. The five-year-old York County Heritage Trust Concours d’Elegance fit into the calendar just right. I contacted the show and found that my judging background could be of assistance to them as well.

My team of judges included an architectural and automotive restorer and a former public relations person for a few import brands. As is always my desire, I was able to learn quite a bit from these two very knowledgeable gentlemen. Details about Rolls-Royce and Porsche flowed in my own private little automotive history class.

Our category was European cars after World War II. The cars listed in our category that intrigued me most included the Lotus Cortina and Jaguar saloon, the latter of which never actually made it to the show. A couple of Volvos and a Jaguar were also in the group. But the stand outs were a white Bentley S2 sedan and a 1976 Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible.

The Bentley and Rolls-Royce were obviously in a class by themselves and picking a winner between them came down to nit-picky things. Both cars were in spectacular condition; the Bentley was fully restored while the Rolls-Royce was all original.

Positive aspects of the Rolls-Royce included a few that I saw as negatives. The owner told us that the 1,800-mile car had never been in the rain and the car’s top had never been put down. My thoughts go back to a long-held mantra of mine: “if you’re not going to drive it, sell it to someone who will.” Cars are meant to be driven. While some of them might be pretty…some can even be considered to be artwork…they’re still just transportation. Driving them is part of the enjoyment of ownership. A convertible top that has never been folded is like having a piece of chocolate that you can’t eat.

As we continued to look at all of the cars to pick Best of Show, we came across a classic Cadillac V16. This long black Caddy had all of the makings of a show winner. Lines of a car that manufacturers couldn’t possibly produce (which is why the body was custom-built by a coachbuilder). Engineering that was absolutely unique to the time period and featured a 45-degree V16 engine. Seven-passenger seating in some of the opulent materials of the day. In our minds, this was the winner.

And that was set in our minds for about five minutes. After we passed a classic Chrysler and a Wills St. Claire, there it was: a French Vanilla 1948 Delahaye. The body of the Delahaye 135 was built by Figoni & Falaschi which made the car a standout. Chrome mouldings wrapped from below the car up over the tail of the car on each fender with an accent like a spit curl coming in from each trim piece. It was an award-winning exterior, but that wasn’t what cinched it for us.

We peeked into many cars that Saturday morning. Interiors of cars of the 1930s and 1940s are considerably different those of today. Where today’s interiors are all about safety and ergonomics, cars of 50 and 60 years ago featured styled interiors. Some of the interiors of these show cars turned metal dashboards and one even had an attractive design with simulated sunbeams radiating from an imagined sun just below the center of the dashboard. But the Delahaye had the most unique treatment.

Gazing across the instrument panel, you noticed that each and switch or knob, even the tiny steering column-mounted shift lever, was Lucite. The almost-crystal-looking features gave a ghostly appearance to the dashboard. But over on the right side of the interior was a large steering wheel, which, except for the center hub, was entirely Lucite. This was the hands-down winner for us. And most of the other judges must have agreed since it did take the title of Best of Show.”

While these fantastic marvels of opulence are the most expensive vehicles at a concours event, they’re not usually the reason why I enjoy them. The biggest draw for me comes in the form of the rare cars that attract fewer people. Vehicles like the odd-ball Thrif-T three-wheeler presented as being so rare that the owner couldn’t find out how many had been produced by the Springfield, Massachusetts-based Tri-Wheel Motor Corporation.

Four themes were evident. First was the featured designer Giugiaro who created the original Volkswagen Golf (known in the US as the Rabbit), the infamous Delorean, and a number of exotics from Maserati and Iso. Second was the featured year of 1957 represented by Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth models. Third was the anniversary of the New York to Paris race where an American Thomas Flyer, similar to the one on display, won. And because this show was in York, a local flavor was also spun into the gathering. Four locally built Pullman cars and the locally built Hart-Kraft truck.

When you go to one of these car shows, you could accidentally learn something. Whether it’s an appreciation for the beauty of these cars or the history lesson that comes from hearing how or why some of these vehicles came into being, a day at a car show is more than just walking around and looking at cars. And if you’re like my judging partner, it can become a day where you can bond with your child. Someday I hope to pass my love and appreciate for all things automotive to my children. In the meantime, I can just encourage others to take your kid to a car show.

Perhaps I can get a few more people to enjoy car shows like I do. And maybe I’ll encourage another group of people to put their “100 cars in a parking lot” where I and many others can “have a good time.”