Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance
First time venue proves a winner
May 17, 2009
Photography from Roy Spencer and GreatBuildings.com
Concours, Concours, Concours: They are springing up everywhere. Long running traditional events such as Palo Alto, Hillsborough – and of course the pinnacle, Pebble Beach – are being joined by a growing number of new shows. The latest newcomer, the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance took advantage of the unique Frank Lloyd Wright designed Marin Civic Center’s grassy “Lagoon Park” to present a relaxed and spacious show on May 17, 2009.
Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, Marin's Civic Center building is an architectural gem.
The San Francisco bay area is home to a number of world class car collections including the Arturo Keller collection, the Mozart collection and that of Tom Price. Luring these great cars out of their protective cocoons requires a fair amount of cajoling and often outright pleading. Organizers with contacts to the great cars, a gorgeous venue, and excellent event management are the essential ingredients for a great show. The Marin Sonoma show had all three ingredients plus spectacular – if boiling hot! – weather to stage a very successful debut.
Lagoon and park sits behind Civic Center buildings and provided a perfect venue for the Concours.
Featured marques Corvette and Ferrari widened the appeal of the show beyond arcane European models and undoubtedly helped attendance. The show was first class as was the treatment of entrants, with each receiving a thoughtful bag of goodies that even included sun screen, a welcome gift on a bright 95 degree day. The Best of Show award was cleverly split into two awards, Best of Show d’Elegance and a Best of Show d’Sport.
The mind boggling Arturo Keller collection sits 20 minutes from Marin County and provided d'Elegance Best of Show winner: 1934 Deusenberg SJ Dual Cowl Phaeton.
Best of Show d’Elegance went to the breathtaking 1934 Deusenberg SJ Dual Cowl Phaeton owned by Arturo and Deborah Keller. Lacking the whitewall tires that support 90% of the approximately 600 remaining Duesenbergs, the Keller Dual Cowl Phaeton is the personification of elegance.
1959 Corvette clothed in sleek Scaglietti coachwork captured d'Sport Best of Show. (Shown here at Pebble Beach August 2008)
On the sporting side of Best of Show, the judges chose a car that most show visitors did not know existed, the exquisitely proportioned 1959 Scaglietti Corvette. Based on a 1959 Corvette, the brilliant metallic blue Berlinetta has very Ferrari-esque coachwork and rightly so as it was one of three constructed by Ferrari’s coach builder Scaglietti (pronounced scah-li-etti)in 1959. Three bodyless 1959 Corvettes were flown to Scaglietti’s small shop in Italy to be completed next to Ferrari Tour de Frances.
Richard Moore takes shelter from blistering heat in the trunk of his 1947 Chrysler Town and Country. Marin was hot!
Among a very strong entry my show standouts included the unrestored 1929 Mercedes “S” roadster owned by Michael Mackintosh of San Rafael, the unrestored 1955 Lancia Aurelia in bath tub green of Steve Katzman, and Tom Price’s 1962 Ferrari 250GTO.
Extraordinary unrestored Murphy bodied 1929 Mercedes S has quite a story behind it.
With the exception of the traditional (although finished in body color rather plated) grille profile, the Macintosh ’29 Mercedes “S” had a distinct “Hot Rod” look about it, something you might find cruising sunset boulevard in Los Angeles on a warm evening in the early ’50s. I didn’t recall such coachwork from Stuttgart in the ’20s. After reading the accompanying placards chronicling this amazing car’s history, it all made sense. The car carried minimalist boat tail coachwork provided my Murphy and Company located in…Los Angeles. Originally owned by the Marx brothers, and the participant in an outlandish duel with stripped a down Deusenberg Model J on the dusty Muroc dry lakes in October 1932, this unrestored pre-war Mercedes had it all; presence, patina, and a great story behind it.
Tom Price's $20m Ferrari 250GTO a Marin Sonoma show star.
Price’s GTO was remarkable simply because of its quiet presence in the flesh and among the masses. There are only 32 examples on the planet. Arguably the most gorgeous, sensual and seductive post-war sports-racing automobile, the sublime GTO fools most passersby who would certainly have paused for a closer look had they realized they were in the presence of a $20m automobile.
Bill Brooks and his Tobacco Brown(423) 1970 280SE "low grille" six cylinder cabriolet. 1 of aprox 376 constructed.
Among the Mercedes on display were Bill Brooks’ immaculate 1970 280SE “low grille” cabriolet, Pat and Patti Matthews’ 1955 300Sc roadster, Tom Thornhill’s anthracite(172) 1955 Gullwing, Mark Biestman’s silver(180) 1956 Gullwing and George Gallucci showing his dark blue 1959 190SL.
Charming blue/tan 190SL shown by George Gallucci.
The sense from all those involved and most visitors I spoke to pointed to the show being quite a success, particularly for a first-time event. And it will happen again on May 16, 2010. Mark your calendar.
Silver Rudge-wheeled 1956 Gullwing shown by Mark Biestman.
Rare anthracite grey(172) 1955 Gullwing owned by Tom Thornhill.
Excellent pre-1969 Ferrari display another show highlight.
John Mozart's glorious Fantuzzi bodied Ferrari TR59 makes a very rare appearance.
Fisker Karma quite a stylish $88k plug-in hybrid.
Roy Spencer, editor MercedesHeritage.com
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