WORDS: DAVID LILLYWHITE | PHOTOGRAPHY: AUDRAIN NEWPORT CONCOURS
It’s been just four short but eventful years since the Audrain organisation launched its Motor Week and Concours – and my, how it’s grown. Conveniently missing the rainy first days of Motor Week, I flew in to sample the fifth-ever Audrain Newport Concours after a few days at the American Speed Festival in Michigan. Shamefully, it was my first-ever visit, although we’ve always had Magneto representation at the event.
First impressions? That the area and the location of the Concours are stunning. Newport, Rhode Island is one of the US’s most historic towns, with imposing architecture and wonderful coast views, and the Concours is based at The Breakers, a mansion house perched on top of the Atlantic coast clifftops. It’s the most famous of the ‘Newport Cottages’ and a former home of the Vanderbilt family – which numbered among them Willie K Vanderbilt, one of the greatest car enthusiasts of the early 20th century. The Concours cars themselves – 180 of them this year – are displayed on the huge lawn between the house and the coast.
As for those cars, there was a crowd-pleasing mix of more affordable, relatable models alongside the higher-end thoroughbreds – of which there were many. Some can safely be called ‘legendary’: the Nethercutt Collection’s ‘Twenty Grand’ 1933 Duesenberg SJ (above); the Mullin Collection’s Figoni & Falaschi 1937 Delahaye 135 M; Bruce McCaw’s Le Mans-winning 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W194; Fritz Burkard’s 1938 Delage D8-120 De Villars Roadster; Robert S Jepson’s 1936 Horch 853A Special Roadster; and Brian Ross’s 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta.
Then there was the eclectic stuff, with none more so than ‘Gilda’, the gas turbine-powered 1955 Ghia Streamline X. Other rarities included a 1947 Cisitalia 202 MM Aerodynamica Coupé and a 1948 Cisitalia 202 SMM Nuvolari Spyder, a wonderful line-up of ‘Etceterini’ and a selection celebrating 100 years of MG.
Audrain once again included its 30 Under 30 Class, for cars owned by under-30s, which brought in a great selection of models that would never otherwise have featured, from an usually well restored Triumph Herald through the popular-in-this-class Porsche 944 and lowered performance cars of the 1980s and ’90s, to – wait for it – a 1998 Suzuki X-90 (below) with a paint-job that wouldn’t have embarrassed a 1930s coachbuilt class winner.
The appeal of the cars was added to with a small line-up of trade stalls, the usual impressive watchmaking display from sponsor A. Lange et Söhne and arguably the best commentary and audio-visual entertainment of any concours. Jay Leno with long-time co-host and Audrain CEO Donald Osborne plus Englishman Nic Waller made for a strong line-up, which was complemented by high-quality large-screen videos of Jay and Donald driving some of the stars of the event. It worked well.
Downsides? The rain had conspired to turn bits of the previously immaculate lawns to mud, although the organisers had made a good job of covering it and diverting visitors around the worst bit. The catering was weak, particularly for us regular (non-VIP) guests. Parking was busy outside the event but regular shuttles ran from the town centre, so it never seemed to be an issue. UK-based Vintage Bentley specialist William Medcalf was one of many entrants and visitors to comment during the day that this event is “really on the up”.
And so onto the awards, of which there were many, chosen by a strong line-up of 65 international judges, all introduced on stage; Wayne Carini received the biggest cheer from the crowd. The judges’ class and special award winners are listed below, with the Founders’ Award (1937 Delahaye 135, above) being particularly poignant, given the recent passing of Peter Mullin.
Best in Show went to the 1938 Delage D8-120 Roadster of Fritz Burkard (below). Created by the coachbuilding firm of De Villars of Courbevoie, France, it’s a flamboyant design that reflects both the industrialisation of Europe and the Art Deco era. The De Villars Company became well known for the extraordinary quality of its designs as well as the execution of the final product, and the D8-120 was introduced in Paris in October 1938. It quickly became known as ‘the queen of international Concours d’Elegance’. Current owner Fritz bought the Delage in 2019, and it has recently been shown at concours on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the 2022 Peninsula Best of the Best Award.
The awards were as follows:
30 Under 30 Pre-1965 – 1963 Triumph Herald 1200 Convertible owned by Denton Owen
30 Under 30 1960s and 1970s – 1967 Volkswagen Kombi Bus Station Wagon owned by Adam Carceller
30 Under 30 1980s and 1990s – 1983 Porsche 944 Coupé owned by Austin Spooner
30 Under 30 1980s and 1990s Special Award – 1998 Suzuki X-90 Coupé owned by Henry Drayton
American 1928 to 1933 – 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom-Brewster Derby Speedster owned by Stephen Brauer
American 1934 to 1940 – 1934 Cadillac Stationary Coupe owned by Don Ghareeb
American 1940 to 1955 – 1954 Packard Caribbean Convertible by The Sweezey Collection by Parker’s Packards
American 1955 to 1975 – 1966 Chevrolet Fitch Sprint Corvair owned by Bryan Lamotte
British Icons – 1935 Riley MPH Sprite Roadster owned by The Frank Rubino Collection
Chrysler’s Forward Look – 1956 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible Coupe owned by John R and Lynne K Cote
Curvaceous & Streamlined – 1938 Delage D8-120 De Villars Roadster owned by Fritz Burkard
European 1920-1940 – 1927 Mercedes-Benz Model K Open Roadster owned by Michael and Joannie Rich
European 1945-1960 – 1953 Delahaye 135 MS CL Speciale Faget-Varnet owned by Anthony Collé
European 1960-1980 – 1961 Maserati 3500 GT Coupé owned by John Johnson
Racing Sports Cars – 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta 0258MM owned by Brian Ross
Little Gems — 1946 Fiat 1100 Frua Spider owned by Don Bernstein and Pat Taylor
MG 1930s – 1932 MG F1 Magna Stiles Special Threesome owned by Matt Emmens
MG 1945-1965 – 1954 MG TF Roadster owned by Lisa and German Garcia
Post-War Sports – 1963 Shelby American Cobra Mk I Roadster owned by Lewis B Pollard
Style & Speed – 1965 Lamborghini 350 GT Coupé owned by Doug Cohen
Veteran – 1912 Simplex 50HP Torpedo Tourer owned by Singleton Collection
Touring Motorcycles – 1938 Harley-Davidson owned by Cindy Mesmer
Competition Motorcycles – 1955 Fratelli Ferrari 150cc Cafe Racer owned by Chris Mauro
People’s Choice award – The 1973 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1 Colonnade Sun Coup owned by Philip and Grace Roitman
Simeone Trophy for Historic Presence – Bruce McCaw for his 1952 Mercedes-Benz W194 300 SL
Colin Foote Family Project Award – John Holzscheiter for his 1972 BMW E9 3.5 CS
Most Elegant – 1937 Delahaye 135 M owned by Tom McGough
Hagerty Youth Judges’ Award – 1903 Grout Model J owned by Bill and Sarah Cook
Timeless Luxury – 1933 Duesenberg SJ, ‘The Twenty Grand’, owned by Helen and Jack Nethercutt
Chairman’s Choice Award – 1953 Nardi 750 Roadster owned by Edward Gregory
Design Award – 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic owned by Mark F O’Neil
Sporting Choice – 1947 Cisitalia 202 MM Aerodynamica owned by Lawrence Auriana
Founders’ Award – 1937 Delahaye 135 owned by Merle and Peter Mullin
“It was a truly outstanding day that I am sure will be long remembered by many for its class winners and a truly amazing Best in Show winner, which was driven over 300 miles from Vermont to the show by its owner,” said Donald Osborne. “I am sure everyone will come away with new memories that will not soon be forgotten. My hope is that everyone who attended this year will come away with a newfound love for our area, our city and the hospitality they received. We will continue to look for new ways to further enhance future Motor Weeks and continue to strengthen our place in the global concours world as a must-attend event.”
The next Audrain’s Newport Concours d’Elegance will be held on Sunday October 6, 2024 as a part of the Concours & Motor Week beginning on October 3.
