WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOGRAPHY: hagerty
Hagerty has announced that the inaugural Detroit Concours d’Elegance will take place at the Detroit Institute of Arts on September 16-18, 2022. The ‘reimagined’ event replaces the Concours d’Elegance of America, which ran in Motor City for four decades before being acquired by Hagerty in March 2021.
The new event aims to celebrate the people and cars that helped to develop American automotive culture in its formative years. It will feature new-vehicle showcases, ride-and-drive opportunities, displays and the new Cars & Community feature, in addition to Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance.
The event will also celebrate Motor City itself, with exclusive receptions and dining taking place in some of Detroit’s best venues. In addition, the city’s distinguished College for Creative Studies will host legends of automotive design for several in-depth seminars.
“We’re incredibly excited about the event’s new home in downtown Detroit. Being there puts car lovers right in the middle of the thriving design, music and sporting culture of the Motor City,” said Hagerty CEO McKeel Hagerty. “This event will honour the tradition of the concours, but also bring in new elements to provide on-ramps for future car lovers and families.”
Cars & Community is one of the notable “new elements” McKeel alludes to. It is intended as a family-friendly automotive festival that bolsters the previous event’s Cars & Caffeine feature with a RADwood celebration of 1980s and ‘90s vehicles, as well as a Kids’ Zone and Concours d’Lemons display.
One area of continuity from the old event is that Sunday is entirely dedicated to celebrating the world’s finest automobiles with the Concours d’Elegance competition. This will take place in the grounds of the Detroit Institute of Arts at the city’s cultural centre.
Detroit Concours d’Elegance tickets will be available here, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to local charities.
