WORDS: WAYNE BATTY | PHOTOS: ROB KAUFMAN, DEB POLLACK
The grand finale of the 21st Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance took place in ideal weather at the prestigious Port Royal Golf Club in the South Carolina Lowcountry. As a motoring festival executed with southern flair that aims to honour the rich tradition of the automobile in all its forms, the concours was a huge success. Attended by more than 22,000 enthusiasts, the event showcased more than 550 works of rolling art from all corners of the globe.
Special exhibits this year included selected cars from the Gilmore Car Museum including Packard’s Twin Six experimental racing car from 1916, motor sport legend Bobby Rahal’s personal collection and Ed Bolian’s impressive collection of hypercars.
Anniversaries for MG, Porsche and Corvette were honoured with special classes, along with a focus on Indy 500 Race Cars and Classics of Indiana. It was from this latter class that emerged the Best of Show winner in Chip Cofer’s Indiana-built 1935 Duesenberg SJ Convertible, which also won the award for Best Rolling Art.
A 1952 Allard J2X owned by Stan Cryz claimed the Best Road and Track award, while The Paul Doerring Founders’ Award went to a 1956 Continental Mark II owned by John Keesee, which also won the Personal Luxury Cars class. Don Tharp’s two impressive Nash-Healeys, a 1950 Panelcraft-bodied Roadster and a 1952 Pinin Farina Roadster claimed the Timeless Elegance Award sponsored by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and Best American Sports Car respectively.
A hugely important and fast-growing aspect of the concours is its celebration of female classic car collectors. As one of the event’s esteemed judges, Deb Pollack, remarked: “Inaugurated in 2019, the highly regarded and very competitive Women Driving America class has become an excellent example of the empowerment women have taken on in every car role, including passionate collector.” Fittingly, the popular People’s Choice award was won by Anne Marie Ihling’s 1969 Chevrolet Corvette, while the overall Ladies’ Choice Award sponsored by Women Driving America went to Mary White and her 1923 Rolls-Royce Twenty HP Sanderson & Holmes of Derby Tourer.
Based not only on the quality of the cars, venue and judging team, but also on the glowing reports of its guests, Hilton Head Island’s case as a competitor to the US’s premier concours appears to have genuine substance.
