The 29th Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance (Sunday June 16, 2024) is a ‘day for dads’, as well as for families and car enthusiasts, held on the most expensive slab of real estate in the world. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, gets shut down from Wilshire Blvd to Little Santa Monica Blvd for a free-to-the-public display of around 100 vintage and classic automotive works of rolling art. The event is a day-long celebration of the world’s finest automobiles, and an enjoyable way for the entire family to honour their fathers in Beverly Hills style. Frommer’s Travel Guide named the event “one of the 300 unmissable events in the world”.
Elegant shops and bistros such as Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton and Armani frame the exotic car show like a high-end museum exhibition. Rodeo Drive is also a glossy collection of high-profile jewellers that cater to movie stars, royalty and rock icons, so it is a very appropriate location in which to present an automotive exhibit of precious classics, exotic sports cars, modern luxury machines, hypercars and supercars valued in the multi-millions.
The show is the largest single-day concours in North America, with more than 50,000 people in attendance this year
The show is the largest single-day concours in North America, with more than 50,000 people in attendance this year. Each year, the event presents a different main automotive celebration or marque that creates an added interest to seasoned car geeks, as well as to families that just want to stroll the street and enjoy the cars in the warm California sun. Many of the vehicles are not normally seen by the general public, so it’s a rare opportunity for spectators to see the cars and talk to the collectors.
This year hypercars and supercars were the main feature, including McLaren, Koenigsegg, Pagani, Czinger, Hennessey and Apollo. The Lamborghini Miura is considered by many to be the first supercar, while the Hennessey Venom F5 is currently being tuned to exceed the 300mph barrier. RM Sotheby’s had a fabulous yellow Miura in its showroom around the corner from the concours on Camden Drive, where it hosted a reception for the exclusive Checkered Flag 200 members from LA’s Petersen Automotive Museum.
Founder and chairman Bruce Meyer told us: “What brings me the most happiness is I look over the crowds that are here, and the diversity, the gender, the ethnicity, the variety of people that come to enjoy this event is what makes it for me. It’s all about the people and the community, and about sharing. We’re standing in front of maybe 30 or 40 million dollars’ worth of cars, and nobody talks about the value, they talk about the beauty, they talk about sharing – which is what this show is all about. What pleases me the most is that we are able to give back to the community with $7500 cheques for the Beverly Hills Police Officers Association and Beverly Hills Firefighters’ Association, thanks to our many sponsors.”
As a final treat, Jay Leno rolled in piloting his striking yellow McLaren P1, to assist Meyer, Mayor Friedman and Rodeo Drive Committee president Kay Monica Rose for the on-stage awards presentation. I cornered Leno, who told me: “This show is less than a mile from my house, so I come right over to see great cars. It’s a lot of fun.”
Awards:
- Best of Show – Phillip Sarofim, 1979 Porsche 935/No. 79 Interscope Racing
- Chairman’s Award – Mel Matsurra, 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza
- Mayor’s Award: Most Elegant – Aaron Weiss, 1931 Cadillac Sport Phaeton
- Icon Award: Timeless Classic – Matt Guirguis, 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster
- Beverly Hills Blockbuster: Most Eye Appeal – Michael Kerns, 1967 Bizzarrini 5300 Strada
- Rodeo Drive Award: Most Stylish – John D’Agostino, 1941 Cadillac ‘Gable II’
- Police Chief’s Award: Life in the Fast Lane – Matt Katz, 2008 Koenigsegg CCXR
- Fire Chief’s Award: Smokin’ Haute Classic – Logan McJilton, Hypersociety, 2019 McLaren Senna GTR
- Rodeo Drive Award: Most Fashionable – Richard Davis, 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
- Carroll Shelby Award: Most Sporting – Cole Hennessey, 2023 Hennessey Venom F5 Coupe
- Steve McQueen Award: Classic Sports Car – Bryant Kreadon, 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
- Most Passionate Enthusiast – Andrew Labi
