Concours d'Elegance of America : Best of Show
By: conceptcarz.com
Over 300 vehicles were invited to participate in the 39th Annual Concours d'Elegance of America. This year's event paid tribute to many special features, including Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, Can Am Challenge Cup, Cobra, Murphy of Pasadena, Jet Age Juniors, along with an outstanding assortment of Classics and early Brass Cars.
Arturo and Deborah Keller were selected as this years 'Collectors of the Year.' They chose to highlight their collection by bringing a selection of Aerodynamic Coupes to this year's Concours d'Elegance of America. Five vehicles from their private collection were on display, marking the first time all five of these vehicle have been shown together in public.
The 'Enthusiast of the Year' was Ralph Gilles, Head of Design, FCA Global. To celebrate, he brought a selection of cars including his 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme, several past FCA concept cars, and his Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Zagato. Gilles said, 'the vehicles I selected for the Concours d'Elegance of America prove that while function is important, form truly follows passion.'
Best of Show
The Concours of America celebrates two 'Best of Show', one Foreign and one American. The judges selected the Stutz DV-32 Convertible Victoria owned by Joseph and Margie Cassini as their favorite 'American' car. The 'Foreign' Best of Show winner was the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A owned by The Patterson Collection.
Astonishingly, both cars have a similar sporty profile and similar Convertible Victoria bodystyles. Both have long hoods, and a short/raked windshield.
Stutz DV-32
In the early 1930s, Stutz doubled the number of valves per cylinder in its engine resulting in a boost of horsepower by 40-percent from the base motor. It was known as the DV-32 for its 32 valves, and it was used to power vehicles that were adorned in an array of bodies.
The Cassini's Stutz features a radically raked and shortened folding windshield design, the longest Stutz hood (lengthened by more than 6-inches), and a set-back firewall. The coachwork is by LeBaron and much of the ownership history for this car is known. It was originally imported to Argentina for Stutz distributor Luis Angel Firpo. In 1974 it was sold to a collector in Florida who kept it for several years before selling it to a gentleman in Ohio. The present owners were able to acquire it in 2008 from the Bool's estate. They commissioned a full restoration returning it to its original glory.
The Cassinis have Best of Show at this event (and many others) on several occasions, their most recent was last year with their Packard 1108.
Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A
The Isotta Fraschini automobile bears the name of its founders, Cesare Isotta, and Vincenzo, Oreste and Antonio Fraschini. Before the Milanese friends and brothers founded Automobili Isotta, Fraschini & Company in 1900, they assembled Renaults.
They were among the early pioneers of the overhead camshaft engine, with an engine designed by Giustino Cattaneo. Isotta Fraschini introduced the Tipo 8, the first production automobile to be powered by a straight-eight engine, at the Paris Salon in 1919 and began delivering them to customers in 1920.
Debuting in 1924, the Tipo 8A replaced the Tipo 8 of 1920-23. The derivative 8A engine featured a larger 7.4-liter displacement and was significantly more powerful. Overall, the 8A set new benchmarks for automotive magnificence. Between 1924 and 1932, a total of 950 8A chassis were produced.
In 2016, the Patterson Collection was the featured 'Collector of the Year' and one of the car's they brought was their Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A (for display only; not judged). It won Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2015 and when it rolled onto the Concours of America at St. Johns this year, it was clearly one of the most elegant 'Foreign' car on the show field.
Its 145-inch wheelbase Tipo 8A chassis was clothed by Swiss coacbhuilder Carrosserie Worblaufen. The result of Worblaufen's blending of Swiss elegance with Italian engineering was first displayed at the 1932 Geneva Auto Show. The car went on to win the Grand-Prix d'Honneur at Cannes in 1933.
It has a long hood and an ultra-low windshield, combined with a closed-quarter cabriolet top, large trunk and double spares at the rear. It has had just four owners since new. It was quietly kept in Switzerland and France prior to its 2014 arrival in the United States. A complete body-off restoration has since been carried out.
About
The Concours d'Elegance has its roots in 17th century France, when the aristocracy would parade their horse-drawn carriages through the parks of Paris. With the advent of the automobile, Concours d'Elegance events evolved into competitions between automobile manufacturers, custom coachbuilders, and owners, whose vehicles were judged on the beauty of their design.The Concours d'Elegance of America originated at Oakland University's Meadow Brook Hall, the historic home of Matilda Dodge Wilson, widow of automotive pioneer John Dodge. In 2011 this world-class event moved to the beautiful grounds of the Inn at St. John's in Plymouth, Michigan.
With the support of the board of directors, collectors, volunteers and patrons the Concours has given back to the communities who have supported this event. Throughout the 39 years the Concours d'Elegance of America has been dedicated to philanthropic efforts contributing over $5M to; the restoration of Meadow Brook Hall, JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and many other charitable organization in our community.
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