From test drives to test flights and automotive firsts, this year's event promises to delight visitors with the largest number of new features and sponsor activities in its history
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'Elegance (HHIMF), one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing automotive and motorsports enthusiast event weeks, is preparing an ever-expanding lineup of exhibits and activities for visitors at the upcoming event, October 24 – November 2. Spanning nearly two weeks in two locations (Savannah, GA and Hilton Head Island, SC), the Festival combines the best of the automotive, motorsports and enthusiast lifestyles with the incomparable setting of the coastal Lowcountry and one of America's most historic cities.
Automotive and Aviation Experiences from Leading Brands
Tesla will join BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus and Porsche in offering new vehicle test drives at the Port Royal Golf Club, Saturday and Sunday, November 1-2. Baker Motor Company will have a display honoring Maserati's 100th anniversary and celebrating their newest dealership in Charleston, Baker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Cirrus Aircraft will have one of its all-composite personal aircraft on display and will be offering test flights to qualified candidates, while JetBlue will serve as the sponsor of the Awards Stage. Gulfstream continues their support of the Festival.
Beverage and Hospitality Brands Showcase Lowcountry Style and Taste
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport will be transforming the Port Royal Clubhouse, open to the public Saturday and Sunday, November 1 and 2, with a 'strolling fashion show' presented by Shelter Cove Towne Centre accompanied by upscale menu and signature cocktail offerings from the culinary team at the Port Royal Golf Club. Complimentary lemonade will refresh visitors on the back porch during the Concours d'Elegance (Sunday, November 2), hosted by Garden & Gun Magazine. Bulleit Bourbon and Ketel One will present this year's Cartini Lounge at the Port Royal Golf Club, November 1-2.
Enthusiast Brand Sponsors Bring Special Activities to Festival Week
Visitors who start their HHIMF experience at the Savannah Speed Classic October 24-26 on Hutchinson Island and throughout the city of Savannah will notice new presenting sponsor Mingledorff's, Inc. Other new sponsors who are bringing their own unique brand experiences to Hilton Head Island include Autoweek, Barrier Island Marine, Custom Audio Video, Heacock Classic Collector Car Insurance, JC Pontoon, Lexol, Performance Auto Restoration and Welsh Enterprises, Inc..
New 'Motoring Firsts' Exhibit Celebrates Automotive Innovation
New for 2014, the 'Motoring Firsts' exhibit will showcase vehicles representing industry changers, notable contributions and major automotive firsts, including such examples as a 1917 Detroit Anderson Electric B Model 68 (the first production automobile to use curved glass), a 1919 Leyat Helico (a propeller-driven vehicle designed by Marcel Leyat, a degreed engineer who designed, built and flew his first airplane in 1909) and a 1963 Chevrolet Corvair Spyder (one of the first rear engine American cars).
'We strive to keep the event fresh by offering visitors brand-new features every year,' said Carolyn Vanagel, president of the HHIMF. 'That's why we annually introduce at least one new display and change the theme of our 'Life' exhibit. We have also put in parameters for the Concours d'Elegance and Car Club Jamboree so that the same car cannot be shown in consecutive years.'
From 'Star Cars' and Vintage Boats to Rare Cars and Motorcycles, it's a Wheels, Wings and Hulls Life
This year's 'Life' exhibit, sponsored by Marriott Vacation Club, will feature vehicles of celebrities, sports figures and dignitaries. The 'On the Water 'exhibit sponsored by Barrier Island Marine will showcase nearly 20 vintage watercrafts including a:
· 1956 Boat Stan Craft Torpedo Stern owned by Terry Fiest of Orlando, FL (one of only six remaining)
· 1965 Boat Hydro Mite I owned by John Heiderich of Anderson, SC (6 1/2 feet long and a pre-runner of today's personal water craft)
· 1972 Century Resorter 16 owned by Gary Fesperman of Lavonia, GA (family-owned since it was purchased new in 1971)
Notable new automobile registrants to look for at this year's Concours d'Elegance (Sunday, November 2) include a:
· 1968 Maserati Ghibli owned by Alexander Stetynski and a 1954 Maserati A6GCS owned by J. W. Marriott Jr., a former Honorary Chairman of the event, will show as a part of the celebration of Maserati's 100th anniversary
· 1950 Nash Healey Serial #1 owned by John Kruse
· 1957 Rolls-Royce Phantom V owned by John Haulbrook
· 1914 Rauch and Lang B4 Brougham owned by Bill Alley
· 1920 Stutz Model H 4-Door Touring owned by Jim Aldrich
· 1934 Packard Dietrich Victoria owned by Frank & Milli Ricciardelli
· 1907 Holsman Model 11 owned by James Griggs
For more information on the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'Elegance, visit the official website at www.HHIMotoringFestival.com. Tickets for the 2014 Motoring Festival are available for sale online at http://www.hhimotoringfestival.com/tickets.
ABOUT THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND MOTORING FESTIVAL & CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE:
The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'Elegance will celebrate its thirteenth year in the fall of 2014. The Festival kicks off with the Savannah Speed Classic, October 24 – 26, on the Grand Prize of America road course situated on the property of The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. The festivities will continue on Hilton Head Island, SC, November 1 – 2, at Port Royal Golf Club where the Concours d'Elegance (November 2) will take center stage. Motoring Festival Partners for the 2014 Festival include the Port Royal Golf Club, The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, BMW Group, Porsche, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mingledorff's Inc., Savannah/Hilton Head International, Hargray, The Island, the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and Visit Savannah. For more information, visit www.HHIMotoringFestival.com online.