American and Euro classics showcased in the US

Events
 | 2 Jul 2013

More than 16,500 spectators and 125 show cars packed into Roger Sherman Baldwin Park for the 18th Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in Connecticut on 1-2 June.

And a Connecticut-built 1914 Locomobile Model with a 550cu in straight-six and a speedster body fitted in the ’70s, scooped Best in Show at Saturday’s Concours Americana for US-built cars.

The Model 48 just edged out a Chrysler Hemi-powered, Vignale-bodied 1953 Cunningham C3 Cabrio that proved the Greenwich crowd’s fondness for Detroit V8s wearing Italian bodies.

The work of John Fitch – a regular at the Concours until his death last year at the age of 95 – was also celebrated with the arrival of a 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Sprint hardtop modified by the great man’s company.

Byron H LaMotte bought the car new in 1966, sold it in 1969 and repurchased it in 2012, just in time for its pre-show restoration.  

LaMotte said: “The paint was finished last Monday, while the stripes were added Thursday and the roof was installed yesterday.”

Sunday’s Concours International was devoted to overseas classics and was won by James M Glickenhaus’ 1947 Ferrari 159S Spyder Corsa that also netted him the Grand Marshal’s Award.

The latter came thanks to it being the oldest surviving Ferrari and the third one ever built. Nonethless, Glickenhaus still regularly races the car.

The day featured everything from a 1960 two-stroke Trabant to an open-wheeled 1965 Bentley single-seater, which was constructed on the second Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow prototype chassis SSS C-2.

Best story of the weekend came courtesy of Richardson Hendee’s 1966 Triumph TR4. It was stolen from him in 1969, miraculously resurfacing 44 years later at a dealership in the Midwest after spending most of its time on the Pacific Coast.  

Hendee said: “The first thing I asked about it was ‘do all the numbers match’?

“When they gave me the serial number 62222L I remembered it as the one on my old car, because it’s 22 twice and 22 is my lucky number.”  

Find out more on the event’s website.