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2005 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance
By: Drew Phillips
Photos by Jason Thorgalsen
July 01, 2005

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The Greenwich Concours d'Elegance celebrated its tenth anniversary this past June. Everything seemed to fall in place for the premier automotive event in the Northeast, as the crowds and cars gathered for two full days of beautiful weather in Connecticut. The Roger Sherman Baldwin Park was once again a quintessential setting for the event, with its waterfront, stores, restaurants, and theatres. In addition to providing an incredible weekend to automotive enthusiasts, the Greenwich Concours also benefits AmeriCares, a non-profit organization that provides immediate response to emergency medical needs.

The show is split into two days. On Saturday, the Concours d'Elegance features pre-WWII automobiles, and Sunday is the Concours Europa, which focuses on post-WWII European sports, touring, and competition cars. Participating cars are selected by invitation only, meaning most of the entered automobiles have a large degree of desirability.

The most incredible attribute of the Greenwich event is the wide variety of cars that are present on the lawn. Everything from a 1899 Locomobile-Stanhope to a 200 mph Porsche Carrera GT could be seen throughout the weekend. The Concours d'Elegance on Saturday featured many of the greatest cars in the era including a 1903 Pierce Arrow, a 1931 Cadillac 452A Sport Phaeton, and a 1929 Stutz M-8 Convertible Victoria. In contrast, the Concours Europa the next day had some of today's most advanced automotive machinery in addition to some of the great automotive icons from the 1950's and 1960's.

One of the more impressive displays was the arrangement of supercars that attracted perhaps more crowds than any other cars. Rare by anyone's standards, a McLaren F1 and Pagani Zonda highlighted the Sunday event, and a Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT also drew quite a few stares.

Another highlight of this year's event was the auction put on by Christie's. Like many of the other prominent events around the country, full advantage was taken of the large amount of wealthy car collectors who attend the show. "Christie’s long history and experience in auctioning some of the most significant automobiles ever offered for sale, as well as their unmatched reputation and respect among collectors, made them the logical choice for conducting an auction in association with the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance," stated the Wennerstroms, coordinators for the event. The auction lasted a full three days, and every afternoon cars were auctioned off to the highest bidder. Some of the more prominent cars included a 1913 Simplex Model 50 Victoria Touring that sold for over $350,000, a 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, a 1939 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio Cabriolet, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300S Cabriolet A, and a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

The success of this year will undoubtedly help promote future shows. The wide variety of cars, the excellent location, and the festive atmosphere will help continue to make the Greenwich Concours one of the most premier automotive events in the country.