With the success of last year’s Concours d’Elegance at Cobble Beach, Georgian Bay, organizers have decided to make this a tradition. This years’ automobile show took place on September 14th at the Cobble Beach Golf Resort. Car owners were invited to bring their antique vehicles to be put on display for hundreds to gaze at longingly. The Cobble Beach property was only recently bought by Willis McLeese and his son with the intent of creating an Ontarian Concours d’Elegance there. Tickets are $40 for regular spectators, and the organizers are giving a portion of each ticket sold to Sunnybrook Hospital. If you’re interested in an auto career and live near Georgian Bay, this was an event you didn’t want to miss!
There are several entry categories for the auto show and each has a winner. Auto mechanics can lose themselves in these various types of wonderfully designed antique vehicles:
- Antique (Brass Era) Pre 1916 (Below 35HP)
- Cadillac 1925 to 1948
- Sports Cars – European to 1973
- Preservation Class – pre War to 1941 (largely untouched, unrestored, running, original paint)
- Preservation Class – Post war to 1945 to 1973 (largely untouched, unrestored, running, original paint)
- Canadian engineered or built vehicles 1945 to 1973 (post War)
- American Muscle Car to 1973
- Museum Cars (cars which are provided by museums)
Last Years’ Concours
Cars as old as from 1903 were displayed on the Cobble Beach lawns last year, and the Best in Show Award went to a 1928 Isotta Fraschini 8A SS. Unlike most Concours shows which feature half vintage cars and half supercar and concept car models, the Cobble Beach show was mostly vintage cars. As the event gets more of a following, perhaps more super cars will be on display each year. However, the inaugural event did see a handful of memorable supercars, such as the 2011 Ferrari SA Aperta and the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Events at the 2014 Concours
There were several guest speakers at the 2014 Concours. One panel of guest speakers discussed the generational shift in car collecting, as older car owners hand off their precious antiques to millennials. Issues such as auto maintenance and the future of auto technician training for these cars were other discussion topics. There was a talk by David Cooper on the European classics from the 1930s-50s.
In addition to all the fun of the prestigious event, there were activities in and around the beautiful Georgian Bay countryside, such as world class golf, hiking trails, gourmet food tents, a Tom Thompson Gallery tour and a tour of the Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery.
Here’s a better look at Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance:
