2007 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance

MEADOW BROOK CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE 2007
CELEBRATING “THE ART THAT MOVES US, THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF THE AUTOMOBILE”
A New Era Begins

By Steve Purdy
TheAutoChannel.com
Detroit Bureau

Just about 30 years ago a fellow named Don Sommer wrote a letter to the folks who manage the beautiful stone mansion called Meadow Brook Hall, home of Matilda Dodge Wilson (widow of auto pioneer John Dodge) and her lumber baron second husband, in the northern suburbs of Detroit. The beautifully restored 110-room Tudor-revival mansion is part of Oakland University and Sommer, a classic car collector and manufacturer of replica hood ornaments, thought it would be the ideal venue for a premier car show to rival Pebble Beach or any other show in the world. He was right.

With the exception of a couple of years during a dispute with the University, the avuncular Mr. Sommer has chaired the show gaining prestige steadily. This year he stepped down, turning the reigns over to Larry Smith another collector who has been involved with this great show for many years. Serving as chief judge and patron is GM’s alpha-car-guy, Bob Lutz. The impressive list of committee members reads like a Who’s Who of the Detroit automobile business and of the top-tier of the car collector community. Exceptional automobiles are recruited from all over the country and even from abroad. Cars rarely or never seen are likely to show up at Meadow Brook.

The 2007 Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, the 29th show, traditionally the first Sunday in August, has become arguably the second most prestigious Concour event in the county, perhaps the world – second only the one in Pebble Beach, California. More than 200 cars, along with a first-ever group of 4-cylinder motorcycles, special exhibits like the “Class of ‘57” honoring cars of that notable year, and a tent-full of the best automotive fine artists in the world will be strewn across the 17th and 18th fairways of the lush Oakland University golf course in the shadow of the mansion. Other competitive classes will include, of course, the recognized classics, sports cars, other rare European and American cars. Having covered the Meadow Brook show for at least 20 years I’ll guarantee you’ll see cars that are unexpected and thrilling.

For 2007 the theme of the show is “the art that moves us, the power and beauty of the automobile.” Featured marque this year is Alfa Romeo, Italian automotive design icon for most of a century. On display will be the ultra-chic, curve-winged Alfa B.A.T. cars created as one-off concepts by Berlina Aerodinamica Technica in the 50s, the famous ’58 Nardi Blue Ray 2 by Vignale and a later Blue Ray 3 design study. Alfa, of course, has been an automotive style and design leader for its entire history.

We’ll also see the Bugatti Royale Type 41 Cabriolet from the collection at The Henry Ford worth more than $10 million, and honor two of the most famous of body makers of the classic era, Saoutchik and Murphy.

Activities begin Thursday with the traditional fashion show sponsored by Sacs and featuring famous designer Naeem Kahn, young American (by way of India) designer who has the movie Dream Girls to his credit. The original concept of a Concours d’Elegance in the 1920s, as some of you may know, was an exhibition of high fashion clothing using luxury cars as a backdrop. Meadow Brook for most of its years has presented a full-scale, runway-style fashion show as part of the week’s activities. A few hundred fashionable women and just a handful of us curious fellows will gather in the huge white tent on the lawn behind the mansion to see what the featured designer has to offer.

Also on Thursday evening Bob Lutz will be hosting a “hanger party” at the nearby Oakland County Airport where they’ll be auctioning off a ride in Lutz’ personal MIG fighter jet – the one he landed on its belly a few years ago when the landing gear failed to engage. Also being auctioned is another ride-of-a-lifetime in a Lufthansa original airliner, the three-engined, 1930s JU 52 affectionately known as “Aunt Ju.” Lufthansa, by the way, is a major sponsor of the Meadow Brook Concours this year.

The traditional road rally around the northern reaches of Oakland County will entertain many of the car folks on Friday midday.

On Friday evening we’ll get a preview of the RM auction cars at the Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion on the hill overlooking the mansion. Inside the pavilion will be the dozen or more automotive fine artists to be featured at the Sunday show offering a preview and competing with one another for art show honors. While Pebble Beach is the official show for the Automotive Fine Art Society, Meadow Brook hosts most of the same artists and often a few newcomers.

The collector car auction folks from RM Auctions will be on hand Saturday for an all-day sale of wonderful old cars like Packard, Marmon, Rolls Royce and a 1948 Flathead Ford Shreve Special race car. It always follows that where ever you find collectors gathered at a notable Concours event you’ll find a collector car auction.

A Saturday morning “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” shopping opportunity and a Saturday night night cocktail reception themed “A Night of Surprises” will have everyone pumped and ready for the Sunday show.

Sunday, August 5th, 9 AM to 4 PM the public will have the opportunity to see all these stunning automobiles and motorcycles. Tickets are only $20 in advance and $25 at the show – way less than Pebble Beach. Proceeds Students with ID are free. What a deal. Proceeds support the restoration and maintenance of the mansion which will be available for tours on show day as well.

Watch this space for a full report shortly after the show.

Details, schedules and tickets are at www.meadowbrookconcours.org.

© Steve Purdy, Shunpiker Productions, All Rights Reserve