See our coverage of the 2021 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance.
The 25th annual Greenwich Concours d’Elegance has picked a 1927 Mercedes-Benz Model K for this year’s Best in Show awardee. After a two-year hiatus, the Concours went back to Roger Sherman Baldwin Park for the event. The show will be back at Greenwich on June 3-5, 2022.
Hagerty CEO McKeel Hagerty stated, “The car world has a belief system. And the belief system is that certain cars are just super important, deserving of celebration and recognition. The Mercedes-Benz Model K selected as best in show represents that greatness – one that the judges recognized following significant deliberation. A very special thanks to all entrants, their teams and the winners.”
The 2021 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance had a few changes in their weekend program. Saturday’s schedule had the unexceptional cars of Concours d’Lemons, seminars, and RADwood favorites from the 80s and 90s. There was also the Porschelle by CarPark, an event that celebrated all things modified Porsche.
There were also a variety of hand-on activities that were available to guests: ride & drives, slot car competitions, racing simulators, Hagerty Youth Programs, amongst others.
On Sunday, domestic and international marques were honored at the 25th Annual Concours d’Elegance.
For 2021’s special classes, they featured Ford vs. GM, Right Coast Rods, 100 Years of Duesenberg, 75 Years of Allard, Lancia, and for the first time, an SUV class. The featured motorcycle classes year includes Indian and Moto Guzzi.
In the middle of all the festivities for the weekend was the Grand Marshal, Pixar Animation Studio’s Creative Director of Franchise, Jay Ward. This weekend, they invited a group of expert judges, with a record number of women in attendance. The judges focused on style, design, and elegance in the selection of the winners.
A 1927 Mercedes-Benz Model K displayed by Michael and Joannie Rich won the coveted Best in Show trophy.
In 1926, Model K was introduced by Mercedes-Benz. Like its predecessor, it was powered by the same six-cylinder switchblade supercharged (kompressor) engine. The Model K was also given roughly the same overall chassis architecture except this time they shortened the wheelbase down to 130 inches. The K meant ‘kurzer radstand’ which also means short wheelbase.
The 6.2-liter engine had a bigger supercharger that is similar to the ones fitted to the later S models. With speeds of more than 90 mph, the Model K was one of the fastest production cars of its time. From the right side of the hood, three metal exhaust pipes emerge and are brought together at the lower edge to a single exhaust. This new detail eventually became a trademark of Mercedes-Benz supercharged cars.
At the 1926 New York Auto Salon, the owner of the Model K, William Sloan from Rochester, New York saw the Fleetwood-bodied Isotta Fraschini Roadster made by Rudolph Valentino. So, Sloan decided to tap Fleetwood’s expertise to provide the coachwork for this unique vehicle.
