The tree-shaded campus of Pacific University proved a popular spot on a scorching July Sunday as thousands of auto enthusiasts attended the 46th Annual Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance, presented by the Rotary Club of Forest Grove.
This year’s show featured more than 300 classic, sport and custom cars and trucks, coming from as far away as Vancouver, B.C., Denver and San Francisco.
Top honors went to David Smith of Medina, Washington, who took home the Best in Show award for his 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 (Tipo 256) Corsa. Smith, who tried to buy the car for several years while it was housed in an Italian museum, said this was only the third time the car has been viewed in public. It was previously judged at the fabled Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The carbernet-colored car also was judged best pre-war (1920-1954) Alfa Romeo on Sunday.
The People’s Choice, chosen by those who attended, went to Jon Shirley of Renton, Washington, for his 1934 Alfa Romeo Tipo B (P3). The Grand Prix car was exhibited by Fred Russell.
The prominence of Italian sports cars was not a coincidence, as the 2018 Concours honored “The Passion of Alfa Romeo.”
The event also celebrated “100 years of Chevrolet Trucks,” and Ken Austin, of Newberg, took home a first-place trophy for his 1955 Chevy Nomad.
Also on display were more than 40 customized vehicles, curated by Multnomah Hot Rod Council, and Rick May, of North Plains, was given the Best Modified award for his 1955 Ford Convertible.
Judges, meanwhile, awarded the Best Closed Car to Tim Morris of Bend for his 1975 Porsche 911 S, while Steve Chaney of Vancouver, Wash., drove away with the Best Open Car award for his 1954 Chevrolet Corvette.
For Ted Springstead, who brought his 1962 Jaguar E-Type all the way from Denver, his first experience at the Forest Grove event was all positive.
“I think it’s terrific,” he said. “The setting is perfect, particularly on a hot day.”
Springstead appreciated the variety of curated vehicles at the event, which range from crank-start roadsters built during the Taft Administration to modern sports cars from Italy and meticulously restored vintage autos to wildly modified trucks. “There’s a little bit of everything for everybody,” he said.
For 11-year-old Jimmy Houx of Forest Grove, the event offers a chance to explore how vehicles evolve over the years. “I liked looking at older cars and the newer cars to see how things change,” he said, particularly with the sports cars.
The Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance, created in 1973, is an all-volunteer event coordinated by the Rotary Club of Forest Grove. Each year, the net proceeds are divided equally among the club’s scholarship program and community service projects. Thanks to the Concours d’Elegance, the Rotary Club has returned more than $1 million to the community.
