Concours d’Elegance of America 2012 – Photos

The Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s 2012 event was held Sunday, July 29th at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth, Michigan.

Formerly known as Meadow Brook Concours, the event enjoyed its second year at The Inn at St John’s in Plymouth, Michigan with large, enthusiastic crowds and warm weather. After 32 years at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Michigan, the event was moved in 2011 to the new location that allows for a larger show field to display more cars, in addition to more flexibility for events like the RM Auctions sale.

Featured classes at the 2012 edition of the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s included: Pioneers Pre-1900; Cord Cousins; Trans-Am under 2-liters; Trans-Am over 2-liters; Slingshot Rails; Featured Designer Retrospective; Jaguar vs. Corvette; Jet-Age Station Wagons; Micro Cars; Supercars; and Station Wagon Pedal Cars. The traditional classes at the 34th annual Concours of America included: Pioneers Pre-1900; Gaslight 1900 – 1914; Jazz Age 1915 – 1928; Duesenberg Model J; Auburn Cord; American Popular 1928 – 1942; American Classic Closed 1928 – 1942; American Classic Open 1928 – 1934; American Classic Open 1935 – 1942; Pre-War European; Pre-War Sports; American Post-War 1946 – 1959; American Post-War 1960 – 1970; American Muscle; Post-War Sports 1946 – 1959; Post-War Sports 1960 – 1970; Post-War European 1946 – 1959 and Post-War European 1960 – 1970.

The Concours d’Elegance of America 2012 offered a pair of Best of Show awards, one for American and one for Foreign entrants. The 2012 Best of Show – American was awarded to the 1933 Chrysler Imperial Dual Cowl Phaeton of Joseph and Margie Cassini, while Jim Patterson’s 1933 Delage D8S De Villars Roadster won Best of Show – Foreign. Additional prize winners included Ed and Judy Schoenthaler’s 1938 Horch 853 A Phaeton winning the Chairman’s Award, People’s Choice going to the 1929 Willys-Knight 66B Roadster of Al Giddings and Most Elegant Car went to the 1937 Railton Saloon owned by Eldon and Esta Hostetler.

Other notable entrants included the Briggs Cunningham-entered Jaguar E-Type Coupe that finished fourth overall at the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours, the 1966 Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder S.I. Prototipo, Lance Miller’s 1960 Le Mans Chevrolet Corvette, Malcolm Pray’s 1937 Delahaye 135M Roadster bodied by Figoni et Falaschi and the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider.

Similar to the 2009 Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance and 2010 Concours d’Elegance of America at Meadow Brook and the 2011 Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s, photographer Nathan Leach-Proffer documented this year’s Concours d’Elegance of America with a picture gallery of the cars on the grounds at the Inn at St. John’s in Michigan. To see more from Nathan, visit www.speed-photos.net.

Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s 2012 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)

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Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s 2012 – Best in Class Winners

Jazz Age – Best in Class
1926 Wills Sainte Claire T-6 Roadster, Paul R. Pawlosky

American Popular 1928-1942 Best in Class
1935 Buick Series 40 Convertible, Leslie E. Lindberg

Post War European – Best in Class
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 Cabriolet D, Thomas E. Hamilton

American Classic Closed 1928-1942 – Best in Class
1929 Stutz Model M Coupe, The Mitchell Collection

American Classic Open 1928-1934 – Best in Class
1933 Chrysler Imperial Dual Cowl Phaeton, Joseph and Margie Cassini, III

Gaslight – Best in Class
1911 Pierce-Arrow 48 Touring, Robert and Betty Reenders

American Muscle – Best in Class Al Maynard Award
1968 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Convertible, Dana & Patti Mecum

Post War Sports – Best in Class
1966 Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder S.I., Mark & Allison Sassak

Slingshot Rails – Best in Class
1964 AA/FD Logghe Dragster, Bob Gladstone

Auburn Cord – Best in Class
1935 Auburn 851 Speedster, Allen Strong

Duesenberg – Best in Class
1929 Duesenberg Beverly Sedan, Terence E. Adderley

Pre-War European – Best in Class
1933 Delage D8S Coupe Roadster, Jim Patterson/The Patterson Collection

Vintage Three Wheelers – Best in Class Restored
1921 Harley-Davidson FD, Larry & Fay Williams

Vintage Three Wheelers – Best in Class Unrestored
1950 Harley-Davidson G Servi-Car, Lloyd N. Benson

Pioneer Pre-1900 – Best in Class
1899 Orient Autogo Trike, Dennis Carlson

Cord Cousins – Best in Class
1940 Graham Hollywood Convertible, Deidre & Walt Bender

Jet-Age Station Wagons – Best in Class
1961 Chrysler New Yorker Station Wagon, John R. & Lynne K. Cote

American Post-War 1946-1959 – Best in Class
1954 Packard Balboa-X 2-Door Hardtop, Ralph Marano

American Post-War 1960-1970 – Best in Class
1960 Chrysler Imperial Convertible, Richard A. Schultz

American Classic Open 1935-1942 – Best in Class
1941 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet, Jim Quinlan

Micro Cars – Best in Class
1955 Messerschmitt KR 200, Jim Garbo

Jaguar Racing – Best in Class
1955 Jaguar D-Type Open Racer, Jim Taylor

Corvette Racing – Best in Class
1960 Chevrolet Corvette Hardtop, Lance Miller

Trans Am Under 2-liter – Best in Class
1971 Ford Pinto 2.5 Challenge, John Edward Smith

Trans Am Over 2-liter – Best in Class
1967 Mercury Cougar Trans-Am Race Car, Larry H. Miller Group

Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s 2012 – Special Award Winners

Best Driving Award: Car We Would Like to Drive Home
1965 AC Cobra 427 Competition Roadster, Robert Michael Gingold, M.D.

Best Reflection
1937 Ford 78 Cabriolet, J. B. Saunders, III

FIVA Award
1927 Minerva AFS Roadster, Robert M. Pass

Best Paint
1969 Maserati Ghibli Coupe, Rick Imshaug

Chairman’s Award
1938 Horch 853 A Phaeton, Ed & Judy Schoenthaler

Lee Iacocca Award
1967 Ford Shelby GT Convertible, Styles Collection

Debut Award
1954 Packard Balboa-X 2-Door Hardtop, Ralph Marano

Engineering Excellence
1933 Stutz DV-32 Monte Carlo, Richard Mitchell

Most Original – The Way It Was
1957 Buick Super 4-Door Hardtop, Charles G. George

Most Significant Mercedes-Benz
1928 Mercedes-Benz S Boat Tail Speedster, John W. Rich

Best Use of Color
1908 Lozier 7-Passenger Touring, James A. Grundy, Jr.

Most Photogenic Award
1947 Delahaye 135 MS Teardrop Coupe, The Burt Collection

Most Significant Ferrari – The Gerald Roush Memorial Award
1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder, Joe Moch

Spirit of the Hobby Award
1934 Packard 1107 Coupe, David & Linda Kane

Otto Rosenbusch Memorial Award – Spirit of the Automobilist
1916 Pierce-Arrow 66-A Seven-Passenger Touring, John D. Groendyke

People’s Choice Award
1929 Willys-Knight 66B Roadster, Al Giddings

Spirit of Detroit
1957 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster/Hardtop, Bill Connell

Spirit of Modernism (Best Art Deco Design) Award
1937 Delahaye 135M Roadster by Figoni et Falaschi, Malcolm Pray

The Art That Moves Us Award
1966 Chevrolet Corvette L88, Kevin J. Mackay

Timeless Beauty Award
1938 Jaguar SS Coupe, Frank Ricciardelli

Gordon Buehrig Award – Auburn Cord Duesenberg
1935 Duesenberg SJN Convertible Coupe, Bill & Barbara Parfet

Most Elegant Car
1937 Railton Saloon, Eldon & Esta Hostetler

Designer’s Choice Award – David R. Hollis Memorial
1938 Bugatti 57 C Aravis Drophead Coupe, Off Brothers Collection / Bill Johnston & Ron Elenbaas

[Source: Concours of America; photo credit: Nathan Leach-Proffer]