Carroll Shelby in the Edgar 4.9 Ferrari leading Phil Hill at Palm Springs on November 4, 1956. Period photographs such as this are often among the provenance supplied by concours entrants.
Photo: Art Evans
In the February 2010 edition of Vintage Racecar, editor Casey Annis reported that a concours d’provenance had been held in Palos Verdes, a suburb of Los Angeles. When I read it, I thought many of you might wonder what in the world is a concours d’provenance.
We all know what a concours d’elegance is. The words mean a “competition of elegance,” a competitive car show as it were. Supposedly, the competition is to determine who can show the most elegant car. The winner is selected by a judge or, more often, a panel of judges. Originally, I think, winning cars were elegant designs. These days, the most meticulous restoration is likely to win. Cars displayed are likely to be in even better than new condition. I’m told that competitors even go to the extent of aligning the slots in a row of screw heads.
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