A weekend full of horsepower, friendships and history came to an exciting end Sunday, when the 1938 Darracq/Talbot Lago owned by J.W. Marriott Jr. and shown by David Carte of Edinburg, Virginia, was presented with the Best of Show Award at The 2019 Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance.
The one-of-one, special-ordered Talbot Lago roadster featured totally enclosed front fenders, with headlights recessed in the fenders. The car was ordered in Portugal by Count and Countess Juilo Anahory de Quental Calheiros and remained with its first owner until 1975. The most recent restoration was completed by Classic and Sport Auto in Virginia in 2006.
The yellow and blue Darracq/Talbot wasn’t the only big winner on Sunday. Class champions were named in each of the 11 classes that were presented on the show field, which surrounded the iconic front entrance at The Greenbrier.
“The overall quality of the cars on the show field Sunday made the job of all the judging teams difficult,” said Phil Neff, Chief Judge, The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance. “There were multiple cars in almost every class competing for the top awards.
“It was a true honor to be able to lead such a distinguishable group of judges from all over the United States, Canada and Europe.”
Class winners included:
Veteran Era Cars: 1903 Cadillac Rear Entrance Tonneau (Jim Elliot; Yorktown, Va.)
Classic Cars: 1931 Buick 8-94 Series (David Landow; Potomac, Md.)
Pre-War Production Cars: 1931 Studebaker Model 54 Regal Roadster (Robert Williams; Rustburg, Va.)
Post-War Production Cars: 1956 Continental Mark II (Wendell Irby; Oakton, Va.)
Sports Cars: 1974 Porsche 911 Targa Carrera (Peter Kauffman; Wirtz, Va.)
Exotic Sports Cars: 1959 OSCA Coupe (Peter Boyle; Oil City, Pa.)
British Sports Cars: 1934 MG PA (Randy Morgan, Lebanon; Pa.)
Preservation Cars: 1966 Chevrolet Corvette (Mark Davis; Landrum, S.C.)
Race Cars: 1955 Kurtis Indy Roadster (Bob McConnell; Urbana, Ohio)
Muscle Cars: 1967 Pontiac 2+2 Convertible (Richard Larabee; Farmington Hills, Mich.)
Rolls-Royce/Bentley: 1934 Bentley 3.5-Litre Sports Saloon (Dennis Frick; Lewisberry, Pa.)
In addition to the class awards, 11 special awards were presented at the trophy ceremony, including:
People’s Choice: 1936 Packard V12 (Doug Pray; Broken Arrow, Okla.)
Honorary Chief Judge’s Award: 1951 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe (Joseph Grasso; Uwchland, Pa.)
Duke of Windsor Award (Most Elegant Closed Car): 1938 Delahaye 135MS Coupe (Robert Jepson Jr.; Savannah, Ga.)
Princess Grace Award (Most Elegant Open Car): 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (Todd and Holly-Faye Jenkins; Chesterfield, Va.)
Dorothy Draper Award (Most Stylish Interior): 1956 Austin Healey 100M (James Harris; Middleburg, Va.)
Sam Snead Award (Best Country Club Car): 1935 Pierce Arrow 845 (William Ayd, Glen Arm; Md.)
Eisenhower Award (Best Cold War Era Car): 1950 Buick Special (Jeffrey Hardin; Forest City, N.C.)
Artist’s Award: 1938 Steyr 220 Sport Roadster (Peter Boyle; Oil City, Pa.)
Most Historically Significant Road Car: 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190b Ponton (Anne Buntin; Moneta, Va.)
Most Historically Significant Race Car: 1952 Nash Healey LeMans Prototype (Jose Fernandez; Bridgeport, Conn.)
Hagerty Youth Judges’ Award: 1929 Ford Model A Station Wagon (Thomas Fitzgerald; Selma, N.C.)
