Lime Rock Historic Festival 2011 – Concours Photo Gallery

The Sunday in the Park Concours, as part of the Lime Rock Historic Festival 2011, was held September 4th at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Local ordinance laws prevent racing at Lime Rock Park on Sunday, therefore Lime Rock fields a traditional car show each year on that day as part of the Historic Festival. The 2011 Sunday in the Park Concours and Gathering of the Clubs presented nearly 600 cars, highlighted by the nearly 200 Concours entrants parked on the front straight. The Car Show and Gathering of the Clubs blanketed the rest of the track.

With Jaguar as the weekend sponsor, and the MG Vintage Racers Group making Historic Festival 29 its 2011 ‘focus’ event, there was a strong congregation of MGs and Jags as expected. Additional notable entries at the 2011 Sunday in the Park Concours included the 1948 Cisitalia 202 MM Nuvolari Spyder of Michael Schwartz; Bill Binnie’s 1956 Ferrari 500 TR Prototype; ex-Briggs Cunningham 1963 Jaguar E-Type Coupe from the Miles Collier Collection; 1948/49 Talbot Lago T26-C of David Duthu; Mitch Eitel’s 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Coupe; 1950 Abarth 205 Vignale of Elad Shraga; Thomas Jaycox’s 1953 Jaguar C-Type; among others.

This year’s honored collector was Dr. Fred Simeone of Philadelphia, who brought four cars from his Simeone Foundation Museum collection – all of which run, and most of which are unrestored. They included a 1956 Jaguar D-Type that finished third at Sebring; 1934 MG K3, the best-placed of all MGs at Le Mans (1934, fourth overall); 1958 Aston Martin DBR1 chassis 3, overall winner at 1958 Nurburgring 1000KM at hands of Moss / Brabham; 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 with body by Castagna in unrestored condition.

The 2011 Sunday in the Park Concours at the Lime Rock Historics saw nearly 200 entrants contest for awards in 30 classes. Led by organizer Kent Bain, the judges awarded Best of Show to the 1911 Pope Hartford of Stewart Laidlaw. It competed in Class 1, “They Don’t Build ‘Em Like They Used To,” one of the many whimsical names of classes at the event.

Pope Hartfords were built between 1908 and 1914, in Hartford, Conn., about an hour from Lime Rock Park. The company, Pope Manufacturing, was originally founded in 1878 by Civil War colonel Albert Augustus Pope to make and market what became the famous Columbia High Wheeler bicycle.

Pope was one of the first automotive conglomerates, with separate lines consisting of the Pope Waverly, Pope Tribune, Pope Robinson, Pope Toledo and the Pope Hartford. Of these, the Pope Hartford was the only one built at the company headquarters in Hartford. Pope never built more than 700 cars per year; the Pope empire itself collapsed under its own weight in 1914.

Owned by the Dick King Collection, this 1911 Pope Hartford Model W was presented by Stu Laidlaw. Originally part of the Bill Harrah Collection and recently restored, the Model W is powered by a massive 433 cubic-inch overhead valve inline four cylinder with an utterly unique engine note. “It’s a fabulous car to drive,” said Laidlaw as he accepted the Best in Show trophy.

“The roadster was a big hit at the show and impressed judges and spectators alike. It’s always great to see one of the foundational members of the automotive community at a show, and the Pope Hartford truly exemplifies the very pinnacle of the early motorcar,” said Dennis David, one of Sunday in the Park’s guest judges.

Other significant winners at the 2011 Sunday in the Park Concours included a 1935 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Sports Saloon wearing a body by Freestone & Webb and owned by M.S. Koly; it won the Gatsby’s Delights award. The elegant Rolls is a celebrity itself, as it was the personal car of the Waters Sisters, a famous vaudeville act back in the day. The elegant Saloon was even equipped with separate make-up kits for the sisters.

Also making an impression on the crowd and winning the “Risky & Racy” class was Howard Kroplick’s huge 1909 ALCO racing machine. It even managed to blow one of the spectator’s sunglasses off his head with its bellowing exhaust. Built by the American Locomotive Company in Providence, R.I., the impressive machine roared to the reviewing stand to the delight of all. ALCO’s racing history includes Vanderbilt Cup wins in both 1909 and 1910.

Similar to the on-track action at the 2011 Lime Rock Historic Festival, photographer Michael DiPleco also documented the Sunday at the Park Concours, offering the following 130 images that highlight the strong field of cars that took part in the event.

Sunday in the Park Concours at Lime Rock Historic Festival 2011 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)

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Sunday in the Park Concours at Lime Rock Historic Festival 2011 – Class Winners

Lime Rock Historic Festival 2011, Best in Show
1911 Pope Hartford, Stewart Laidlaw, Redding, Conn. (from Class 1, “They Don’t Build ‘Em Like They Used To”)

Class 2, “Gatsby’s Delights,” Very special automobiles from 1925 to 1942
1935 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Sports Saloon, M.S. Koly, Darien, Conn.

Class 3, “Wheels for All,” Making the world more accessible, pre-1942
1929 Austin 7 Gordon England Special, Murray Smith, Washington, Conn.

Class 4, “Risky ‘n’ Racy,” Pre- & selected post-war competition cars
1909 Alco, Howard Kroplick, East Hills, N.Y.

Class 5, “Sporting Standouts,” Open cars 1943 to 1954
1946 MG TC, Peter Roberts, Farmington, Conn.

Class 6, “Fancy ‘n’ Fun,” Open cars 1955 to 1960
1957 Austin-Healey 100/6 BN4, Ed & Paula Collins, Springfield, Mass.

Class 7, “Environmental Elegance,” Open cars 1961 to 1980
1962 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, Jim Petty, Weston, Conn.

Class 8, “Off to Grandma’s,” Coupes & hardtops 1943 to 1975
1951 Chevy “Steelie” Station Wagon, Jack & Vicki DeLuca, Ho Ho Kus, N.J.

Class 9, “Home from Work,” Closed sedans 1943 to 1985
1966 Jaguar Mk II, George Jones, Mansfield Center, Conn.

Class 10, “For Road or Track,” Sporting machines 1945 to 1957
1954 Arnolt Bristol Bolide, Stan Cryz, Dedham, Mass.

Class 11, “A Sporting Proposition,” Sports cars 1958 to 1966
1964 Sunbeam Tiger, Dale Akuszewski, San Bernardino, Calif.

Class 12, “Keep the Shiny Side Up,” Sports cars 1967 to 1972
1967 Jaguar E-Type, Andrew Bennenson, Darien, Conn.

Class 13, “Rapid Transit,” GT cars 1945 to 1960
1950 Abarth 205 Vignale, Edward S., town unknown

Class 14, “Businessmen’s Express,” GT cars 1961 to 1970
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, Herb Chambers, Boston, Mass.

Class 15, “Speed with Style,” GT cars 1971 to 1989
1972 BMW 3.0 CS Coupe, Chuck Moss, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Class 16, “Pace with Grace,” Competition machines of merit
1963 Jaguar E-Type Coupe, Miles Collier Collection, Naples, Fla.

Class 17, “No Holds Barred,” Post-war competition cars
1964 Lotus 30 Sports Racer, Bob Tkacik, Saco, Maine

Class 18, “Fun not Fancy,” Odd and interesting perfection
1985 Renault 5 Turbo II, Mark Nicotera, Milford, Conn.

Class 19, “Creative Thinking,’ Creative competition cars, rods & bikes
1946 Ford Custom Coupe, Deborah Becker, Falls Village, Conn.

Class 20, “Virgin Vehicles,” Just as we found it, or non-restored originals
1965 Porsche 356 SC Coupe, Frank Righetti, Sr., Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.

Class 21, “Pick of the Paddock,” A car racing in Historic Festival 29
1933 Alfa Romeo Monza, Peter Greenfield, Freeport, N.Y.

Class 22, “The Best Seat in the House,” Our softer side…interiors of distinction
1965 Jaguar E-Type, Allen Oshana, Guilford, Conn.

Class 23, Octane Magazine’s “Landmark Competition Car” Award
1956 Ferrari 500 Testarossa prototype, Bill Binnie, Portsmouth, N.H.

Class 24, “The Morris Garage: Competition at its best,” Best MG race car
1933 MG L2 Magna, Chris Nowlson, town unknown

Class 25, “The Morris Garage: Marvellous,” Best MG road car
1961 MGA Twin Cam Roadster, Phil Roy, Leicester, Mass.

Class 26, “A Jag to Remember,” Best Jaguar saloon
1966 Jaguar MkII 3.8, George Jones, Mansfield Center, Conn.

Class 28, Presented by Jaguar Cars N.A., “Best Classic Jaguar,” post-war
1966 E-Type Coupe, Alan Weidie, Bolton, Conn.

Class 30, “Honored Collector & Contributor”
Dr. Fred Simeone, Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia, Pa.

Class 31, “People’s Choice,” Spectator ballots
1966 Sunbeam Tiger MkI, Scotty Hackenson, Trumbull, Conn.

Skip Barber’s Sunday Selections, for spirit, quality and otherwise unrecognized excellence
1948 Cisitalia 202 Nuvolari Spyder, Michael Schwartz, New York, N.Y.
1960 Triumph TR3A, Harry, Candy & Matt Bartik, Pattersonville, N.Y.
1952 VW Beetle, David & Tracy Haviland, Burlington, Vt.
1956 Connecticut State Police Ford squad car, Bill Wood, South Egremont, Mass.
1955 Triumph Mayflower, Ann & Joe Trotta, Sharon, Conn.
1954 Mercedes-Benz 220A Cabriolet, Arlo Guthrie, Woodstock, N.Y.

[Source: Lime Rock Park; photo credit: Michael DiPleco]