Lime Rock Historic Festival 2014 – Concours Photo Gallery

The Sunday in the Park Concours was held August 31st, 2014 on the grounds of Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut. Local ordinance laws prevent racing at Lime Rock Park on Sunday, therefore Lime Rock fields the Concours and Gathering of the Marques car show each year on that day as part of the Historic Festival.

This year’s event, as part of the Lime Rock Historic Festival 2014, presented more than 600 cars, highlighted by the nearly 225 Concours entrants in 29 classes parked on the front straight. The Car Show and Gathering of the Clubs blanketed the rest of the 1.5 mile circuit with as many as 800 automobiles.

Historic Festival 32 celebrated the collection of Honored Collector Ralph Lauren, who displayed a 1953 Morgan Flat Rad; 1964 Ferrari 250 LM; 1929 Birkin Blower Bentley 4.5-Litre Vanden Plas; 1956 Jaguar XKSS and 1959 Porsche RSK.

Best in Show at the 2014 Lime Rock Sunday in the Park Concours was awarded to the 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 owned by Peter Sachs of Stamford, Connecticut. The yellow and cream Alfa was delivered to Tazio Nuvolari for the 1933 24 Hours of Le Mans. Alfa Romeo teamed Nuvolari with Raymond Sommer, who reportedly didn’t trust Nuvolari with the car. In the race, they built a two-lap lead but had to pit due to a fuel leak, said to have been plugged with chewing gum. Nuvolari broke the lap record nine times and won the race by about a quarter-mile.

The Class 3 winner was a 1934 MG K3 Magnette, presented by the Collier Collection’s Revs Institute, which sent four other cars to Lime Rock: a 1964 and a 1970 Abarth, an OSCA MT-4, and the 1935 MG PA-PB Leonidis, winner of Class 1, “Out in the Elements, open vehicles of distinction pre-1945.”

Another notable class winner was Dennis Nicotra’s pre-production 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (Class 13, “Power to Spare – and Grace to Boot”). There are numerous fascinating pre-production features of this car different from production Gullwings, including slightly different exterior proportions, hand formed under-hood sheet metal components, steel door hinges, and an asymmetrical roof vent. This prized 300 SL was recently restored – its first – by Germany’s respected 300 SL experts, HK Engineering. This car was initially delivered to Briggs Cunningham.

A literally untouched-since-it-raced in the 1961, 1962 and 1963 Targo Florios – an Alfa Romeo Zagato SZ – handily won Class 22, “Just as We Found It, untouched or minimally massaged.” There are photos from the 1963 race showing the tape that still surrounds the headlights today. The car is owned by Larry Garcia.

Roger Werner’s 1965 Shelby Cobra Mk. I took Class 12, “A Sporting Proposition, sports cars 1962 – 1970” honors, while Class 26, “Pick of the Paddock,” for cars presented in the Concours that are racing over the weekend, was won by Tom Cotter’s 1964 Chevrolet Corvette.

Class 18 was nine cars, all Porsche Speedsters – “The Essence of Speed-ster” – and the winner was Steven Harris’s 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster. Class 7, “Form Follows Function, useful, practical and commercial vehicles 1955-1985,” was won by a beautiful 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, owned by Daniel Plotkin.

The Honored Motorcycle Collector for Historic Festival 32 was Robert Machinist, who brought six fantastic bikes: a 1966 Bultaco Metralla MK 2; 1967 Ducati 350; 1972 Ducati 750 sport; 1974 Ducati 750 sport; 1975 MV Augusta 350 sport; 1976 MV Augusta 750 s America; and a 2000 MV Augusta F4. Alongside were the motorcycles in Class 21, “Less Is More,” won by a 1953 Triumph Twenty One 6T Bluebird, owned by Michael Marino.

Virgil Exner’s one-off dream car, the 1960 Plymouth XNR, was entered into Class 23, “America’s Finest, Post-WWII.” Up against a phalanx of Lincolns and Cadillacs, the XNR took the trophy. Early in his career, Exner had a stint with Hall of Famer industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who drew up all the designs for Lime Rock’s buildings, pit lane and training facilities in 1956. Regrettably, the track’s investors ran out of money before anything of Loewy’s could be built.

People’s Choice went to an imposing but still approachable 1926 Kissel Speedster, owned by Andrew Benenson. Benenson also owns the 1951 Cisitalia C 202 that won Class 17, “The Other Italians.” Joe Freeman entered his 1947 HRG 1100 Roadster and won Class 8, “For Road & Track, the cars the boys brought home, sports cars 1945-1955,” while in Class 14, “Businessman’s Express, GTs 1960-1965,” the 1963 Porsche Carrera 2 of Tom and Kristin Zarrella took the trophy.

Lime Rock President Skip Barber is given the opportunity to peruse the Sunday in the Park field and choose cars that earn a “Skip’s Sunday Best” award. This year: 1919 Stutz Bearcat (Myron Schuster); 1956 Mercury Monterey NASCAR stock car (Russ Truelove); 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Villa D’Este (Jon Savage); 1956 OSCA MT-4 Tipo Nuovo (Mitch Eitel); 1960 Cadillac Eldorado (Joseph O’Connell); and a 1955 Porsche 356 Pre-A Carrera Speedster (Ben and Rob Edwards).

In “A Damsel’s Delight,” another special class, it was a brilliant one-off station wagon that took home the fancy glassware: a 1960 Bentley S2 Wendler Shooting Brake. Designed by Wendler of Germany, this car was commissioned by an American (who also owned a Wendler Mercedes-Benz 300S Shooting Brake). It’s the only one-off made by Wendler for Bentley.

And in what Historic Festival chairman Murray Smith called “the largest collection of racing Formula Juniors in America, in one place at one time,” the entire 29-car FJ field was pushed onto the track for Sunday. Winning Best in Show of the Juniors was Mitch Eitel’s 1959 OSCA, with Bob Goeldner’s 1962 Brabham BT2 and the 1963 Lotus 18 of Nick Grewal rounding out the podium.

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Similar to the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Concours (and the on-track action at the 2014 Lime Rock Historics), photographer Michael DiPleco also documented this year’s Sunday in the Park Concours, offering the following 205 images that highlight the strong field of cars that took part in the annual event.

Lime Rock Sunday in the Park Concours 2014 – Main Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)

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Lime Rock Sunday in the Park Concours 2014 – Results

Best of Show
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, Peter Sachs, Stamford, Conn.

Class 1, Out in the Elements, open vehicles of distinction pre-1945
1. 1935 MG PA-PB, “Leonidis,” The Revs Institute, Naples, Fla.
2. 1940 Packard, Drake Darrin, Greenwich, Conn.
3. 1937 Cord Phaeton 812, Christopher Owen, Stockbridge, Mass.

Class 2, Gatsby’s Delights, rare and unique automobiles 1914-1942
1. 1933 Lincoln KB Victoria, Wayne Carini, Portland, Conn.
2. 1923 Marmon Speedster, Eric Killorin, Middlebury, Vt.
3. 1941 Packard Special, Robert Neubert, Amston, Conn.

Class 3, Risky but Racy, competition machines of merit pre-1945
1. 1934 MG K3 Magnette, The Revs Institute, Naples, Fla.
2. 1927 Amilcar CGSS, Nick Grewal, Guilford, N.H.

Class 4, They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used to, sedans and coupes to get you home pre-1945
1. 1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Shooting Brake, Arlan Ettinger, Salisbury, Conn.

Class 5, Off to Market, Home from Work, coupes, hardtops and wagons 1945-1970
1. 1955 Lancia Aurelia, Walter Miller, Syracuse, N.Y.
2. 1952 Volkswagen Beetle, David & Tracy Haviland, Burlington, Vt.
3. 1957 Oldsmobile 98 Starfire, Gary Dellavecchio, Oxford, Conn.

Class 6, Carry Your Weight, classics that deliver; commercial vehicles and woodies to 1965
1. 1950 Chevrolet Styleline De Luxe Wagon, John Theroux, Groton, Mass.
2. 1951 Chevrolet Styleline De Luxe Wagon (1062), Jack & Victoria Deluca, Riverside, Conn.
3. 1960 Volkswagen Double Cab Pick-up, Tom & Kristin Zarrella, Gloucester, Mass.

Class 7, Form follows Function, useful, practical and commercial vehicles 1955-1985
1. 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, Daniel Plotkin, Longmeadow, Mass.
2. 1965 AMC Rambler Classic, Kirk & Mary Benham, Saugerties, N.Y.
3. 1963 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III, Dave Ratner, Longmeadow, Mass.

Class 8, For Road & Track, the cars the boys brought home, sports cars 1945-1955
1. 1947 HRG 1100 roadster, Joe Freeman, Boston, Mass.
2. 1955 Porsche 356 Continental Pre-A, Robb Francis & Pete Keiler, Bernardsville, N.J.
3. 1948 MG TC, George Smith, South Egremont, Mass.

Class 9, Poised and Potent, road-racing’s streetwise reflections 1956-1961
1. 1958 Arnolt Bristol Bolide, Matt DeGarmo, Norwalk, Conn.
2. 1957 AC Ace Bristol, Andrew Williams, Stamford, Conn.
3. 1958 Jaguar XK 150 S OTS, David Porter, Darien, Conn.

Class 10, With Top When Needed, convertibles 1961-1972
1. 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE, Vivecca Mazella, South Salem, N.Y.
2. 1962 Ford Thunderbird, Ben Bereza, Thomaston, Conn.

Class 11, Keep the Shiny Side Up, fast, fun sports caras 1970-1985
1. 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mark III, Mark & Ilene Goodman, Cortland Manor, N.Y.
2. 1979 Fiat 124 Spider, Arnold Most, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
3. 1976 Triumph TR6, Ron Greer, Richfield Springs, N.Y.

Class 12, A Sporting Proposition, sports cars 1962-1970
1. 1965 Cobra Mark 1, Roger Werner, Greenwich, Conn.
2. 1969 Jaguar E-Type Series II, Thomas Howard, New Milford, Conn.
3. 1967 Sunbeam Tiger Mark 1A, Rich & Jackie Keller, Vernon, N.J.

Class 13, Power to Spare – and Grace to Boot, GTs 1945-1959
1. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (pre-production), Dennis Nicrota, Fairfield, Conn.
2. 1951 Ferrari 212, Peter Kalikow, New York, N.Y.
3. 1959 Porsche 356 Super 1600, Robert Martin, Bether, Conn.

Class 14, Businessman’s Express, GTs 1960-1965
1. 1963 Porsche 356 Carrera 2, Tom & Kristin Zarrella, Gloucester, Mass.
2. 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale, Rod Burdick, North Smithfield, R.I.
3. 1963 Alfa Romeo TZ1, Robert Wilder, New York, N.Y.

Class 15, Wonders of Wind and Speed, high speed open-air GTs post 1945
1. 1967 Lancia Flaminia Touring Convertible, Don Schwarzkopf, Rumson, N.J.
2. 1958 BMW 507, Lloyd Dahmen, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
3. 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS, Douglas Cushie, Sherman, Conn.

Class 16, Speed & Style, because it’s not simply when you arrive – it’s how, GTs 1965-1970
1. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette, Bruce & Michele Clark, Brookville, N.Y.
2. 1968 Jaguar XKE FHC Series I, Steven Hammond, Kent Hill, Maine
3. 1967 Jaguar XKE, Karen Carhart, Lenox, Mass.

Class 17, The Other Italians, a tribute to Carlo Abarth’s creations and the able competition
1. 1951 Cisitalia C 202, Andrew Benenson, Darien, Conn.
2. 1955 O.S.C.A. MT-4 Vignale coupe, Elad Shraga, White Plains, N.Y.
3. 1956 Fiat Abarth 750 GT Corsa Competition, John Kristoff, North Canton, Ohio

Class 18, The Essence of Speed-ster, a celebration of the iconic Porsche Speedster at 60
1. 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster, Steven Harris, New York, N.Y.
2. 1956 Porsche 356A Speedster, Richard Strahota, Darien, Conn.
3. 1958 Porsche 356 Speedster, Tom & Kristin Zarrella, Gloucester, Mass.

Class 19, Bentley Beauty and Bruteness, a tribute to W.O.’s Best
1. 1928 Bentley 4.5-Litre Le Mans, Roger Noble, Simsbury, Conn.
2. 1929 Bentley Speed Six, George Holman, Wilbraham, Mass.
3. 1962 Bentley S2 Continental, Ernest Trefz, Trumbull, Conn.

Class 20, Fancy ‘n Fun, Just the thing for a Sunday Drive, convertibles 1941-1960
1. 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220B, Jeffrey Diamond, Great Barrington, Mass.
2. 1948 Chrysler Town & Country, Troy Greg, Simsbury, Conn.

Class 21, Less is More, motorcycles, the lighter side of getting going
1. 1953 Triumph Twenty One 6T Bluebird, Michael Marino, Providence, R.I.
2. 1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport, David Miller, Ridgefield, Conn.
3. 1971 Norton Commando, Dean Mojon, New Hartford, Conn.

Class 22, Just as We Found It, untouched or minimally massaged originals
1. 1963 Alfa Romeo Zagato SZ, Larry Garcia, Laurelton, N.Y.
2. 1938 Morgan Plus Four Le Mans Replica, Murray Smith, Washington, Conn.
3. 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Berlina, Bob Cess, Litchfield, Conn.

Class 23, America’s Finest, reflections on American style post-WWII
1. 1960 Plymouth XNR concept car, Paul Gould, Pawling, N.Y.
2. 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, Skip Barber, Sharon, Conn.
3. 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, Skip Barbert, Sharon, Conn.

Class 24, No Holds Barred, victory at all costs defined – post-war competition machines
1. 1967 Ferrari 330 P3/4 chassis, James Glickenhaus, Rye, N.Y.
2. 1953 Jaguar C-Type, Tom Jaycox, Canaan, Conn.
3. 1962 Lotus 23B, Mitch McCullough, Pompton Plains, N.J.

Class 25, Creative Thinking, interesting, unique, between the cracks transport
1. 1965 Ford Mustang, Gregory Meindl, Levittown, N.Y.
2. 1964 Cheetah, Mark Strickrodt, Brewster, N.Y.
3. 1955 Austin-Healey 100-4 modified, Christopher Owen, Stockbridge, Mass.

Class 26, Pick of the Paddock, for machines driven in anger over the weekend
1. 1964 Chevrolet Corvette, Tom Cotter, Davidson, N.C.
2. 1933 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3, Peter Giddings, Danville, Calif.
3. 1954 Jaguar XK120M, Tom Jaycox, Jr., Canaan, Conn.

Class 27, Speed and Style Redux, mile-eating monsters, GTs 1970-1985
1. 1973 Porsche 911 SC, Joe Courtney, South Windsor, Conn.
2. 1974 BMW 3.0CS Alpina, Duane Sword, Charlestown, Mass.
3. 1973 BMW 3.0CS, Michael Balaban, Douglastown, N.Y.

Class 28, Torque it Up, cars with the urge to move you, magnificent muscle 1955-1975
1. 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 Ram Air, David Brady, Trumbull, Conn.
2. 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 RS, Tom Petrasek, Huntington, N.Y.
3. 1969 Ford Torino Cobra Jet (428), Kevin & Yvonne Biebel, New Milford, Conn.

Class 29, Hot Rod, a tribute to American re-engineering
1. 1932 Ford Roadster, Paul Fitzgerald, Sandy Hook, Conn.
2. 1932 Ford Roadster, Kevin & Yvonne Maloney, West Suffield, Conn.
3. 1932 Ford Roadster, Skip Matava, Farmington, Conn.

Perrier-Jouët Champagne’s Choice
1951 Bentley Mark Vi, Dennis & Ann Marie Nash, EWind Gap, Pa.

Ronald McDonald House Kids’ Choice
1967 Lamborghini P400 Miura, Lee Barba, Bangall, N.Y.