The inaugural Presidio of San Francisco Concours d’Elegance was held Sunday, July 19th, 2009 in San Francisco, California.
The event was held on the grounds of the Presidio, a former military base turned national park that is characterized by many wooded areas, hills and scenic vistas overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay. By placing a Concours against the backdrop of the fabled park, the inaugural Presidio of San Francisco combined history of the motorcar with one of California’s truly significant landmarks.
The Presidio had been a fortified location since 1776 when the Spanish made it the military center of their expansion in the area. It passed to Mexico, which in turn passed it to the United States in 1847. As part of a military reduction program, Congress voted in 1989 to end the Presidio’s status as an active military installation and on October 1, 1994, it was transferred to the National Park Service, ending 219 years of military use and beginning its next phase of mixed commercial and public use.
And in less than 15 years, the organizers made the astute and logical decision to field a Concours on the grounds. The organizers, Brian & Michele Moore, know a thing or two about running a successful event, having honed their skills at the Niello Concours at Serrano, held annually in El Dorado Hills, California.
The 2009 Presidio of San Francisco Concours d’Elegance celebrated the marques of Packard & Bentley.
For more information, visit www.sfconcours.com.
2009 Presidio of San Francisco Concours d’Elegance Picture Gallery (click for larger image and description)
[Source: Wikipedia; Picture credit, Dennis Gray]
Thanks for the pics from the SF Concours. I agree that it was a great event for a first time effort there.
I didn’t have a chance of winning an award in such illustrious company but your photographer, Dennis Gray, was so enthusiastic about my Riley that it made my day. A great event all round.
Hello:I was on the SCCA scoring team in October ’63 when Dave McDonald won The Monterey Fall Race in the #98 King Cobra.
The Grid included such Greats as Jim Clark, AJ Foyt,Loyd Ruby,Roger Penske,Graham Hill,Jim Hall and others.
Getting up on a trailer set up at the starting for the scoring team I was able to take shots of the grid.
I did a Lap Chart on that race and it was something to look at Dave McDonald come up through ‘The Pack’.I believe he passed A J Foyt in the last lap.
That week-end Chuck Parsons,in a Lotus Mk 25, just barely beat Don Wester and Skip Hudson.An old expression goes ‘you could have thrown a blanket over them’.Had the race lasted another 20 or 30 feet,Skip Hudson would have been 1st,Don Wester 2nd and Chuck Parsons 3rd.
Those WERE DAYS and I have many pictures in my shop of My Four years,1963 to 1966 in The S.F.Region SCCA.
Thanks for letting me ‘bend your ear’.
Jim