A 1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost belonging to DeNean Stafford III (above, Rachel Shuler photo courtesy of Atlanta Concours d’Elegance) was selected as the overall Best of Show winner at the inaugural Atlanta Concours d’Elegance. The car, which is the only short-wheelbase variant of this model in existence, has previously scored a Best in Class win at Pebble Beach.
The show’s other top honor, Best of Show Post-War, was awarded to the 1961 Maserati Frua Prototype of Elton Stevens, a car that also has won its class at Amelia Island.
The event’s co-chairmen, Harry Krix and Bill Wallet, created the first premier automotive event within the greater metropolitan Atlanta area, judging more than 100 significant cars in 20 classes judged by 30 select automotive experts. The quality of the field meant that some 80 percent of the cars were prior award winners at major classic car events.
“We had an impressive field of cars that were clearly a tribute to the heritage and history of the automobile,” said Krix. “Our goal was to offer a program that encapsulated more than the average show, and engage both aficionados and attendees with world-class offerings not often found in our local community, and regarded among the very best of the best.”
Among the other class winners were: J. Strickland’s 1961 Jaguar XKE, the sixth XKE ever built, in the British Sports 1961-1972 category; a 1972 BMW 2002 Tii that is still maintained by its first and original owner Bruce Hall, and still clocks only 41,000 miles, took the Preservation Award; a Roman Red 1955 Corvette owned by Georgia collector Carolyn Sikes, that topped nearly a dozen other Corvettes to win the American Class Sports Car category up to 1972; and a 1957 Chevy Nomad, owned by Brad Bean, that claimed the Post-War 1946–1960 category.
Cars originally built for celebrities were also shown, including a 1914 Packard touring car and a 1920 Hudson that were once owned by Italian opera tenor Enrico Caruso, both brought from the Elliott Museum in Florida, and 1919 bright purple Pierce-Arrow Model 66 A-4 Tourer, once customized for famous silent movie actor Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle – the latter receiving First in Class in the Brass Era Late category. For complete information about the event, please visit www.atlantaconcours.org
