By Tabitha Baker
Between June 3rd and 5th, Roger Sherman Baldwin Park held the 26th annual Greenwich Concours d’Elegance event, where more than 8,000 enthusiasts celebrated cars and honored concours tradition.
Greenwich Concours d’Elegance is a three-day premier motoring event held in Greenwich, Connecticut. Exclusive gatherings, shopping, ride and drives, new vehicle experiences and entertaining seminars complement Friday’s Grand Tour and Saturday’s Cars & Community presented by Griot’s Garage.
“The picturesque Greenwich harbor set the stage and we were thrilled to host, engage and entertain so many car lovers this past weekend,” said Matt Orendac, Vice Chairman, Concours Group, Hagerty. “We’re convinced more now than ever about the value of bringing the car community together.”
The weekend started with the exclusive Grand Tour for concours entrants. Friday evening featured the Hagerty Drivers Foundation’s unveiling of the 31st vehicle inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register. This vehicle was the 1952 Hudson Hornet “Fabulous Hudson Hornet”, raced by Herb Thomas. Hagerty’s purpose is to save driving and car culture for future generations, as its mission is to build a global business to fund this idea.
Saturday’s Cars & Community was presented by Griot’s Garage and featured RADwood and Concours d’Lemons displays as well as a Kids Zone. More than 600 future drivers participated in the Kids Zone enjoying racing simulators, games, coloring stations and more.
Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance celebrated 140 historically significant vehicles in 18 classes. A Vignale-bodied 1948 Packard Convertible Victoria was selected by 57 judges across the globe as Best in Show.
“Whether our guests came to enjoy the fun cars of their youth on Saturday or to see the finest cars ever built on Sunday, it’s evident that car culture is both alive and thriving,” said Matt Orendac.
Over 240 people participated in Hagerty’s Ride & Drive, where car enthusiasts got to see what it was like behind the wheels of cars selected from the Hagerty Learning Garage. Test drive vehicles included a 1960 Plymouth Fury, a 1963
Lincoln Continental, a 1970 Dodge Challenger and a 1971 Ford Bronco.
Hagerty’s support of local charities continued a long tradition of giving back to the community. A gift to the Greenwich Boys & Girls Club will provide summer program scholarships for local students, and contributions to the Greenwich Parks and Recreation will help underwrite their Summer Concert Series. In addition, the concours was proud to work with multiple local charitable vendors.
The Greenwich Concours d’Elegance was an incredible opportunity for car enthusiasts to check out their favorite old-time vehicles or reminisce about the cars they once used to drive, allowing attendees of all ages to enjoy the event. Hagerty’s next concours, the Detroit Concours d’Elegance, is set for September 16th through the18th of 2022.
