My Top Five Shows of the Season
For all intents and purposes, the car show season is dwindling down on the east coast. Of course, it’s still warm enough to be summer here, but since most car shows are planned months in advance, there are few still coming up. Still, it has been a fantastic season, filled with cool classic cars, modern cars and custom cars, and it’s been my pleasure to report on the events.
Here’s my roundup of the best shows I attended this season. We’d love to hear about your favorites, so connect with us on your favorite social media platform to send reviews, photos or videos!
The Rhinebeck Car Show
Though the weather the day of the event was a little strange, with hots and colds, rain and sun, the event had a great turnout and we enjoyed a full day of classic cars, hobby vendors and more. They had a lineup of gorgeous, vintage open-wheeled race cars, and we met a team of gentlemen that rebuilds extinct cars from their model counterparts.
Rhinebeck has a lot going for it, with their expansive space and their support from the Hudson River Valley Antique Auto Association. They definitely delivered this year, and I can’t wait to see the changes they make to keep the show improving.
The Greenwich Concours is always an incredible event. It is filled with the kind of cars we usually only see in pictures, vintage race cars, classic Ferraris, sports cars with speed, power and provenance that would blow your mind. The elegance and uniqueness of the event always makes it stand out, and each year the show is put together with more smoothness and ease.
This year, particularly, was an interesting one. For the first time in twenty-one years, the Greenwich Concours opened its doors to hot rods and custom cars – expensive hot rods and custom cars, but they were there nonetheless. This accepting of new trends and themes in the classic car hobby is important and exciting, and I can’t wait to see what sort of changes the Greenwich show will make in the future.
Not only is this show the future of the hobby, but it’s a lot of fun. There’s nothing quite like vintage hot rods racing on the beach, and from our perch in the observation tower, the view couldn’t have been better. Our live stream of these racing hot rods actually got picked up by Periscope, so we were able to share the sights with people all over the world.
You’ll see more about why I think shows like The Race of Gentlemen are so important if you check out the article I wrote after the event. Suffice to say that we’re seeing major changes on the horizon, and they look damn good.
Like The Race of Gentlemen, I see Dead Man’s Curve as a harbinger of the future of the classic car hobby. The show is young, and it has learned much from the various events that have come before it. There is live music, a running schedule of events, engine revving, classic car celebrities, the whole nine. Not to mention the location is gorgeous, if sometimes a challenge to get to.
I think Dead Man’s Curve has some growing pains to work through, but I have no doubt they will. Shows like this one give me hope that the hobby will not only survive, but thrive. I look forward to seeing how Dead Man’s Curve grows and changes in the future.
Bridgehampton Road Rally and Tour D’Hamptons
No, I’m not just saying it because it’s fresh in my mind. Not only is Bridgehampton chock full of vintage racing history that would make any classic car enthusiast swoon, but the event continues to improve from year to year. One of the coolest things about Bridgehampton is that you actually get to see the cars out on the road, going fast, occasionally breaking down. These cars were meant to be driven, and Bridgehampton see to that quite nicely.
And the cars are remarkable. British, German, Italian sports cars, a Model T, a National, cars that we don’t see at any average show, and we get to watch them hit the road like they were designed to do. Given that this iteration only just had its second year event, I think we’re in for a great many more fantastic shows from the Bridgehampton team.
I have written about these events individually, with the exception, I think, of Rhinebeck, so if you’re interested in learning more about why I think these events rose as the cream of the crop for this year, go check it out. In the meantime, we want to hear from you–what event do you think was the all time best show or race of the season?