The Greenwich Concours d’Elegance – Same Dynasty, New Blood

GREENWICH, CT – June 3rd and 4th marked the 21st anniversary of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, a car show dedicated to the most elegant, most influential and most beautiful cars history has to offer. Though rain threatened Saturday morning, eventually falling Sunday afternoon during an abridged award ceremony, the Concours was a resounding success, with truly magnificent automobiles, a full auction tent, celebrity sightings and admission lines around the corner.

That can all be attributed to the passion, demand for excellence and attention to detail exhibited by Mary Wennerstrom, daughter-in-law of show producer, Bruce Wennerstrom, who passed away in September 2015 at 88. This next generation of Wennerstroms, including Mary’s husband Leif and Mr. Wennerstrom’s other children, Kirk and Bria, have taken the baton with vigor and passion, if this first year of doing it on their own was anything to judge by. Though the 2016 Concours took place several months after Mr. Wennerstrom’s death, he continued to work until he passed, allowing his kin to take up the reins well into the show’s production.

But this 21st year bodes well for the Concours. There were large changes and subtle changes, though the event never lost its famous atmosphere of history and beauty, brought about in a combination of car aesthetic and design and the view of a blue and sparking Greenwich Harbor and Long Island Sound. Even the rain stayed away for most of the weekend, and the sunshine bounced off hundred year old curved, shining fenders, highlighting elegance and prominence through the whole of automotive history. 

Or, Saturday, specifically American history. The Concours is split into domestic cars for the Saturday event and foreign and exotic cars for the Sunday event, and this year, more than ever, that distinction played a remarkable role. Though it’s been several years since the Pebble Beach Concours in California first opened its doors to hot rods and custom cars, this was the first year for the cars-by-invitation-only Concours to do so. A large circle overlooking the water provided a stage for beautiful custom work and original hot rods. A Ford Model B Roadster, Ford Model 40 Roadster and Mercury Sport Custom took home awards for Best in Class.

And that speaks to the changing nature of the vintage car universe. While hot rods and custom cars have long found space among their own brand of enthusiasts, making room for them among the world of several million dollar Ferraris, one of a kind Rolls Royces and race cars owned by legendary drivers, is a testament to how these cars have come into their own. Hot rods often have provenance of a similar caliber, and to place these separate elements of the hobby side by side at an event such as the Greenwich Concours acknowledges their value, their history and their influence on the car world.

Sunday, of course, was a parade of vintage and modern foreign cars that most people will never see in person. Long, powerful, loud and often not running, these cars came from Italy, Germany, England and France, both pre and post WWII and undoubtedly full of stories. This long standing element of the Greenwich Concours is so for a reason, and the lines to attend Sunday’s event spoke to just how much car enthusiasts will jump at the chance to view rare and unique automobiles.

One circle highlighted cars from the Lime Rock Historic Festival, which will be taking place at the Lime Rock racetrack August 31st – September 4th, a long running history of racecars, speed and beauty.

Even with the rain, this event was a resounding success. The crowds and the cars evoked a sense of life and passion within the hobby that sometimes suffers from a generation gap. Not so with the Greenwich Concours, as dozens of children and new families stared gleefully up at Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lancias, Alfa Romeos, Lamborghinis and so much more.

Producing an event like the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, and finding a good balance between honoring tradition and keeping new passion and excitement alive, is certainly challenging. This new generation of Wennerstroms more than just rose to the challenge. They passed it with enthusiasm and grace. We look forward to see what comes from them next.