Greenwich Concours 2012

[barry2952]

This may be the only time you'll ever see my Mark II with the top up. This was just before it was loaded for the trip from Michigan to Greenwich, CT.



We attended the Bonham's auction party and saw some pretty interesting vehicles. I couldn't figure out what the extra fender was on this car. I learned that it was to protect the area where the gentry set would step to get into the cabin. Since roads were mostly mud at that time I can understand the precaution.



The view from the show field onto the bay.



This is the host hotel, adjacent to the show field.



It poured Friday night. It sprinkled for a few minutes as we loaded the car onto the show field, but not bad enough to put the top up. Some people kept their cars covered. We braved it.





















































This is the class we were competing in.











Don't know why the Corvette was in the class.



Other classes.























Barn find.































This won "People's Choice". I can understand why they covered the woodwork.







This was pretty awesome. a '49 Caddy sedanette with quad 2-bbl carbs. An American boy racer.





Wayne Carini and the Mrs.



One of the top awards.

[AHFlynn]

aw crap. it was this weekend? i always miss it.

congrats!

[vwlarry]

Can't explain it now, but this one grabs me the most of any of the cars depicted. GM's sedanettes are increasingly appealing to me, and they look the sexiest when dressed as Cadillacs. Gorgeous car. The blackwalls are a NICE touch, too.

Barry, I've become a good buddy of journalist John Matras via Facebook. He's covering Greenwich this weekend. If you see him there, tell him Larry Tebo said "Hey!". He's a good guy, and a great automotive journalist.

[barry2952]

I met about a dozen journalists today. What does he look like?

[slirt]

This may be the only time you'll ever see my Mark II with the top up.

just curious, as a soft-top owner myself, i always thought it best to keep the top up while garaged;
doesn't leaving the top down all the time give it permanent creases or make it prone to damage when used?

this caught my eye, and while i see some Dual-Ghias in class, what is it, a later Ghia? and the following?

Thanks Barry!

[vwlarry]

John Matras:



Matras was with Car and Driver magazine, among others for a long time, and today he is the purveyor of CarBuzzard.com ( http://carbuzzard.com/ ) He was one of the judges at the concours, btw. Great fellow.

[johnnynumfiv]

just curious, as a soft-top owner myself, i always thought it best to keep the top up while garaged;
doesn't leaving the top down all the time give it permanent creases or make it prone to damage when used?

this caught my eye, and while i see some Dual-Ghias in class, what is it, a later Ghia? and the following?



Thanks Barry!

The last car in your post is a Momo Mirage.
It's cool to see cars I've worked on and walk by everyday in your pics. Thanks for posting them Barry.

[71DubBugBug]

congrats

what model is that barn find, the black one

[Porridgehead]

jthis caught my eye, and while i see some Dual-Ghias in class, what is it, a later Ghia?

It is indeed a Ghia, but merely a single rather than a Dual.

A 450ss to be precise.

[rimtrim]

Great pics, I love seeing all these stock classics. And, to think we now live in a world where a bustleback Seville with Vogue tires can roll up at a show and not be relegated to the parking lot

-Andrew L

[vwlarry]

congrats

what model is that barn find, the black one

It is a '37 Chrysler Imperial Custom Town Car, bodied by LeBaron, and it looks like it might be the personal car of Mrs. Walter P. Chrysler:

[Porridgehead]

Award for timeless elegance? Well they nailed that one. Congratulations!

[Smoltz]

Looks like a great show, wanted to make it down there but with the marginal weather wasn't sure it would be worth it.

If anyone else went and has pictures, I'd love to see them.

Barry, did you win that award? If so, congrats! Beautiful car you have there.

[barry2952]

Looks like a great show, wanted to make it down there but with the marginal weather wasn't sure it would be worth it.

If anyone else went and has pictures, I'd love to see them.

Barry, did you win that award? If so, congrats! Beautiful car you have there.

Thank you, yes, that's our award. We were last here in 2005 and took the "Award of Excellence".

[barry2952]

Award for timeless elegance? Well they nailed that one. Congratulations!

Thank you, that's very kind.

[geofftii2002]

Can't explain it now, but this one grabs me the most of any of the cars depicted. GM's sedanettes are increasingly appealing to me, and they look the sexiest when dressed as Cadillacs. Gorgeous car. The blackwalls are a NICE touch, too.

Barry, I've become a good buddy of journalist John Matras via Facebook. He's covering Greenwich this weekend. If you see him there, tell him Larry Tebo said "Hey!". He's a good guy, and a great automotive journalist.

This Cadillac I know oh-so-well! It's actually a series 61 (don't let the fender trim fool ya) that was pretty nicely restored when our customer bought it. But he already had a '49 Convert in concours condition so he wanted something just a little different. We adapted a dual-carb intake manifold from a (I think) 54 Eldo and fitted the four Strombergs. It was quite a lot of fiddling and engineering and reworking to get it to actually run, but low and behold it does. And quite well, at that.

The owner also fitted the blackwalls (which fit the car so well) and the Series 62 fender trim to spice it up a bit. Personally, I loved the car without the trim but hey, I'm not the one paying the bills!

Anyway, it's a great car and I'm glad to see it again. It's been a while.

As for the car depicted below the Ghia SS - that's one of Peter Kalikow's Momo Mirage's. Now, I don't recognize that car in that color - perhaps he painted the maroon one (which was the December '71 R&T cover car) or he completed another car. He does have enough parts still to complete at least a couple more cars, including a convertible that's being built by Automotive Restorations. It's a very cool car with an interesting history. Look it up some day.

[duke of chucchinchilla]

I'm surprised these were in the show.

[vwlarry]

[
I'm surprised these were in the show.

The same way people were surprised in the 1970s when 1950s cars were permitted to show, and later in the 1980s when they were surprised that 1960s cars were allowed in, etc. Tempus fugit, my friend. I see the Lincoln and Cadillac as just "old cars" too, but that's because I'm an old guy who can distinctly remember when they were new cars just like it was yesterday. It happens to all of us if we're lucky enough to live long enough for it to happen to us.

[BeBop!]

Thanks for sharing. I always like to see these kinds of threads. These cars have a certain kind of elegance that you don't see today. I really like the Ford convertible (Super Deluxe?) with the wood doors.

[vwlarry]

Those postwar Ford wood-bodied convertibles are called Sportsman, and also are called Sportsman in Mercury suits. In the post-WWII seller's market, where the carmakers could sell anything on wheels to a car-starved public, it was unexpected that they would venture into such esoteric types of bodystyles. Ford had their Sportsman, Chrysler had the Town and Country, and even Nash built a series of wood-bodied sedans that projected a sporty image, and all were labor-intensive and costly to produce.

Nash Suburban:



Chrysler Town and Country:





The strange, alluring beauty of painted steel, chrome, and finely crafted wood:

[barry2952]

I'm surprised these were in the show.

This is the first year I'll be showing my '77 Town Car. It's at a friend's shop in Traverse City being made perfect, from near perfect. It only has 21,000 miles but some surface rust is creeping out from under the crown moldings.

Since nothing today approaches its 233 1/2" inches in length it is mightily impressive in person, and that's what gets you trophies in Concours'. Authenticity and condition are taken into consideration, but the "WOW" factor brings home the baubles.

[johnnynumfiv]

This Cadillac I know oh-so-well! It's actually a series 61 (don't let the fender trim fool ya) that was pretty nicely restored when our customer bought it. But he already had a '49 Convert in concours condition so he wanted something just a little different. We adapted a dual-carb intake manifold from a (I think) 54 Eldo and fitted the four Strombergs. It was quite a lot of fiddling and engineering and reworking to get it to actually run, but low and behold it does. And quite well, at that.

The owner also fitted the blackwalls (which fit the car so well) and the Series 62 fender trim to spice it up a bit. Personally, I loved the car without the trim but hey, I'm not the one paying the bills!

Anyway, it's a great car and I'm glad to see it again. It's been a while.

As for the car depicted below the Ghia SS - that's one of Peter Kalikow's Momo Mirage's. Now, I don't recognize that car in that color - perhaps he painted the maroon one (which was the December '71 R&T cover car) or he completed another car. He does have enough parts still to complete at least a couple more cars, including a convertible that's being built by Automotive Restorations. It's a very cool car with an interesting history. Look it up some day.

That caddy is one of my favorite cars, it sounds and drives like a dream.
The car in the picture is one of the unfinished cars. We finished the chassis and drivetrain. It was then sent to Italy for the body, trim and interior. We have another chassis that will be completed soon.

[duke of chucchinchilla]

The same way people were surprised in the 1970s when 1950s cars were permitted to show, and later in the 1980s when they were surprised that 1960s cars were allowed in, etc. Tempus fugit, my friend. I see the Lincoln and Cadillac as just "old cars" too, but that's because I'm an old guy who can distinctly remember when they were new cars just like it was yesterday. It happens to all of us if we're lucky enough to live long enough for it to happen to us.

My 28th birthday was on Friday and when everybody asked if I felt older, I said no. Thanks to you, NOW I feel old.

[barry2952]

That caddy is one of my favorite cars, it sounds and drives like a dream.
The car in the picture is one of the unfinished cars. We finished the chassis and drivetrain. It was then sent to Italy for the body, trim and interior. We have another chassis that will be completed soon.

Is the owner a rather tall man with a fairly thick accent?

[Spinnaker]

That hotel is the greatest cougar den in the county

[johnnynumfiv]

Is the owner a rather tall man with a fairly thick accent?

I would say no for both the Momo and Caddy.

[barry2952]

I would say no for both the Momo and Caddy.

The guy that owns the caddy has short curly hair, no? Rather thin. Probably 6"2"? He wasn't around for his award.

Loved the car. Told him so. That red paint had just a fine metal flake in it. Sweet.

To me it really looks like Cadillac's answer to the Bentley Boy Racers.

I was expecting tri-power, from what someone told me, but those 4 carbs and adapters blew me away when he opened the hood. I envy your being able to work on such great cars.

[barry2952]

That hotel is the greatest cougar den in the county

I saw more LED front lights in three days in Greenwich than I've seen in 3 years in Detroit.

It was explained to me that the main product of Greenwich, CT is money making money. I thought the area was old-money, but I'm told it is hedge-fund managers that are building all the giant homes. I must say, though, that while absolutely gigantic, the homes were very tastefully done by architects that understood the area.

I won't even get into what new money builds here. :face palm:

As far as cougars are concerned there were certainly plenty at the show. It's one of the best places in the world to people watch.

[AeroWagon]

My brain is numb after this weekend.
Way too many cars to look at, sensory overload!

I havent been to Greenwich since I was younger, but I now realize that its probably one of the wealthiest places in the country.

Barry, did you happen to see any of the yachts that were parked in the harbor?
Big money.

[barry2952]

My brain is numb after this weekend.
Way too many cars to look at, sensory overload!

I havent been to Greenwich since I was younger, but I now realize that its probably one of the wealthiest places in the country.

Barry, did you happen to see any of the yachts that were parked in the harbor?
Big money.

I'm not much of a boater. However, when your boat has its own boat on-board, you know it's big money.

[Porridgehead]

I'm not much of a boater. However, when your boat has its own boat on-board, you know it's big money.

I thought you had a Chris Craft Continental! Of course, that's a boat. What you find in Greenwich harbor are Yaaachts, darling. More on the dreadnought scale of things. It's not quite Monaco, but for the purpose of the 99%ers, it might as well be.

[.LSinLV.]

Great stuff!!! Thanks Barry!!

FYI - my eldest sister had this exact Cadillac .....with a diesel!?!?!?!?

[Benjamin.]

I love the pictures, and always love hearing about your Continental(s) - but I had to say, as I scrolled down to this car:



All I could think of was this.

[barry2952]

Day 2, sports and exotics.

[Rowayton]

"The guy that owns the caddy has short curly hair, no? Rather thin. Probably 6"2"? He wasn't around for his award.
Loved the car. Told him so. That red paint had just a fine metal flake in it. Sweet."

His other Caddy is a green '49 convertible. He has a rather large collection of interesting cars all of which are professionally restored to very high standards. I'll add that he drives most of his collection all year long
You should see his Hunter Green '50's Bentley 'woody' shooting brake (right hand drive). I've spent time with him at some of the watering holes in Rowayton and Darien. Nice guy.
Barry, nice to see the Mark II trophied once again at the Greenwich show Thanks from all of us enjoying this tread for all the photos you've posted of this event. How did you like the $10.00 plus cocktails at the host hotel . I remember many years ago when I lived in G'wich paying much less for a cocktail. Back then drinks were cheap................only $9.00 That's why Greenwich is Greenwich .