Kirkland Concours d'Elegance { News & Media }

August 21, 2009

The Tour d'Elegance

Since 2007, the Kirkland Concours weekend has grown to include a classic car tour over Washington’s scenic back roads.

This year’s event will once again take nearly forty diverse automobiles on a two and a half day adventure that will include a unique private collection and participation in an auction of choice vehicles owned by the LeMay Museum. Al and Sandi McEwan, have established the Salish Lodge and Spa, which overlooks Snoqualmie Falls, to serve as “base camp” for the event under their leadership. Al and Sandi also lead the fourteen day Pebble Beach Motoring Classic.

August 18, 2009

Vintage Unlimited Hydroplanes

Seattle’s distinctive character is embodied in Seafair, the summer festival that began in 1950 and that brings unlimited hydroplane racing to Lake Washington as one of its main events. This year’s vintage wooden boat entrants take a look back at vintage unlimited hydroplanes with six superb examples on display. These remarkable examples, dating from 1937 to 1980, will recall this period and bring back Seattle summer memories to many. Three of these are highlighted in this issue.

The 1937 Ventnor Gold Cup, known now as Tempo IV and once known as My Sin, was restored by its owner Joe Frauenheim of Issaquah, Washington. This is an excellent example of the pioneering first generation of non-propriding three-point hydroplanes that fundamentally altered competitive power boating. Tempo IV has a long and distinguished racing record and boasted speeds over 100mph. It was the most successful unlimited hydroplane of its time.

The 1962 Miss Bardahl, nicknamed the “Green Dragon”, is shown by Dixon Smith, who was a crewmember in 1962-65. The boat was designed by Ted Jones and sports a supercharged 3,150 horsepower Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engine. Dixon pioneered the use of nitrous oxide to boost performance.

The latest example on display is the 1980 Miss Budweiser, nicknamed “Juggernaut”, locally owned by Eric & Barbara Mann. Miss Budweiser was designed by the legendary Ron Jones Sr. and was the Gold Cup winner in both 1980 and 1981. It is powered by a 2,240 cubic inch Rolls-Royce V-12 Aero engine.

August 10, 2009

CCCA Classics

The Classic Car Club of America determines the criteria for what is to be considered a ‘classic’ automobile. Approximately 15 classics will be shown at the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance, September 13 at Carillon Point and none are more remarkable than the just-restored 1937 Hispano-Suiza owned by Jules Heumann of San Francisco.

This 1937 Hispano Suiza K6 SWB chassis 16069 with Henri Chapron coachwork is the last K6 to be built and among the last three Hispanos to be manufactured in France. It was ordered by and assembled for a famous French test and stunt pilot of the time, Marcel Doret, and he used it as a tow car for his Dewoitine monoplane! The car has unbelievably remained in the same position in the same barn in France where Mr. Heumann discovered it 43 years later in 2006.

Other CCCA Classics to be shown at the Kirkland Concours include Ron Doss’s 1937 Packard V-12 Coupe Roadster 1507, Tom and Susan Armstrong’s 1931 Duesenberg Derham Convertible Coupe, John H. white’s 1941 Chrysler Newport Dual Cowl Phaeton which likely was the pace car at the 1941 Indianapolis 500, and Al McEwan’s 1932 Rolls-Royce P-11 Continental.

August 6, 2009

Orphans & Microcars

Two of this year’s classes—Orphans and Microcars—are particularly relevant to the economic times we find ourselves in.

The ‘Orphans’ class is comprised of once-great cars that are no longer in production. The list of cars to be shown at the Concours includes many well known—and some not-so-well known—names: Hudson, Packard, DeSoto, Studebaker, Hupmobile and Tucker.

As General Motors contracts and jettisons many of its well known brands, the parallels with an earlier time are clear. Perhaps at a Concours in 2050, there will be a display of well-maintained Pontiacs or Oldsmobiles!

Like today, after WWII, Europe was looking for a car that was economical and functional—able to haul cargo and/or lot of people. In 1956, Fiat created the Multipla (pronounced mul-TEE-pla) which was shorter than twelve feet and yet could carry six passengers. This was made possible in part through the innovation of placing the driver directly over the front wheel rather than behind the engine as had been done before. Moreover, it could achieve forty miles to a gallon of petrol!

But if microcars were economical ways to carry a lot of cargo, they were NOT known for high-performance. A well-tuned 1960 Multipla, for example, could get from 0 to 60 in a deliberate 54 seconds (see for comparison the 2008 Alfa Competzione - also to be shown at the Kirkland Concours - which gets to 60mph in four seconds!)

Showing at this year’s Kirkland Concours d’Elegance is a 1960 Fiat Multipla, owned by Anthony Grillo) and ten more small cars. Most are from the fifties and early sixties and most are European; however one (an American Austin) was built in 1932 and one is from Japan (1965 Honda S 600).

August 3, 2009

Classic Pre-War Mercedes Benz

The featured class at this year’s event is Classic Pre-War Mercedes Benz, reflecting the 100 year anniversary of the Mercedes Benz brand and the 50th anniversary of Kirkland Concours title sponsor, Phil Smart Mercedes Benz.

A wonderful example of the class is the 1933 380SS Spezial Roadster, owned by Ken McBride, which will be shown at the Concours.

Prinz Max von Schaumburg commissioned Mercedes-Benz to build the 380SS Spezial Roadster as his personal race car which he piloted with W. Merz to win the 1934 2000 KM German Rally.

The four liter engine configured as a “straight eight” develops 144 HP with supercharger engaged, driving a three speed gear box plus overdrive. The chassis was fitted with a one-off body designed by Erdmann & Rossi, considered by most as the finest prewar coachbuilder in Germany. Schaumburg also had a special 112 liter, 34 gallon fuel tank fitted to accommodate the demands of long distance road rallies.

July 28, 2009

2008 Kirkland Concours Program available online!

The 2008 Program can be found by clicking '2008 Program' under the Sponsorship Section on our website.

June 26, 2009

Junior Judges: Broadening Community Awareness

The Kirkland Concours Junior Judges program, established in 2006 as the first of its kind in the nation, provides an opportunity for young people—students from Lake Washington School District elementary and middle schools—to learn about the history, design and art that is represented by the unparalleled collection of classic automobiles on display at the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance.

This year there are 13 Junior Judges—eleven identified by their school principals and one young patient from each of the two beneficiary hospitals, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Evergreen Hospital Medical Center.

At the Concours, Junior Judges engage in a thorough assessment process which ultimately results in the selection of their ideal car. Over the months leading up to the Concours, the young people are coached on the criteria and nuances of judging and learn a scaled-down version of the regular judging protocol.

But as important as the judging itself, the Junior Judges also learn about the important work done by the two recipient hospitals and they learn about the importance of contributing to the community, an important value held by the Kirkland Concours founders and embodied in the program.

Junior Judges at the 2008 Kirkland Concours, Assessing the Features of an Important Race Car

June 15, 2009

2009 Classes

1. Mercedes Benz Classics

2. CCCA Classics - Early

3. CCCA Classics - Late

4. Orphans Automobiles

5. Microcars

6. Supercars

7. Brass Antiques

8. Preservation Cars

9. Special Display

10. Raisbeck Collection

11. Vintage Unlimited Hydroplanes

12. Vintage Motorcyles

13. Mercedes Benz 300SL

June 9, 2009

What is "Uncompensated Care?"

The Kirkland Concours d’Elegance is an all-volunteer event that benefits children who lack the financial means to resolve significant health issues. The support of the community allows the two hospitals, to which the event proceeds are contributed, to accomplish an even broader mission: to prevent, treat and eliminate pediatric disease.

Seattle Children’s Hospital and Evergreen Healthcare Medical Center are each fully committed to never turning a child or family away due to an inability to pay for services. The Kirkland Concours event brings joy to both the attendees of this “contest of beauty” and to the recipients of the donations for “uncompensated care”. Only the most economically disadvantaged children and their families are recipients of the monies that cover medical costs that the families or insurance companies are unable to pay. Your support makes a real difference.