Inaugural Monmouth Concours d' Elegance

[Ben Ruset]

Today was the first ever Concours d' Elegance held in Monmouth County, NJ. It was at Hop Brook Farm in Holmdel which seems to be a cross between a farm and a McMansion housing development. It's also across from the corporate headquarters of Vonage, which donated the use of their parking lots for attendees to park at.

I haven't been to a car show in a long time. This was nice, although it would have been nice to see more cars. Most of the cars present were domestics, with the foreign cars being predominantly Mercedes-Benz and Rolls Royce.

Some of you old timers may have even driven cars like these before...

Federal Truck. Supposedly very rare.

1935 Delage. I'd never heard of these before. It was pretty awesome looking.

Pierce-Arrow

'29 Chevy Tow Truck

Good enough to eat off of.

The Buick that that engine is in.

Antique car, antique clubs.

1928 Ford Model TT

1911 Hupmobile

1909 Cadillac 30

Caddy V16

1887 Benz (pre Mercedes). This was, in my opinion, the coolest car in the show. It's owned by EE Cruz, who is something of a local construction / heavy equipment magnate.

Single cylinder.

55 Mercedes Gull-Wing. It was awe inspiring to be near it.

Hudson Hornet

48 Willys Jeepster

56 Caddy 62

59 Buick LeSabre. Another dead sexy car.

I can't believe I cut off the fin in this picture.

T-Bird

54 Kaiser. They also made refrigerators.

Manual transmission means that it passes the AI snob test.

Sliding door - the original 1950's rice.

Pipes

I wanted to hop on.

Antique popcorn making machine.

This person really takes car shows seriously.

Crosley. They also made radios.

Boring Vette photo.

57 Ghia Convertible

Another Mercedes.

 

[Teegate]

That was a nice car show. From your photo's I would have to agree with you on the best car there.

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Nice photos, and very nice show.

I don't think that vette was boring. That is a cool car. Elvis probably drove one like that, with his hair flying.

 

[Ben Ruset]

The best part is, no chiggers.

 

[MarkBNJ]

So many great shots, Ben. Thanks for the views. The very first one - the sweet little beige coupe - looks like an Auburn.

Lol at "boring vette photo." I agree it's no gullwing merc.

 

[woodjin]

I like the lantern hanging off the rear bumper of the '29 chevy tow truck! That could come in handy in the pines!! I like the Delage as well. I'd love to drive a car like that...classy, simple and cool.

Jeff

 

[Ben Ruset]

So many great shots, Ben. Thanks for the views. The very first one - the sweet little beige coupe - looks like an Auburn.

Lol at "boring vette photo." I agree it's no gullwing merc.

I actually never thought I'd see one in real life. I'd have got better shots but it was CRAWLING with people.

 

[lgench]

If you don't mind, I would like to add some info to this most enjoyable post. I am able to do so, because many of the forties and fifties cars, I remember looking at in the showrooms! There are some advantages of being...older.

Photo #1: 1938 Buick convertible, with rumble seat and sidemounts, probably a Special. An original color, as probably all cars in a show of that quality. My first car, in high school, was a '38 Buick Century sedan, faster than my friends' Ford V-8's!

Photo #2: Probably same year Cadillac series 75 (Fleetwood) Side note, GM bought Fleetwood Body Works from the town of that name in PA.

Photo #8: Now you can tell how, over the years, Buick saved GM's rear several times, by being a great division. Old as it is, notice overhead valves(Valve-In-Head) and covered spark plugs.

Photo #15: Ah, the first Caddie V16. Note the porcelain-coated manifolds. Very rare, due to depression. A true work of art. More cylinders, smoother. No rubber motor mounts in the old days. Trivia, who was the first to make them?

Photo #23: 1953 Cadillac El Dorado, the first. Very few made. Custom modified by Cadillac. Note wrap-around windshield, a year before full production. Complimented that year by the Buick Skylark, Olds Fiesta. 1953 was a fabulous "car year".

Photos #24 and 25: 1953 Packard Caribbean. Also a low production, custom made car. The Reedman brothers had them, as Packard was their first franchise. Right, not Chevrolet. (Good trivia for bar bets)

Photo #37: 1959 T-Bird. Had one new. You would not believe how much that sucker weighed.

Photos #38 and 39: Kaiser Darren. Very low production. Named after Howard Darren, the designer. He did all the Kaisers and Frazers from '46 'til the end, I believe. Very innovative, as was Raymond Loewy. (Think Studebaker, telephone, GG1 locomotive) Sorry, no fridges, perhaps you mean Nash-Kelvinator.

Photo #55: Fabulous Cadillac Convertible Sedan in maroon, one of the most popular GM colors of that era. As a side note, all maroon cars were first painted black. Ask anyone who polished his maroon car too much, ah, as my father did!

Photo #57: Green convertible, '48 Chrysler Town and Country. Yes, real wood, also made a station wagon. Mucho prestige!

Ben, thanx for going there and taking so many great pics!

L.

PS: Sorry if numbers aren't 100% accurate. I notice photos change if I refresh.