The Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance and Motoring Festival is one of a kind. Against the backdrop of the beautiful Port Royal Golf and Racquet Club, the 2022 edition was the 20th celebration of this special automobile and lifestyle event. The weather definitely cooperated this year, with spectacular vehicles on display over three fairways. Thousands of people attended on November 5th and 6th, with the Car Club Showcase on Saturday and the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday. More than 600 collector vehicles from around the country and internationally were presented throughout the event, taking visitors on a journey of innovation, history, art and design.
The Saturday Car Club Showcase brought hundreds of vehicles, showing the best of car clubs near and far. One of the standouts was an extremely rare Arnolt MG. Chicago industrialist Stanley H. Arnolt had a passion for car building. In the 1950’s, the Arnolt-MG was the first coach-built collaborations. The automobile was intended to be practical family commuter, but Arnolt’s passion of sports car shine through in the handsome proportions and swoopy profile cures. It was amazing to see this totally restored specimen live and in person. Many entrants were dressed in period costumes, including a very realistic Bonnie and Clyde. Strolling musicians and a fun barbershop quartet added to the vibe of the Saturday event. Congratulations to Chris Lapinksi for winning The Best British Vehicle with his Jaguar XK140! Saturday’s event was topped off with a “Quench Your Thirst” event which featured local distillery’s tastings of bourbons and beer while live music played.
Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance was extraordinary and certainly challenging for the judges to decide the winners. Unique to Hilton Head is the Pinnacle Award. Specially selected collectors are showcased for their contribution to the collector hobby. For 2022, selected vehicles from Anne Brockinton Lee’s collection was on display. And what a display it was!
Included were:
· 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe
· 1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet
· 1948 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Superleggera "Barchetta" Prototype
· 1953 Lancia Aurelia PF 200 C Pinin Farina Spyder Prototype
· 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano Series I Cabriolet Prototype
Our own Bill Rothermel was Masters of Ceremony for the event and did fantastic job describing each and every one of the winning vehicles. Congratulations to Lisa and Jim Hendrix with their unbelievably beautiful Jaguar Airline. Here are some of the highlights of the other winning vehicles:
Best Rolling Art 1936 Horch 853A Special Roadster Owned by Robert S. Jepson, Jr. of Savannah, Georgia
Best Production/Performance 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible Owned by Robert and Suzanne Thomas of Indianapolis, Indiana
Best Road & Track 1939 Lea-Francis Corsica Super Sports Owned by Jim and Sue Wulf of Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Best Motorcycle 1936 Brough SS80 Owned by Andrew Meislin of Camas, Washington
ACE Hardware of Hilton Head People’s Choice Award 1956 BMW 502 Owned by Paul and Jayne Queck of Indianapolis, Indiana
Lindsey Harrell, the Festival’s President, said, “As we celebrate this milestone occasion, twenty years since our founding, we are grateful for the vision of our board, event team and organizers. Over the course of the last two decades, our vision has grown into one of the most robust motoring events on the East Coast. This weekend was an exciting moment to celebrate what this show means to its audience, from the people who enjoy cars regularly to the visitors who attended for the very first time. It is also an opportunity to reflect on our history, to plan thoughtfully for our future, and to say thank you. We are grateful to everyone who supports us in achieving our goals.”
Hilton Head delivers the unique combination of Southern charm, Pebble Beach panache, all with a casual elegance that is unrivaled. Enjoy a waterfront cocktail at the adjacent Westin Hotel, do some antiquing in nearby Savannah and partake in some great meals! Add a few days to your trip and put this one on your list as one of the best “approachable” Concours d’Elegance that will not disappoint on any level.