Beautiful venue, check. Flowing champagne, check. Gorgeous, unique vehicles, double check. The 2nd Annual Motorcar Cavalcade Concours d’Elegance, took place on January 15th against the backdrop of the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort and Spa in Aventura. The Concours and Lifestyle event drew in exceptional cars, those from the dawn of motoring to the newest, most advanced modern creations. The classes were definitely unique to the Concours world. Apart from the standard classes you see in most concours, they included “Panels” which included shells and exteriors, the chassis and bumpers. The “Paint” class examines colors, finishes, gloss and shine that makes a world of difference in perception. “Tails” showcased fins and spoilers. “Doors” have had their moments of madness. Sliding doors, retractable bubbles and even no doors have had their appearances. Winged doors continue to bounce back like boomerang, from the infamous DeLorean to the modern Tesla. In fact, this event was fortunate to have John DeLorean’s daughter, Kat in attendance as one of the celebrities. Interviewed on-site by our own Bill Rothermel, Kat spoke of the launch of new car company call DeLorean Next Generation Motors (DNG Motors) that is aiming to bring a modern take on her father’s famous sports car.
The style of the classes meant that classic Duesenbergs, Auburns and Jaguars competed against modern exotics for top awards. For those of us who share the love of classic automobiles, I’m pleased to announce that many took home trophies in their classes. Notable for the “Dashboard” category, George Hervert in his stunning 1961 E-Type rightly took home the award. Brad Bean in his 1962 Cream and Green Corvette, won the Paint class against some really hefty competition. Straight from 2022 Pebble Beach competition, Eduardo and Michelle Zavala with their 1935 Swallow SS1 Coupe took home gold for the “Doors” competition and notably, Best in Show for vintage vehicle.
The event also had a number of key guests, including famed racecar driver, Lyn St. James, NBA Hall of Famer, Alonzo Mourning and as mentioned, Kat DeLorean. The field was uniquely spaced out, allowing both participants and guests to have close up and personal viewing of the vehicles. With gourmet food and drink stations dotting the entire field, no one would have gone hungry or thirsty. Miami-style live music, coupled with a state-of-the-art jumbotron at the stage area meant no one missed out on the action. Despite a cold-front hitting South Florida, the weather was astonishingly hospitable for spectators, participants, judges and coordinators.
Congratulations to the organizers, particularly Jason Wenig, Russell Glace, Bill Rothermel and Ruben Verdes for a phenomenal event. Can’t wait for next year!