Winter Park Concours d'Elegance

This post was started on Sunday, November 8 and finally finished on this Veterans Day. Have a great one all you Vets and thanks again. john

So, here I am down at my friend Kris's home anticipating the enjoyment of all that is the Winter Park Concours. This is my third visit of the eight years this event has been offered and I know, at least I, will have fun looking at these cool vintage rides.

We had a great time last evening together and I was anxious to get to one of the Car Shows of All The Car Shows we have on the Right Coast of These United States.

When we finally got together this morning for a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese mixed in and some delicious toast, and yes my friend Kris had a fresh tomato with hers. We were discussing whether to take her, sorry girl, homogenized Acura sedan or my oleragtop, it was sweet of her to suggest the oleragtop, as we were attending a unique show and it would be fun. "Just let me find a scrunchie."

And she did.

Now those of You Counting Along With Me, will remember that my methods of transportation have multiple identities.

My oleragtop has been an appliance delivery vehicle

as well as a parts delivery vehicle. And, of course, the olestationbus's activities as a Jeep Parts Hauler.

I also call it a park space spotter. It seems whenever I am in it at an event, I always seem to be able to find a good spot.

Well as I drove into an area of Winter Park, Kris was directing me to head this way and that and it was possible parking would be relatively difficult.

As we passed a one way street intersection, with the traffic heading toward us, I saw an early arriving afficionado and his gorgeous female friend, in a Beemer SUV, (poser) heading out from their corner parking spot, just a mere two blocks from Park Avenue in downtown Winter Park, the site of today's show.

As traffic was light in that area, I stopped, looked at him over my left shoulder, without a roof or any blind spots interfering with our vision of each other.

He motioned me to back on down and his spot was ours.

And regardless of this experience, I did it and we got that spot, conveniently located just up the street from the Show.

Incidentally, as we were leaving the show, I performed a similar action to a Chrysler Mini Van and they got that much coveted spot close to the show.

So my friend and I got out and hoofed it up to those cobblestoned streets and this is one of the first things we saw.

Yeah, mundane Mercedes, Porsches, and Escalades.

Then we looked across the street and saw, well at least to this olelongrooffan, even more mundane GTO's, Boss 302,s and a Shelby Cobra replica.


Kris thought they were really nice. But I pointed out to Kris, while these are highly desirable, they are on a side street, outside the show barriers which can be seen in the background of the above image.

"Hold your judgment."

And, to her credit, she did.

When we got to the show grounds and the first thing we saw were these Lambos.

Now as these aren't this oleman's favorite, as a matter of fact, I think I have mentioned this before, Lambo doors are so passe', Lamborgini doesn't even do them anymore.

Now this

yeah, that would be the one I want. A 1957 Rolls Royce, complete with a leather and wood interior and fold down tables in the back seat.

Or maybe this one

It is a mid 60's Rolls Royce Mulliner Silver Cloud III

and it was absolutely gorgeous. One of my three favorites in the Show.

Sorry about the quality of the above image. It seems this trusty ole Polaroid has a mind of its own.

Now on to the Preservation aspect of the show.

In the car show and car collecting aspect, there are several different visions, depending on your point of view.

On of them is total restorations, down to the chalk codes written underhood to let the next guy on the assembly line know what had been done thus far to create this automobile for the dude in the Ozarks who ordered a straight six in a '68 Camaro with a three on the tree.

Another is the preservation vision. That is leave an original auto as it was and just preserve it.

The Rolls Royce in the following image has an owner who possesses the latter vision.

And this old Rolls is highly desirable to this oleman as it is a rare

coupe version of the Silver Cloud. Circa 1969.

And then a couple new Phaetons.


Around the corner was a street full of vintage Corvettes.

And this road course, but street legal, based C-6.

This pristine engine compartment belongs to a

1930's era Studebaker.

After viewing the American Muscle Car block, we moved on to the

Bentleys. The one in the image above would fit nicely in my livery, right next to the Rolls Coupe pictured above.

Wood grain and white leather. Nice combination.

The above image is of a Bentley in the foreground while her sister, a Rolls Royce, is across the street.

Sorry about the quality of the above image, but you

can get the idea of the concept by checking out these

two relatively clarified images of similar artwork.

And this early '60's era Indy Car developed by Ford at a cost of $4,000,000. Yeah, in 1963.

And that price did not even include the golf cart pit vehicle.

I pointed out to Kris that the NSX in the above grainy image could be here next car, as she is wanting something a bit unique.

Now I have to say this about that.

As I mentioned in this post, my friend Kris was a car show virgin. Since that time however, she has been more observant of the means of transportation that interest this olelongrooffan so much.

While we were having aps and tales on this very same Park Avenue, I described that here, we saw a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser drive down the Avenue. Kris was all over it and said that is what she wanted. I mentioned to her that ownership of old cars bring about old car issues and maybe she should keep her new stuff and maybe have one "on the side". She said "We'll see about that." Luckily, she is financially well off and could afford to have a 4 wheeled toy or two on the side.

After seeing Kris's next car, we continued on to my favorite section, the vintage BMW's. It was pretty neat, a 635, a 320, and a 2002.

Unfortunately, this image is the only one the trust Polaroid let me take without blurring up the image. Wish I could have gotten the front end of the black "Shark" for you Counters.

And in the following image, you can see a shot of Kris's show favorite.

A Rolls Royce Boattail Speedster. Absolutely stunning.

And this is a rare super car, the

Spyker. It was the first one I had ever seen.

I really like that boattail a whole lot more though.

So we headed off the Avenue to Central Park to check out the open fender era.

We saw the cool Amelia Island display convertible shown above, I think I remember it to be a Rolls Royce.


We then spotted this '28 Packard next to it.

Now an aside.

This olelongrooffan has been to an uncountable number of car shows in my 50 years of Celebrating Life, but in all of those years and car shows, I had never, in person, seen the Judges evaluate those precious works of art for their superior attributes over other in the same class.

While Kris and I were down in the Muscle Car section, we saw two Judges looking over a 1966 Ford Mustang GT convertible. We stood around and eavesdropped on their inquisition of the owner of the 34,000 original mile beauty. I mean, they looked at every thing on that car. Under the plaid trunk mat, inside the glove box, the Owner's Manual, under the hood, chalk marks on the firewall.....I mean EVERYTHING!!

It was really cool and thorough, as is expected at this World Famous Show.

Well, of course, this olelongrooffan didn't get any images of that as I was so excited to listen to what the Judges were looking for. It reminded me of the times when I Judge homes for Local Building Industry Associations and the Builders show off all the attributes of their model homes.

Anyway, when we got up to that '28 Packard and were looking at this pristine engine compartment

and at that expansive droptop, the Judges showed up and were looking around. One of them is sitting in the passenger seat in the following image.

Well, this time I had the sense to get a shot or two and to record this video.



Before I shot this video, the Judges asked the Owner to raise the top and, as you can see it is rather large and it was a Tropical Storm Ida induced windy day, he was struggling with it and this olelongrooffan meandered over and asked if I could be of assistance. Well I was helpful and kept all of that metal roof frame material off that exquisite paint.

It quite cool and to see two sets of Judges at one show will always be memorable to this olelongrooffan.

And just a general view down the row of open fenders.

And this old Oakland, I thing around 1920 or so, with the Owners in period correct attire in the background.

And this old Mercedes was proported to be owned by the German general Rommel and was his North African means of transportation during, what TheGentleManFarmer called, "The Great War." And it was in its natural 70 year old patina. Regardless of its previous ownership, it is a nice bit of history.

And this restored Rolls Ragtop was just as sweet.

Just around the corner, we saw this sweet '50's era Jaguar roadster, I think it was a XK140 but don't hold me to that.

By the time we saw this I was on sensory overload.

But, I do remember this sweet Mercedes droptop.

The owner even came over to lower the trunk lid so I could get this grainy image.

Thank you Sir and that is a highly desirable ragtop.

Next to that beautiful Mercedes droptop were these two rare sweeties. In the foreground is an Ghia designed Alfa Romeo with a Maserati 3500, which I had mistakenly thought was a Facel Vega, in the background.

This olelongrooffan should probably stay away from trying to identify Maserati's in the future.


But I will say this about that.


that Alpha Ghia is a real nice, and very rare automobile.

And this 300 SL is to die for....

And this old Goggomobil is one of the sweetest MicroCars around

situated right next to these Isetta's from BMW.

And then we turned the corner to see this

1959 Pinifarina designed Ferrari race car.

Of course I had to tell Kris she has to get this one for me as it is a 1959, the same year as my birth.....

Somehow, I don't think that will happen.

Then we moved on down to the vintage Jaguar portion of the show and saw this '53 Saloon....





The part the Polaroid played here really p*ssed me off. You see, I was able to record the cool parts of this old ride

but that Polaroid missed the full on frontal view as well as that Lucas wiring deprived Ford 302 stuffed under the bonnet...

But that old Polaroid did get this

as well as an image of a British Racing Green Triumph TR6,

its shiny chromed out engine

and its correct black interior.

Just down a that Avenue a bit was a sweet ole Jaguar,

with beautiful lines similar to this one.

And on the Avenue at the corner where we walked in, we spotted a couple of rare Jaguar 220's.

I certainly enjoyed my free Concours with a great friend and can't wait til the Turkey Run over Thanksgiving weekend!

And this is another free way how I, with a friend,

Celebrate Life.