Air Cooled Porsche At the Cincinnati Concours

The feature for the 45th Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance was 75 Years of Porsche. Unfortunately Mother Nature must not like the German marque because rain did its best to wash out the event. With heavy rains falling even before the gates opened many of the cars that were scheduled to appear decided to stay dry instead. The same held true to spectators. For that reason I only was able to get a few shots of a couple of the Porsche categories. These cars were in the Air Cooled class and included this 1984 911 which was one of only 62 European specification M491s built that year. The M491 designated that the car had all of the turbo options but not the turbo engine. What it has instead is a 3.2 L flat six cylinder engine that puts out 228 horse power.

This 1990 964 Cabriolet sorts only 36,000 original miles. It is powered by a 3.6 L boxer flat six cylinder engine that pours out horse power. The 964 version of the 911 was built between 1989 and 1993.

When Porsche decided they needed a more affordable "entry" car they created the 912. This is a 1969 model, the last year for this model. It cost a third less than the standard 911 and accounted for just under half of all Porsche production during its run. The 912 has a 1582 cc flat four cylinder engine that generates 90 horse power, just a little over half of the standard 911 of the time.

Race Cars At the Cincinnati Concours

Almost since the inception of the automobile people have tried to challenge each other and see who could go the fastest. This one upmanship inevitably led to racing, both organized and not. The first organized race is believed to have taken place in 1867. Since then a vast number of race cars and styles have come about. Despite the rain, a number of race cars were on display at the 45th Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance, some covered with plastic. Among them was this 1911 EMF Model 30. Built in the USA, the car spent a large portion of its life racing in England. It has a 226.2 cubic inch L-Head inline four cylinder engine that generates 30 horsepower.

Under the plastic is a 1935 Ford Five Window Coupe. This car is far from stock as it has a 1956 Cadillac V8 engine and Latham Supercharger. The modifications were made in the mid 1950s by a 15-year-old. The car has been featured on numerous magazine covers and was even shown at the famed Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

Hiding beneath the umbrella is a 1955 Kurtis D-500 Indy Roadster that twice raced in the famed Indianapolis 500. Kurtis Kraft created over 120 cars that have run in the Indy 500, including five race winners. This car's best finish was 17th. It is powered by a 270 cubic inch Oppenheimer inline four cylinder engine that puts out in excess of 400 horse power.

This 1983 Mazda RX-7 won its class at the 24 Hours of Daytona that year. It was also a IMSA GTU Championship winner as well as earning the award for being the most significantly historic racer at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. It was also featured on the cover of Road and Track magazine.

Future Classics At the Cincinnati Concours

 Usually when people think of a concours d'elegance the images that come to mind are old, rarely seen, classic automobiles. But most concours events these days have a class for what they call Future Classics. These more modern cars tend to fall into the supercar category and are on display because they will be admired well into the future. At the 45th Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance the rain may have scared away some car owner and a lot of spectators but a number of great future classics were on hand. For example here is a 2005 Morgan Aero 8. This car is number 366 of the slightly more than 1000 Series 2 Aeros built. Its power plant is a 4.4 L dual overhead cam BMW V8 that turns out 329 horse power.

Here is a 2017 Jaguar F-Type SVR. This all wheel drive car features an eight speed transmission and a a 5.0 L supercharged V8 that rockets the vehicle down the road with 575 horse power. That's enough to send it to a top speed of 201 miles per hour and to go from zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds.

Another eight speed transmission can be found in this Dodge Challenger Scat Pack/Shaker 392. The color it wears is fittingly called Redline Red. It runs on a 6.4 L Hemi V8 that churns out 485 horse power.

A 141 horse power electric motor teams with a 1.5 L turbo inline 3 cylinder engine that produces an additional 228 horse power to move along this hybrid 2019 BMW i8 Roadster. The Roadster version of the i8 was only produced for two years.

This 2012 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Coupe was hand built in England. This is a Best in Class winner at the Dayton Concours d'Elegance. It can jet from zero to 62 in 4.2 seconds and has a top speed of 190 miles per hour thanks to a 6.0 L V12 engine that produces 510 horse power.

With a mid mounted engine and rear wheel drive this 2019 McLaren 720 Performance is one of fewer than 50 built in this trim. Being able to go from zero to 60 in 2.7 seconds may not be something you look for when going to the grocery store but it makes this a true supercar. It features a 4.0 L twin turbocharged V8 engine that is capable of 710 horse power.

Contemporary Sports Cars At the Cincinnati Concours

The Contemporary Sports Cars class at the 45th Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance includes domestic and foreign sports cars made between 1960 and 1985. Despite a torrent or rain that kept a number of entrants and a ton of spectators away there were still some very amazing vehicles on display. Among them was this 1971 Opal GT coupe. Opal is a German company owned by General Motors so the cars were sold in America at Buick dealers. The "pop up" headlights are manually operated. The car has a 1.9 liter inline four cylinder engine that generates 83 horse power but that is enough for the car to go from zero to 60 in under 11 seconds while still getting 50 miles per gallon.

The styling for this 1974 Triumph TR6 was done by the German company Karmann. The TR6 was one of a long line of TR models that were built between 1953 and 1981. This model sports a 2.5 liter straight six cylinder engine which is good for 150 horse power.

The selection committee made a bit of an exception with this 1991 Morgan Plus 4. It is one of only 357 Plus 4s built with the 2.0 liter dual overhead cam inline four cylinder Rover M16 engine. It is one of only five in the United States. It was imported in 2019.

Only 2672 Jaguar XK150 drop head coupes were made between 1957 and 1961. This 1961 model is one of the last to roll out of the factory. A drop head coupe means that it is a convertible. It has the famed XK engine, in this case a 3.8 liter inline six cylinder version that was good for 220 horse power.

No concours could be complete without a Ferrari. This is a 1977 512 BB which is one of only 929 carbureted versions made between 1976 and 1981. These cars weren't originally sold in the USA and had to be modified to adhere to American regulations. The car has a 4942 cc flat 12 cylinder engine that puts out 360 horse power.

Enzo Ferrari called the Jaguar E-Type the most beautiful car in the world. It's easy to see why he said that from looking at this 1966 Series 1 model. The Series 1 cars are easy to spot because of their enclosed head lights. These cars were marketed in America as a XKE because of the famed XK engine that powered this beautiful car. The engine is a 4.2 liter inline six cylinder that generates 265 horse power. 

Classic Sports Cars At the Cincinnati Concours

Sports cars have long fascinated people. It's little wonder as the quest for speed in a vehicle is almost as old as automobiles themselves. A true sports car is one that is specifically designed, both mechanically and aesthetically, for performance. Where muscle cars were built for pure power, sports cars add in handling, breaking, aerodynamics, power to weight ratio, and anything else that will allow the car to go faster down the road while being an absolute blast to drive. Though hampered by the rain that kept both cars and spectators away, the 45th Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance held in Ault Park featured a nice selection of sport classics.

A very rarely seen sports classic is this 1954 Cunningham C2 coupe. Briggs Cunningham was a famed sailor and race car driver and team owner who turned his experience into a quest to win the famed 24 Hours of LeMans. To do so he had to homologate his car and so there are road versions. The 20 C3 models built served that purpose. The car uses an upgraded version of the Chrysler Hemi FirePower V8 engine.

This 1957 Ford Thunderbird represents the last year of the first generation of the T-Bird and the last two seater Ford would sell until 1982. Just over 53,000 of the first generation T-Birds were sold, including one to my adoptive mother. This particular car has been in the same family since new. It runs on a 312 cubic inch V8 that generates 245 horse power.

Not all sports cars are power heavy. This 1960 Triumph TR3A has a small 2.1 liter inline four cylinder engine that generates a mere 100 horse power. But the car is so light and the handling is so snug that it can zip through the curvy roads often found in the English countryside. The TR3 models were made between 1955 and 1962.

Georges Irat was a French automobile manufacturer who began building cars in 1921. It primarily focused on small sports models until it shuttered in 1953. This 1935 6CV convertible was one of only 54 ever made. These cars were all hand made and sported aluminum bodies to help make them light. These cars were unique in that they featured front wheel drive and had their engines turned 180 degrees from what was considered standard. That engine was an 1100 cc in line four cylinder "Ruby" that generated 37 horse power.

American Performance Cars At the Cincinnati Concours

Always one of the most popular classes at the Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance is the American Performance cars. Had the rain not come and deterred several of the owners and a lot of spectators the same would have been true for the recent 45th annual event. Still, the few cars that did brave the elements were fine representations of the Muscle Car Era. Among them was a very nice 1966 Pontiac GTO convertible. It is one of fewer than 13,000 produced that year. This particular car won gold at the GTO Nationals Concours and Best In Class at the Dayton Concours d'Elegance. It is powered by a 389 cubic inch V8 that generates 360 horse power.

1967 was the fourth year for the mid-sized Chevy Chevelle. This Super Sport model that was on display was one of less than 60,000 built in 1967. It sports a 396 cubic inch big block V8 that pounds out 350 horse power.

The third generation of the Pontiac Grand Prix was kicked off in 1969 and this is a perfect example of the new additions to the car. Pontiac General Manager John Z. DeLorean (yes, that guy) wanted the GP to up it's performance and so came three engine options from 400 to 428 cubic inches of V8 thrust, making up to 390 horse power.

This 1968 Chevy Camaro represents the second year of this pony car. It was one of only 7,199 buit sporting the Z/28 performance package that would allow for competing in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans Am series racing. With a Muncie four speed manual transmission and a 302 cubic inch V8 engine this car has 290 horse power.

Collector Cars From Asia At the Cincinnati Concours

The Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance was one of the first to establish a regular class for cars from Asia. Over the years it has brought in many amazing and sometimes rarely seen examples. That was the case at the rain hampered 45th Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance held in support of fighting juvenile arthritis. A case in point is a car that was never sold outside of Japan and required potential buyers to enter a lottery for a chance at owning one. Only 20,000 Nissan Figaro cars were produced in 1991. Available in one of four colors to represent the four seasons, this car was done up for spring in what they dubbed emerald green. All of these cars had a 987 cc inline four cylinder turbocharged engine that generated 74 horse power.

This is a 1987 Nissan Skyline Passage GT sedan. The Skyline was originally produced by the Prince Motor Company beginning in 1957 but when Prince and Nissan merged in 1967, Nissan took over production. The Skyline was only sold in Japan, Australia, and South Africa. It runs on a 2.0 liter single overhead cam inline six cylinder engine that generates 148 horse power.

Prior to 1986, many cars designed to be exported by Nissan were sold under the Datsun brand, a marquee that had been around since 1931. One of the most famed Datsuns to be marketed in the USA was the 240Z, like the 1970 model seen here. It is alleged that Nissan engineers and designers bought up some British sports cars, dissected them, took the best and improved on the rest to make the Fairlady Z, which was dubbed the Datsun 240Z when exported.  The car is powered by a 2.4 liter inline six cylinder engine that generates 150 horse power and and push the car to 120 miles per hour.

In 1997 Mitsubishi needed to homologate a vehicle for rally racing so they built a street version of their small SUV and dubbed it the Pajero Evolution. They produced more than enough for homologation purposes, eventually making 2698 between 1997 and 1999. It all worked as the car won its class in the Paris-Dakar Rally in both 1997 and 1998. It is moved along by a 3.5 liter, 276 horse power V6 engine.

Foreign Collector Cars At the Cincinnati Concours

Despite a rain soaked morning that kept many vehicles away as well as people in attendance, the 45th Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance held in Ault Park and supporting the fight against juvenile arthritis managed to bring in some pretty rare and amazing cars. That was obvious by the Foreign Collector cars that braved the elements and showed up to be admired. 

That is obviously the case with this Czech made 1938 Tatra T-97. Brought to the event from the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, TN, the T-97 was a smaller version of the company's T-87. Tatra began making automobiles in 1897 and was a pioneer in aerodynamics. The T-97 has a 1749 CC air cooled rear mounted four cylinder engine that generates 40 horse power.

Another import to brave the weather was this 1971 Mercedes Benz 280 SE 3.5 coupe. 1971 was the end of an era for Mercedes as that marked the last of the hand built automobiles. This version of the 280 SE is powered by a 3.5 liter fuel injected V8 engine that generates 200 horse power.

This 1975 Jaguar XJ12-C is one of only 821 built for that model year. There were only 1855 of this Series 2 automobile ever made. The seats in this car were designed by the Slumberland mattress company. But the 5.3 liter, 244 horse power V12 was all Jaguar.

Not everyone is familiar with the Italian manufacturer Iso Automoveicoli S.P.A. So here is a 1974 Iso Rivolta Lele Sport to get you acquainted. Only 285 of these cars were made with only 10 being imported in the USA. Marcello Gandini from the famed design house Bertone penned this beautiful design. This totally unrestored gem is powered, not by an Italian motor, but by a 5.7 liter, 325 horse power Ford Cleveland V8.

American Collector Cars At the Cincinnati Concours

Most likely because of the threatening weather and what followed, many of the very popular American Collector class cars at the 45th Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance did not attend. Which is a shame because this is always a popular group of vehicles. In the morning the threat of rain was high and Mother Nature didn't disappoint. Even before the gates opened to the public or the judges started about their task the rain was pouring down. Still, the handful of cars in this class did not disappoint either. One such car was this 1963 Studebaker Avanti. Raymond Loewy designed what was the first mass produced fiberglass bodied four passenger car in the USA. It was powered by a 289 cubic inch V8 that made 240 horse power.

Not all vehicles at a concours are cars. This 1958 Dodge D100 Sweptside pick up truck is a perfect example of that. Dodge only offered this truck for three years and it had some unique styling touches such as the small fins on the rear fender. This particular truck also came with factory power steering and brakes and an three speed automatic push button transmission. It had a beast under the hood, a 315 cubic inch, 204 horse power Hemi V8 engine.

This 1969 Chevrolet Kingswood station wagon also braved the rain to make its way to Ault Park for the concours. This was the first year for the second generation Kingswood. With room for eight this was a true family hauler. It is powered by a 396 cubic inch Turbo-Jet V8 engine that puts out 265 horse power.

Also defying the rain was this Chrysler Windsor which was one of the last of the company's "big fin" cars that surfaced in the 1950s. Having spent most of its life in a museum this Windsor only has 50,000 original miles. It is mostly original, including the interior and the 383 cubic inch, 305 horse power V8 engine.

Vintage Cars At the Cincinnati Concours

With an early steady rain the 45th Annual Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance saw an unfortunately small turnout in beautiful Ault Park. The concours, which draws entrants from all over the country, is held each year to benefit the fight against juvenile arthritis. Still, despite the weather a number of amazing vehicles braved the weather to take part. The Pre-War Vintage group was one that saw a number entrants not come out. But these cars from before World War II that are not considered full classics by the Classic Car Club of America are still amazing gems to see. One example is this 1935 Ford 48 Standard Tudor Sedan that was originally purchased by the current care taker's grandfather. This is indeed a one family car. Power comes from an early 221 cubic inch flathead V8 engine.

This 1939 Chevrolet Master 85 Business Coupe is one of 41,770j built for that year. This car was built to be rugged and roomy for traveling salesmen. It won a Senior First Award at the Antique Automobile Club of America Nationals. It is powered by a 216.5 cubic inch overhead valve inline six cylinder engine that produces 85 horse power. Hence the 85 in the name.

Here is a 1940 Ford Deluxe convertible. This was the last year for this model. It featured such new innovations as sealed headlights, a column shifter and a hydraulic top. It runs on a 221 cubic inch flathead V8 that pushes 85 horse power.

Also in this class was this 1939 Hudson 112 Convertible Coupe. There were only three such cars made in 1939 and this is the only survivor. It has a very rare factory installed radio. It is powered by a 175 cubic inch flat head six cylinder engine.