Rescheduled and With Hot Weather the 16th Sycamore Township Car Show Came Off Well

 

Despite having to be rescheduled earlier in the year because of rain and with unseasonably hot and humid weather, the 16th Annual Sycamore Township Car Show could be considered a success. There were competing car events in the area and still, about 60 vehicles piled into the parking lot at the Robert L. Schuler Sports Complex. Among the cars on hand was a 1955 Chevrolet 210 sedan, a 1968 Chevy Camaro, a Chevy Biscayne, a Chevy Monte Carlo, a 1937 Ford coupe, a 1951 Mercury Custom, and a Jeep Scrambler. 

Sixteenth Annual Sycamore Township Car Show

 

Because Mother Nature doesn't always play fair, the 16th Annual Sycamore Township Car Show had to be rescheduled. When the show finally took place around 60 vehicles pulled into the Robert L. Schuler Sports Complex. Among them was a Chevrolet El Camino, a 1961 Chevy Impala, a 2007 Ford Mustang, a 1957 Chevy Bel Air, a Subaru WRX STI, and a 1978 Chevy Malibu. 

Wrapping Up the Devou Park Concours d'Elegance

It is easy to say that the second year of the Devou Park Concours d'Elegance could be considered a success. Raising money for the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center, the Concours Devou featured some absolutely amazing automobiles. As always, feel free to let me know what you thought of the cars at this event by either leaving a comment (no ads, please, they only get deleted) or by dropping me a note at turnerbudds@yahoo.com. To close it out here are some of the cars not technically taking part in the event but most being part of the area's Porsche club, with one notable exception, a 1964 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III which has been featured in numerous movies and TV shows including Cannonball Run. 

Rare and Unique Cars at Concours Devou

The Concours d'Elegance at Devou Park had a fun, and dare we say, unique class called Rare and Unique. As the name implies it is made up of exceptional rarities from the automotive world. Among the vehicles on display in this group was a replica 1914 Stutz Bearcat built by famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris for the television series Bearcats! In addition to that "TV star" car there was a one-off Packard Parisian coupe designed by the famous Italian coach builder Pininfarina, a 1984 Toyota FJ 43 Land Cruiser, the Best-in-Class winning 1950 Crosley Super Sport, the People's Choice Award winning 2015 Zenvo Belly Tank style land speed record chasing lakester, a 1955 Hudson Metropolitan, a1985 Stutz Bearcat (this was a revival of the original company), and a 1995 Dodge Viper. 

 

Pre-War Classics at Concours Devou

Old cars have always fascinated people. It is why such organizations as the Antique Automobile Club of America and the Classic Car Club of America were formed; it is why there are so many preserved and shown off at concours events across the country. The Concours d'Elegance at Devou Park's Pre-War Classic class had an incredible selection of these cars. Among them was the Best-in-Class winner, a 1939 LaSalle convertible coupe, a 1933 Packard Super 8 Seven Passenger Touring, a 1937 Cord Custom Beverly, a 1931 Packard Series 840, and the Best-in-Show Classic winner, a 1935 SS (Swallow Sidecar, the precursor to Jaguar) Limited One Airline Saloon.

Post War Sports Cars at Concours Devou

 

When soldiers returned home to the USA following World War II, they brought with them the curiosity that they'd discovered in the small European sports cars that they'd seen. This led to quite a few being imported to the States. It also spurred some American companies to jump into that market as well. Whether foreign or domestic, sports cars have always held a certain fascination with many people. The Concours d'Elegance at Devou Park held two classes for sports cars, today will highlights those of the Post War era. Among those is a 1972 Datsun 240Z, a 1959 Austin Healey 100-6 BN4, a 1997 Acura NSX, a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette, a1960 Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider, a 1962 Chevy Corvette, the Best in Class winning 1953 MG Arnolt coupe, and the Best of Show Sport winning 1949 Alfa Romeo 6c 2500 SS Superleggera. 

Porsche at Concours Devou

 

In 1931 automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche teamed up with Adolph Rosenberger, who had been key in establishing the Auto Union company (which was the pre-cursor to Audi automobiles), and Austrian businessman Anton Piech to form what would be known as Porsche. Initially the company did consulting and design work but then the German government (yes, Adolf Hitler) came calling asking them to design a low-cost automobile that would fit four adults. The result was the Volkswagen Type 1, better known as the Beetle. During World War II, Volkswagen, like automobile factories throughout the world, turned to manufacturing military machinery. For that reason, after the war, Ferdinand Porsche was arrested for war crimes but not tried but spent 20 months in prison. During that time Ferdinand's son, Ferry, took over the leadership of Porsche. He was 20 years old at the time. He developed his own car, raiding the parts bins of other companies, primarily Volkswagen. In 1948, shortly after Ferdinand's release from prison, Porsche introduced its first car, a rear engine, two door sportscar called the 356. Along with the 356, Porsche produced some cars designed specifically for racing and had a fair amount of success. Then, in 1964, the company shocked with world with the introduction of the Porsche 911. Over the years the 911 has evolved into being a bonified supercar. Along the way Porsche has expanded their line of cars to include initially full GT or grand touring automobiles to today offering everything from sedans to SUVs. 

The Concours d'Elegance at Devou Park offered a special class just for Porsche automobiles and it saw some amazing vehicles. Among those invited to take part in the class was a 1968 912 (top), a 2006 Cayman S, a 2019 911 GT3 RS which was the Best in Class winner, a 2008 911 GT3, a 2020 718 Cayman GT4, and a 1970 914/6.