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.

Pontiac at Concours Devou

 

One hundred years ago, General Motors had established itself as one of the major automotive manufacturers in the world. Owning multiple brands, it was aiming them toward different economic groups with Chevrolet being the "entry" level automobile and Cadillac being the halo brand. Sitting just above Chevy was Oakland and Oldsmobile which were very close and similar in appeal. GM decided, in 1926, to create a slightly less expensive companion brand to Oakland called Pontiac. By 1931 it was obvious to the GM leadership that, with Pontiac greatly outselling the older Oakland, one would have to go. Oakland was discontinued and Pontiac filled the space between Chevy and Olds. For years Pontiac was seen as something of a stodgy family car. In 1956 a new regime took over the Pontiac division, led by Semon "Bunkie" Knudson with top engineers E. M. Estes and John DeLorean (yeah, that guy). This marked a huge turning point because by 1961 Pontiac introduced the new compact Tempest and the new team, particularly DeLorean, created something outstanding out of it by offering upgraded packages including the top-of-the-line Le Mans and the high-performance GTO. This marked what many consider the mainstream beginning of the muscle car era. 

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the introduction of Pontiac, the Concours d'Elegance at Devou Park held a special Pontiac class which was loaded with some of the classic models from the muscle ear. Among them was a 1969 Grand Prix SJ (top), a 1978 Trans Am, a 1968 GTO, a 1973 Trans Am, and a 1965 Le Mans

Muscle Cars at Concours Devou

 

While there is some debate on when the actual muscle car era began, with some going as far back as 1949 when Oldsmobile put its 303 cubic inch Rocket V8 engine in its mid-sized model 88, the bottom line is that the muscle car era represents a time when big, powerful motors sat in smaller, lighter mid-sized cars that had once been the venue for the family car. It came to its heyday in the early to mid-1960s. The Concours d'Elegance at Devou Park had an impressive lineup of muscle cars for that class. Among them was a 1959 Chevrolet Chevelle customized and upgraded by Don Yenko, a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport, a 1973 Plymouth Duster 340, a 1971 Dodge Demon 340, and a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner A12 which was named Best-in-Class.

Modern Exotics at Concours Devou

 

The Modern Exotics class at Concours Devou is pretty self-explanatory. These are recent automobiles that are striking and interesting and seldom seen. Among the vehicles in this class was a 2011 Mercedes Benz SL AMG, a 2019 Ford GT, a 2019 Acura NSX, a Mercedes Benz SL AMG, the class winning 2027 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and a 2023 Ferrari SF90 Stradale.

Luxury Automobiles at Devou Park

 

How does one define luxury? Is it about comfort and quality? Is it about something that is at the top of its class? Or is it investing in an extravagance, something that sets one apart from the pack? For automobiles the concept of luxury has existed since the industry's beginnings, bringing glorious cars to the market draped in comfort and accessories of which regular drivers can only dream. Concours Devou had a class especially for these types of vehicles. The Luxury class featured some amazing luxury automobiles from the days shortly after the end of World War II through today. Among them was the Best-in-Class winner, a 1947 Bently Mark VI. Also on the field was a 2012 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, a 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan, a 1991 Mercedes Benz 560 SL, a 2014 Bently Continental GT 12, a 1989 Rolls Royce Silver Spur, and a 1961 Rolls Royce Silver Spur. 

Future Classics at Concours Devou

 

Most every concours d'elegance event features a Future Classics class. It's a way to bring in modern performance and super cars, especially those that most people don't get a chance to see all the time. The Concours Devou was no exception, and they brought in some amazing automobiles for their Future Classics Class. Among them was a 2018 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the Chairman's Choice award winning 2010 Dodge Viper ACR, a 2007 Ferrari F430 Spider, a 2003 Ferrari 360 Spider F1, and a 2017 Dodge Viper GTSR. 

Concours Devou Hosted Fantastic Fords

 

This year's Concours Devou featured a class for Fantastic Fords. Obviously, the group centered around the Mustang and a truly fantastic variant, a Best-in-Class winning 1967 Shelby GT 500 which has won similar awards at other concours events. Also in the field was a 1968 Shelby GT 500, a 1968 Ford Mustang convertible, and a 2014 Ford Mustang Hertz Penske GT.