The Ault Park Concors d'Elegance

          This weekend marks the 35th annual Ault Park Concours d'Elegance. If you aren't familiar with this or any other Concours, it is perhaps the most elegant collection of automobiles you are likely to see in one place at one time.
          Begun in 1978 at a private residence in order to honor a friend who had severe rheumatoid arthritis, a group of eight people formed the initial Concours committee and organized the event in co-operation with the Arthritis Foundation. Ever since the Concours has grown and has moved to the beautiful Ault Park, which this Sunday will be filled with some of the most stunning automobiles and machines imaginable.

          But Sunday is the culmination of a weekend long series of events all designed to raise awareness and funds for the Arthritis Foundation. There is a dinner, a cruise, a party, an auction and a brunch among other related events.
          Each year the Concours committee chooses main feature along with several other unique displays. This year's feature is "A Century of American Power." Five categories of entries will allow guests to this year's event to take a tour through the history of American automotive power. From the antiques of the Brass Era, through the large displacement and supercharged cars of the mid 20s through the end of World War II, into the post-war power era that ran through 1960, then to the classic muscle cars of the 60s and finally to the new retro muscles cars that began rolling off the lines in the mid 2000s, every form of American power will be on display.

          In addition to their 12 traditional classes of cars, special displays of historic dragsters and vintage wooden boats will be on display along with a celebration of the MG badge that came from the Morris Garages.
          The selection of these magnificient machines is a nearly year long task done by a large group of committed car enthusiasts. Recently I did an interview of selection committee chairman Fred Jones for Cincinnati Profile eZine.

          “I work with a regular group of about 30 car recruiters who have their areas of expertise,” said Jones. That includes people who are knowledgeable in such areas as Classics, Antiques, Sports Cars, Racing, Collector American, American Performance, etc. “We have a rotating group of Special Display recruiters who have an expertise in a specific class of vehicle. This year we have Reed Tarwater of Indianapolis assembling the Celebration of Morris Garages – MG, Lou Rath and the Antique Boat Center folks assembling our Antique Boat Class, and Bill Sherman and Mark Fisk doing the Historic Dragsters,” he explained.

          While the pictures I have on display here are from past Concours events, according to Jones, there are some very exciting cars that are going to be on display at this year’s event. “There are too many exciting cars to mention here,” he added. But some that are worth looking for on the Ault Park lawn include: a 1933 Murphy bodied Supercharged Duesenberg, a 1937 Cadillac Imperial Fleetwood that was owned by MGM, a rare 1969 Ford Fairlane Cobra Formal Roof, a 1977 RHD Japanese Fairlady 280ZX, a 1968 Bizzarini 5300 Strada Spider Tiger, among the cars coming.

          Tickets for this year's Concors are available at the door or you can purchase them in advance through the web site (http://cincyconcours.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.home) at a discount. Remember, all the proceeds go to help a very worthwhile cause.

          I hope to see as many people as possible at this year's Concours. If you see me around, be sure to say hi and tell me about your favorite car at the event.