Attending the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance International 2010 in Greenwich, Connecticut felt like taking a whirlwind tour of Europe over the course of two-days experiencing exceptional classic, vintage, and collectible automobiles arranged by Founders Bruce and Gene Wennerstrom.

Get your "armchair passport" ready as Luxury Experience takes you along on our exciting "European collectible automobile tour" without the necessity of packing your luggage or waiting in long lines at the airport, as we dazzle you with some of the highlights that we experienced at the June 2010 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance International show.

We begin our virtual European automobile tour in England.

The British Automobiles - Aston Martin, Bentley, Ginetta, Jaguar, Lola, Lotus, and Rolls-Royce

Aston Martin - Founded in 1914, had an excellent selection of models at the show ranging from 1950 to 2008. 1950s models included a 1950 Aston Martin DB2 Coupe owned by Robert Burt; a 1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 MK II Drophead owned by Michael Schudroff; and a 1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe owned by Randall and Kathleen Poliner.

1950 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe

From the 1960s, there was a 1963 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe owned by William J. Boyle; a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 GT Coupe owned by James F. Munsell; and a 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Coupe owned by Randall and Kathleen Poliner.

Later models included a 1984 Aston Martin Lagonda Series II Grand Touring Sedan owned by Norman Pollack; a 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe owned by Richard Solomon; and a 2008 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster owned by John Sanders.

Bentley - Founded in 1918, had six outstanding models at the show ranging from 1928 to 1963 that elegantly displayed its sophisticated pedigree. Early Bentley entries included a 1928 Bentley 4.5 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer owned by Gerald Lettieri, and a 1932 Bentley Petersen 4.5 Litre Blower Race Car owned by Stuart Carpenter.

1951 Bentley Mark VI Saloon

Later models included a 1951 Bentley Mark VI Saloon owned by William King; a 1951 Bentley MK VI Saloon owned by Dennis and Ann Marie Nash; a 1953 Bentley Drophead owned by Gene and Marlene Epstein; and a 1963 Bentley Flying Spur-S-3 Continental Four-Door Sedan owned by John Tembeck, Jr.

Ginetta Cars Limited - What we especially enjoy about attending the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance each year is the opportunity to see cars that are not always on everyone's radarscope. Although Ginetta Cars Limited has been producing cars and racecars since 1958, the company was not on our radarscope. We were delighted to make its acquaintance with the racy 1961 Ginetta G4 Sports / Racer owned by Marc F. Evans.

1961 Ginetta G4 Sports / Racer

Jaguar Cars Limited - Founded in 1922, renowned for its luxury automobiles, had ten spectacular models at the show. A few of the Jaguar highlights at the show included a white 1947 Jaguar Mark IV Drophead Coupe owned by Mario DeCarlo; and a sexy, blue 1950 Jaguar XK120 OTS owned by Peter S. Kalikow, which was a sports car produced by Jaguar between the years 1948 and 1954.

1947 Jaguar Mark IV Drophead Coupe

Also of interest was a 1952 Jaguar C-Type Race Car owned by Drake Darrin, and a 1965 Jaguar E-Type Coupe owned by Robert Nimkoff. A light blue 1965 Jaguar Mark X Saloon owned by Jim and Helen Phillips showed its playful animal style with  jaguar toys perched on the car and its sophisticated side with its passenger trays set with crystal.

1965 Jaguar Mark X Saloon

Drake Darrin and Family - 1952 Jaguar C-Type Race Car

Lola also founded in 1958 and known for its racecars, built only 16 of the Lola T70 MK3B Coupe from 1969 to 1970, which made the 1969 Lola T70 MK3B Coupe, owned by Michael Silverstein a stunning and rare specimen at the show.

1969 Lola T70 MK3B Coupe

Lotus, founded in 1952 and known for their Formula One racecars and the owners who care to race them, was represented with a beautiful 2-door coupe, the 1980 Lotus Éclat GT owned by Marc F. Evans. Lotus built the Éclat model with its fastback body from 1975 until 1982.

1980 Lotus Éclat GT

Rolls-Royce - Founded in 1906, was represented with three impeccable automobiles that included a 1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall Phaeton owned by Terry and Maureen Spilsbury; a 1928 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I Piccadilly Roadster owned by George Dragone; and a 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Faux Cabriolet owned by Frank E. Ricciardelli.

1925 Roll-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall Phaeton

An interesting note about Rolls-Royce is the history behind the legendary intertwined RR emblem, the initials of the owners Frederick Henry Royce, and Charles Rolls, who founded the company in 1906. When the owners died, Charles Rolls in 1910 in a flying accident, and Frederick Henry Royce in 1933, the company changed the red RR emblem to black.

Fasten your armchair seatbelt as we now jet off to Italy.

The Italian Automobiles - Alfa Romeo, De Tomasso, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, and Maserati

Alfa Romeo - Founded in 1910 Alfa Romeo had six stunning models at the show ranging from 1946 to 2008. There were many highlights, which included a 1946 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione Coupe owned by Herb Wolf; a 1962 Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale Coupe owned by Harvey and Sharon Siegel; and a 1963 Alfa Romeo 2000 Spyder owned by Michael S. Bruno, Jr.

1962 Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale Coupe

Other highlights included a 1964 Alfa Romeo T21 Coupe owned by Dan Watkins; a 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV Coupe owned by Hans Ambrahams; and a 2008 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Coupe owned by Abi Singh.

De Tomasso - Founded in 1959, De Tomasso is another "from Italy with love" luxury automobile manufacturer. We had the opportunity at the show to see the limited production model 1974 De Tomasso Longchamp 2+2 Coupe owned by Walter Eisenstark and Richard Klein. From 1972 to 1989, De Tomasso produced only 409 of the Longchamps version.

1974 De Tomasso Longchamp 2+2 Coupe

Ferrari - Founded in 1929, what could be prettier than the smile (grill) of the Ferrari horse? A few of the immaculate early Ferrari models at the show included a 1954 Ferrari 250 GT Lightweight Coupe owned by Randall and Kathleen Poliner; a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lasso owned by Francois Sicard and Arthur Estey; and a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTL Lasso owned by Mark Lonrnburg.

Later models included a 1986 Ferrari 412 2+2 owned by Marcel and Renee Perlman; a 1988 Ferrari Testarossa Coupe owned by Stephen Smith; and a 2009 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M owned by John E. Mancuso.

Fiat  Detail

Fast and even faster, the Ferrari Testarossa and the Ferrari Scuderia Spider were cars built for speed. The Testarossa, built between 1984 and 1991, was designed to be able to accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.8 seconds with a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h), and the Scuderia Spider 16M was designed to be able to accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 198 mph (319 km/h).

Fiat - Founded in 1899 in Turin, the name Fiat stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, and interestingly to note, is that Fiat is the parent company of Ferrari. Befitting its founding date, Fiat had the earliest European automobile entry at the show, a vibrant blue 1907 Fiat Targa Florio Racer owned by George Dragone.

Later Fiat models included a 1960 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagoto Coupe owned by Ken Swanstrom; a 1972 Fiat 500 F Two-Door owned by Francesco Spadero and Santo Spadero; and a 1978 Fiat X1/9 Convertible owned by Kris and Steve Becker.

1960 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagoto Coupe

Lamborghini - Founded in 1963, Lamborghini is a relative newcomer when it comes to Italian luxury car manufacturers, however there were three spectacular automobiles at the show. The 1983 Lamborghini Countach owned by Robert Daddino, has a closed body coupe, 375 hp @ 7000 rpm, and a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h).

Lamborghini created only 650 models of the 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition Coupe, one of which is owned by Glenn Rudner, who showed this spectacular automobile. This special edition features restyled and enlarged air boxes and 345/35R15 tires, which were the widest tires available at production time.

Another highlight of the show was a one-of-a-kind 1991 Lamborghini Diablo Jota Americana Coupe previously owned by former baseball player, José Conseco, and presently owned by Gregory A. Balcerak. The name "diablo" means "devil" in Spanish and the Lamborghini Diablo was the fastest car in production at the time it was released with a top speed of 203 mph (328 km/h) and max power of 492 hp @ 7000 rpm.

Maserati - Founded in 1914, Maserati had an impressive line-up of luxury cars at the show including the limited edition Birdcage model, built from 1959 until 1961. The 5-speed 1960 Maserati Tipo 60 Birdcage Sports Racer owned by Thiery Morin c/o Marc Robinson featured a 2-seat spyder body, a recessed windscreen to comply with Le Mans rules for taller windscreens, a 2-liter 4-cyclinder engine, and a top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h). Another highlight was the 1967 Maserati Mexico Prototype Coupe owned by Blake Stevenson.

1960 Maserati Tipo 60 Birdcage Sports Racer

Maserati produced the Ghibli model from 1966 until 1973, and released the Gibibli Spyder convertible in 1969. Maserati only produced 125 Ghibli Spyders making the 1971 Maserati Ghibli Spyder owned by Richard Phillips another show standout.

1971 Maserati Ghibli Spyder

Get your "passport" ready to be "stamped" again, as we head off to France.

The French Automobiles - Amilcar, Bugatti, Delage, Delahaye, and Facel Vega

Amilcar - Amilcar was another car that was not on our previous radarscope. Manufactured between the years 1921 and 1939, we were fortunate to experience the 1935 Amilcar Pégase Roadster owned by Malcolm S. Pray, Jr. with its seductive lipstick red exterior, which featured a Delahaye 134 steel frame.

1935 Amilcar Pégase Roadster

Bugatti - Founded in 1909, was represented at the show with a beautiful 1928 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport owned by Richard S. King; and a 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Corsica owned for the past 45 years by Oscar Davis. Bugatti built the Type 57C Corsica racecar from 1937 until 1940.

1928 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport

1937 Bugatti Type 57C Corsica owned by Oscar Davis

Delage - Founded in 1905, the company manufactured luxury automobiles. Delahaye later acquired the Delage Company in 1935. Two exquisite Delage examples were a 1932 Delage D8-88 Cabriolet owned by John W. Rich, Sr., and a navy 1935 Delage D8-8-85 Roadster with impressive fins owned by Sonny and Joan Abagnale.

1935 Delage D8-8-85 Roadster

Delahaye - Founded in 1895, Delahaye is another less well-known company that manufactured luxury automobiles until 1954. A show highlight was the 1939 Delahaye 135 MS Drophead owned by Mark Hyman.

1939 Delahaye 135 MS Drophead

Facel Vega - Founded in 1954, is another relatively unknown company, which had a very short lifespan of only 10 production years from 1954 until 1964, which made the 1956 Facel Vega FV2B Coupe owned by Michael Schudroff exciting.

Germany is our next destination.

The German Automobiles - BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche

BMW - Founded in 1916, BMW is the acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (Bavarian Motor Work). A few of the BMW highlights included a 1941 BMW 327 Sport Cabriolet owned by Richard R. Dillenbeck; a 1957 BMW Isetta Sliding-Window Coupe owned by Richard Reina; a 1973 BMW 3.0 CS Coupe owned by Michael Balaban; a 1974 BMW 2002tii Two-Door Sedan owned by Michael Tunstall; and a 1998 BMW Z3 2.8 Roadster owned by Anthony J. Serafino.

1941 BMW 327 Sport Cabriolet

Mercedes-Benz - Founded in 1881, had its share of avid collectors at the show with models ranging from 1937 to 1989. A few of the many early highlights included a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A owned by Off Brothers Collection; a 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300S Roadster owned by David Stitzer; a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing owned by William Jacobs; a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Roadster owned by Claire Wegner; and a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300D Cabriolet owned by Hans A. Middleberg.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

A few of the later models included a 1967 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Cabriolet owned by Henry and Susan Coelho; a 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SL Coupe owned by Frank Corzo; and a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560 SL Convertible owned by John and Nancy Piekarczyk.

Porsche - Founded in 1931, had nine enticing entries at the show that ranged in years from 1960 to 1994. A few of the early highlights included a 1960 Porsche 356 Roadster owned by Michael and Dabney Bowen; a 1960 Porsche 356 Coupe owned by Jack L. Gish; and a 1964 Porsche 904 GTS Coupe owned by Ernst A. Benzien.

Late models included a 1989 Porsche Factory Slantnose Turbo Cabriolet owned by Gene Giarratana, designed to be able to accelerate from 0 - 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.6 seconds with a top speed of 162 mph (260 km/h); and a rare 1994 Schuppan 962CR Coupe-Prototype owned by Hudson Historics, designed to be able to accelerate from 0 - 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 230 mph (370 km/h).

Sweden is our last destination for this trip and it will be your last "stamp" in your "virtual passport."

The Swedish Automobiles - SAAB Automobile and AB Volvo

SAAB Automobile - Founded in 1947, SAAB is the acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget. Representing SAAB, there was a lovely 1958 SAAB 93B Sedan owned by Bruce and Lori Tuck.

AB Volvo - Founded in 1927, AB Volvo produced cars until 1999; the company now only produces commercial vehicles. At the show, there was a 1971 Volvo 1800E Coupe owned by Chuck Moss.

We hope that you enjoyed your whirlwind tour with Luxury Experience featuring a few of the many exceptional European automobiles at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance International. Look for us at the next show!

Read about the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance Americana 2010 featuring American classic, vintage, and collectible automobiles in the  Antiques section.

For information on the next Greenwich Concours d'Elegance please contact Bruce and Genia Wennerstrom or visit the website: www.GreenwichConcours.com. 

Bruce and Genia Wennerstrom
Greenwich Concours d'Elegance
30 Sumner Road
Greenwich, Connecticut 06831
United States
Telephone:   +1-203-618-0460
Fax:              +1-203-618-0460
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Website:      www.GreenwichConcours.com 

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