Hemmings.Com; Strolling the Lawn at the 2024 Misselwood Concours d’Elegance
David LaChance of Hemmings has written an article on last week's Misselwood Concours.
Greg O.
Strolling the Lawn at the 2024 Misselwood Concours d’Elegance
A fully restored Tucker 48 takes home best of show honors at this intimate show on the Massachusetts coast
By David LaChance
The sun was shining, the sea breezes were blowing, and the grounds were filled with a fascinating collection of pre- and postwar automobiles. In short, there was practically no better place to be on July 21 than the Misselwood Estate in Beverly, just north of Boston, for the return of the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance.
Now in its 14th year, the concours shone a spotlight on the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, with a special display of seven examples of the legendary German sports car. Other special classes included 1950s American Orphans, Cars with Curves, and Cars of the Copperstate 1000. Strolling throughout the grounds, spectators could encounter a wide variety of cars to admire, from Brass Era veterans to modern exotics.
There’s an intimate feeling to Misselwood, thanks to the show’s just-right size, and spectators get the opportunity to examine vehicles up close, and to chat at length with their owners, who are usually not far away. Then there’s the warm feeling from knowing that the event supports a worthy cause, providing scholarship funds for deserving students at Endicott College, which owns the estate.
It’s not a stretch to say that every vehicle on display was worthy of attention. Here are some that caught our eye.
The Heritage Museums and Gardens of Sandwich, Massachusetts, brought its 1924 Brewster Town Brougham. Powered by a smooth, quiet, sleeve-valve engine, the Brewster features leather fenders, painted cane work, and a snug rear compartment that looked like an excellent place to take a nap on a warm summer afternoon.
Wearing weathered paintwork that had been applied in 1975, this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL drew attention all day long. Renee Toree explained that she and her husband, Rob, had persuaded the car’s longtime owner to sell, after promising that they would revive it mechanically, but leave its appearance unchanged. Since then, “it’s seen rain, mudslides, snow — we’ve had adventures,” Renee said. “But that’s okay. That’s what this car was built for… It’s a joy to have. We’re so lucky.”
Jay Miller, of Little Compton, Rhode Island, showed this 1909 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost. The stately Edwardian exhibits a body style known as Roi-de-Belges.
Owner Dennis Jolicoeur of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, isn’t hesitant to drive this 1936 Cord 810 Westchester. It had been off the road for a decade or so before he bought it; now, with a rebuilt engine and a reupholstered interior, it gets driven “a lot,” Dennis says. In 2011, he took the car on a 2,000-mile road trip to attend the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg reunion in Auburn, Indiana, for a celebration of 75th anniversary of the introduction of the 810.
The Maine Classic Car Museum of Arundel, Maine, brought its 1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1, a car that was designed by Virgil Exner and hand-built in Italy. It is one of five known to exist.
Photo: Shoot for Details/Joshua Sweeney
The best of show award went to this 1948 Tucker 48, owned by Howard Kroplick of East Hills, New York. This example, #1044, is one of just 51 assembled, 47 of which survive. Howard had the car restored by a team that included Rob Ida and two of Preston Tucker’s great-grandsons, Sean and Michael. The former Hemmings Classic Car cover car has been returned to its original Andante Green color.
Britain’s Allard built just 118 examples of its K2 two-seater, and this one is the only one that was a coupe. Now owned by vintage rally organizer (and onetime Hemmings editor) Rich Taylor, the car was shown at the 1951 New York Auto Show when new, and disappeared until the 1970s, when Rich bought it. Misselwood is only the second event where the Allard has been shown since its recently completed restoration. It’s powered by a 331-cu.in. Cadillac V-8.
This 1923 Rover 12, produced by the same company that later created the Land Rover, was shown by Dirk and Lysanne Burrowes of Ashburnham, Massachusett
Bayberry Vintage Autos, up the coast in Hampton, New Hampshire, showed this 1935 Auburn 851 boattail speedster.
The plaque on the dashboard attests that the car was driven 100.6 mph before shipment, though this was more a marketing gimmick than a statement about an individual car’s performance.
This 1954 Vincent Rapide is part of the collection of Charles and Nancy Gould, and was displayed by the Cycles Classic Cafe Museum in Beverly, Massachusetts. Production of the British V-twin began in 1936 and ended in 1955, after which Vincent ceased operations.
Photo: Shoot for Details/Joshua Sweeney
Howard Kroplick holds his Tucker’s best of show award as he stands with two of Preston Tucker’s great-grandsons, Michael and Sean, who helped to restore the landmark car.
Comments
Another congratulations to the Tucker Team on winning Best of Show.
I’m sure there were many people in attendance that never saw a Tucker in person.
It’s great that Howard takes his Tucker Out to car shows for people to see and appreciate the work done by the Team.
Looks like a great location for a Concours.
What a marvelous collection of automobiles! Rolling sculptures.