Inaugural Palm Beach Concours
A special morning of motoring on Worth Avenue
The inaugural Palm Beach Concours filled the blocks of Worth Avenue in December with a display of rare classics. From American muscle cars to modern Italian exotics, the event was one of the finest collections of automobiles Palm Beach has ever seen.
Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida, is known as one of the most iconic streets in America, with a history dating back to the early 1900s. For decades, Worth Avenue has been known for its high-end shops and restaurants that have grown to cover three blocks. The Concours of Palm Beach took place on the 100 block and expanded to the 300 block, with a red carpet across the entire strip. Special guests included Wayne Carini, from “Chasing Classic Cars,” and sports car legend, Derek Bell, who was reunited with the Löwenbräu-liveried Porsche 962 he shared with Al Holbert of Holbert Racing.
It was a special morning in Palm Beach with the streets filled with a wide array of car enthusiasts from around the world of all ages. Among the 130 cars on display were a number of rare models such as the 1967 Lamborghini 350 GT — one of only 143 made — on exhibit in front of the Collier Car Clubs table.
The event featured a parade of hundreds of classics cruising down the avenue, giving the crowd full close up views of the participating cars. The roads of Palm Beach were filled with significant cars – over here was a DeLorean, over there a Fiat 600 Jolly – many of them clearly owned by people dedicated to preserving them for future generations to enjoy.
One standout classic was the 1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Park Ward that won the award for best Pre-War European car. Designed as an owner-driven car, this model carried Rolls-Royce through economic difficulties of the Great Depression. The owner said that he and his wife are the ninth owners of the automobile and believe that their particular car is “the only one in existence in its configuration to be registered out of forty.” He said the car still bears the original two-tone paint and continues to run well.
Soon after, we caught up with the proud owner of the last remaining 1962 Tangier Shrine Patrol Corvette, which won the People’s Choice award. According to the owner, the Corvette started life as part of a group of “lawyers, bankers, and businessmen who felt their demonstrations of precise driving would further the cause of traffic safety.” He said the car was maintained in its original factory paint thanks to the care and preservation of the National Corvette Museum from whom he’d bought it. The Corvette is equipped with a three-speed transmission, no radio, no power brakes or power steering, just pure driving experience.
We also came across a Glickenhaus SCG 003S and spoke with one of its technicians, who told us that their cars are “designed and built to be the ultimate race car for the road.” In fact, the car shown at Palm Beach had already been raced on the Nürburgring before making its way to Florida. The beautiful design of the Glickenhaus, with the exquisite lines of its aerodynamic body, was an impressive sight even at an event featuring noteworthy Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and a McLaren Senna.
An unexpectedly large crowd of several thousand enjoyed getting a glimpse of the classic cars that filled Worth Avenue. From an impressive and diverse selection of automobiles brought to Palm Beach by some of the world’s leading collectors, the best-in-show car was a 1925 Rolls-Royce Piccadilly; the best of USA award was given to a 1935 Auburn 851 SC Speedster; and the 1959 Cadillac Deville – a favorite at any event with its classic Cadillac tail fins – won the Palm Beach Concours award. A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing won best European, while a 1959 Aston Martin DB4 won the Wayne Carini Award, and a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB won the Derek Bell Award. The handcrafted awards were created by Goldvart and handed out by Courtney Quinn, Derek Bell, Wayne Carini, and Sidney Vallon, the event organizer.
Mr. Vallon said he hopes to make the Palm Beach Concours an annual affair. He admitted that he wanted to hold the event on Worth Avenue as it’s where he worked as a valet at an upscale Italian restaurant while attending Palm Beach Atlantic University. He said, “Coming back to Worth Avenue was a dream come true!”
