Darracq/Talbot Lago takes top honors at The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance

​WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — (May 6, 2019): A weekend full of horsepower, friendships and history came to an exciting end Sunday, when the 1938 Darracq/Talbot Lago owned by J.W. Marriott Jr. and shown by David Carte of Edinburg, Virginia, was presented with the Best of Show Award at The 2019 Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance.

The one-of-one special-ordered Talbot Lago roadster featured totally enclosed front fenders, with headlights recessed in the fender. The car was ordered in Portugal by Count and Countess Juilo Anahory de Quental Calheiros and remained with its first owner until 1975. The most recent restoration was completed by Classic and Sport Auto in Virginia in 2006.

The yellow and blue Darracq/Talbot wasn’t the only big winner on Sunday. Class champions were named in each of the 11 classes that were presented on the showfield, with surrounded the iconic front entrance at The Greenbrier.

“The overall quality of the cars on the show field Sunday made the job of all the judging teams difficult,” said Phil Neff, Chief Judge, The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance. “There were multiple cars in almost every class competing for the top awards.

“It was a true honor to be able to lead such a distinguished group of judges from all over the United States, Canada and Europe.”

Class winners included:
Veteran Era Cars: 1903 Cadillac Rear Entrance Tonneau (Jim Elliot; Yorktown, Va.)
Classic Cars: 1931 Buick 8-94 Series (David Landow; Potomac, Md.)
Pre-War Production Cars: 1931 Studebaker Model 54 Regal Roadster (Robert Williams; Rustburg, Va.)
Post-War Production Cars: 1956 Continental Mark II (Wendell Irby; Oakton, Va.)
Sports Cars: 1974 Porsche 911 Targa Carrera (Peter Kauffman; Wirtz, Va.)
Exotic Sports Cars: 1959 OSCA Coupe (Peter Boyle; Oil City, Pa.)
British Sports Cars: 1934 MG PA (Randy Morgan, Lebanon; Pa.)
Preservation Cars: 1966 Chevrolet Corvette (Mark Davis; Landrum, S.C.)
Race Cars: 1955 Kurtis Indy Roadster (Bob McConnell; Urbana, Ohio)
Muscle Cars: 1967 Pontiac 2+2 Convertible (Richard Larabee; Farmington Hills, Mich.)
Rolls-Royce/Bentley: 1934 Bentley 3.5-Litre Sports Saloon (Dennis Frick; Lewisberry, Pa.) 

In addition to the class awards, 11 special awards were presented at the trophy ceremony, including:

People’s Choice: 1936 Packard V12 (Doug Pray; Broken Arrow, Okla.)
Honorary Chief Judge’s Award: 1951 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe (Joseph Grasso; Uwchland, Pa.)
Duke of Windsor Award (Most Elegant Closed Car): 1938 Delahaye 135MS Coupe (Robert Jepson Jr.; Savannah, Ga.)
Princess Grace Award (Most Elegant Open Car): 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (Todd and Holly-Faye Jenkins; Chesterfield, Va.)
Dorothy Draper Award (Most Stylish Interior): 1956 Austin Healey 100M (James Harris; Middleburg, Va.)
Sam Snead Award (Best Country Club Car): 1935 Pierce Arrow 845 (William Ayd, Glen Arm; Md.) 
Eisenhower Award (Best Cold War Era Car): 1950 Buick Special (Jeffrey Hardin; Forest City, N.C.)
Artist’s Award: 1938 Steyr 220 Sport Roadster (Peter Boyle; Oil City, Pa.)
Most Historically Significant Road Car: 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190b Ponton (Anne Buntin; Moneta, Va.)
Most Historically Significant Race Car: 1952 Nash Healey LeMans Prototype (Jose Fernandez; Bridgeport, Conn.)
Hagerty Youth Judges’ Award: 1929 Ford Model A Station Wagon (Thomas Fitzgerald; Selma, N.C.)

Sunday’s Concours, which featured impressive automobiles in every class, was the culmination of a weekend full of events for car owners from across the country.

On Friday, The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance started its engine with two drives, The Kate’s Mountain Drive and The Summit Drive. The Kate’s Mountain Drive began with breakfast at Kate’s Mountain Lodge, followed by a spirited drive to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. The Summit Drive included lunch at The Summit, the exclusive lodge that is part of The Greenbrier Sporting Club, and was followed by a drive to Paint Bank, Va. 

That evening’s Welcome Reception at Kate’s Mountain Lodge included food and fellowship, as well as the unveiling of Bentley’s new Continental GT Convertible, which was shown for the first time in North America at the reception as part of The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of Bentley Motors. 

Saturday began with the International Car Show, which featured cars of all types displayed on the world-class golf courses at The Greenbrier. That was followed up with a seminar on the history of the automobile at America’s Resort™, and the evening concluded with a Charitable Dinner, which benefitted the Mountaineer Autism Project, as well as the AACA Library and Research Center. 

All of those events served as appetizers for the main course on Sunday, as the finest collector cars in the world were judged by Neff and his qualified team of concours judges. 

“It was just an amazing weekend from start to finish,” said Cam Huffman, a member of The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance Steering Committee. “The weather was beautiful, the cars were fantastic and, most importantly, everyone had a great time. We’re already counting down the days until the next one.”

Organizers are working hard to make sure The 2020 Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance exceeds the expectations that have been created in the event’s first two years. The dates for 2020 are set for May 1-3. For more information, visit GreenbrierConcours.com. 

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