August 13, 2002
by Rick Carey
Ninety-four Italian (or near-Italian) cars were signed up for Concours-Italian Style on Saturday August 3, 2002 at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. Several that weren’t on the list showed up, and probably several that were on the list didn’t, knowing the uncertainty involved in motivating some Italian cars to fire up at the appointed hour. So, let’s say 100 cars were on display – not counting the dealers’ inventory of Ferraris, Maseratis and Lamborghinis. Half of them were Ferraris – and boring tiddlers were thin on the ground, making the array pretty impressive.
Even more impressive is the geographic distribution of their owners. Fewer than a dozen came from outside the immediate area (defined as Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Ontario) showing a strong and enthusiastic interest in quality, fast, attractive cars in the Detroit area. It’s enough to make one wonder how truly awful American automobiles would be if there weren’t closet enthusiasts working for Ford, GM and D-C.
The Ford House setting is attractive, although this first-time event put all the cars in a large field surrounded by trees, with no opportunity to use the Albert Kahn Cotswolds-style architecture to complement the cars. It was a practical setting although the shady areas under the trees were cordoned off. One suggestion was that the cars and spectators were kept in the open due to concern about “tree limbs falling on the cars.” Has risk-aversion really gone this far? Access to the site is easy, if somewhat off the beaten track, and there was ample and convenient parking. Placing some of the cars around the Ford House itself would show off both to their best and would encourage spectators to include the Ford House tour in their day’s activities.
For a first-time event the organization was exceptionally good and the atmosphere was low-key and enthusiastic. This is a good show and one can only hope that it doesn’t so aggravate the Meadow Brook Concours organization (held the following day about 25 miles away) that they put the kibosh on dual event participation.
Outstanding cars? Gotta love the 1967 Bizzarrini Spyder (s/n BA4108) displayed by Allison and Mark Sassak of Plymouth, Michigan. Mark said the car displayed is the second of the two built by Bizzarrini (making it the “production” version?) and they have recently acquired the first out of Italy for a needed restoration. The unique feature of this car is the center bar for the tee-tops, which lifts out to make it an open targa-style “spyder”. The Sassaks bought it from Mark’s father, who had owned it since 1971.
Another neat and unusual car was the Cisitalia D46 owned by George Shelley of Pompano Beach, Florida. S/n 0020, it has engine T120.101 No. 032 and is, according to its restorer, one of only two still running and the only surviving example with the exposed aluminum side tanks. This one has a racing history with Zora Arkus-Duntov, the father of the Chevy Corvette, giving it a special connection in The Motor City.
There were three impressive Maseratis, Bill Marriott’s A6GCS Pinin Farina coupe (s/n 2089) and two cars from John Weinberger, a 2000 Gran Sport spider (which looks a lot like the A6GC-2000 by Frua (s/n 2197) which brought $341,500 at Christie’s Pebble Beach auction last August) and A6GCS sports-racer (s/n 2089).
Among the Ferraris it was impossible not to note the Daytona Spider (s/n 14671). It’s usually impossible to pass up a Daytona Spider, but this one is especially noteworthy as it is owned by Edsel Ford II who is apparently following in the footsteps so eloquently defined by his namesake, the first Edsel Ford whose Bugatti Type 35A (s/n 4719) was also on display. Drogo-bodied 250 GT s/n 0977 GT owned by Hugh Ruthven of Barrington, Illinois also added spice. Commendably, the “Concours-Italian Style” organizers didn’t relegate the 70’s-80’s Ferraris to the back lot, giving their proud and enthusiastic owners a chance to be right in among the one-offs and race cars like Weinberger’s 1968 Dino 166 Formula 2 (s/n 4).
The oldest car to celebrate the Italian Style – and a different style it was then – was LaVerne Johnson’s 1924 Isotta-Fraschini Phaeton (s/n 489).
All in all, the first presentation of “Concours-Italian Style” proved to be a successful and satisfying event with plenty of cars and plenty of room to view them. Randy Cox and Michael Brady took a brave step in initiating “Concours-Italian Style”. They got great support from Frank Campanale of Smith Barney Consulting Group and Jeff Cauley of Cauley Ferrari Maserati in West Bloomfield, Michigan. They brought in strong management from Richard Hinson to work with John Clinard’s experienced guidance.
The coincidence of “Concours-Italian Style” with the weekend of the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance is no coincidence and it no doubt contributed to the appearance of many of the high-profile cars from D.C., New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts which also grace the lawn at Meadow Brook on Sunday. That doesn’t lessen the effect, and objective, of letting enthusiasts for Italian Style from the Motor City area display their enthusiasm.
It’s definitely a show, and an attitude, worth encouraging.
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