Art of the Car Concours

MIchael T. Lynch: Art of the Car, 2016

September 20, 2016 By pete

The panel of the Meet the Legends presentation enjoys a story while I look at my shoes. From left to right: the author, Peter Brock, Bob Bondurant, Pat Bondurant, Steve Volk and Allen Grant. The image on the screen is Cobra Coupe CSX #2287, the first car completed. It was entirely built within the Shelby American shop. It is shown at the Bonneville Salt Flats where it set 23 world records, including 12 hours at over 150 mph. The car can be seen today at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia. Tom Strongman photo

Story by Michael T. Lynch

The Art of the Car Concours celebrated its 10th Edition this year. Since the show’s inception, it has donated well over one million dollars to the Kansas City Art Institute Scholarship Fund. At a time when student debt has surpassed consumer debt, the event is to be complimented for doing its part to ease the burden.

The weekend’s festivities began with Saturday morning’s traditional Entrants’ Breakfast at Tivol, Kansas City’s leading jeweler, located on the Country Club Plaza, which was the first auto-centric shopping area in the country. The Plaza was built in 1927 and takes its architectural theme from Seville, Spain. The block was closed and many entrants brought their show cars, allowing the public to get a free preview of the leading Concours between the two coasts. [Read more…] about MIchael T. Lynch: Art of the Car, 2016

Michael T. Lynch: Art of the Car Concours 2015

July 14, 2015 By pete

One of the concept cars on the field that got a lot of attention was Scott Morris’ Rambler Palm Beach. This was a Pinin Farina creation built for American Motors Corporation. It was meant to be a replacement for Nash’s aging Nash-Healey and was first shown at the 1953 Turin Auto Show. The jet fighter-inspired design was a much more refined continuation of a theme Farina had begun with the Lancia 200 earlier in 1953. Shortly thereafter, AMC cancelled both the Nash and Hudson nameplates so the car never reached production. It remained with AMC President, Roy Chapin for a while. Both the colors and design are sublime and only the hubcaps reveal the chassis’ humble origins

One of the concepts on the field that got a lot of attention was Scott Morris’ Rambler Palm Beach. This was a Pinin Farina creation built for American Motors Corporation. It was meant to be a replacement for Nash’s aging Nash-Healey and was first shown at the 1953 Turin Auto Show. The jet fighter-inspired design was a much more refined continuation of a theme Farina had begun with an open and closed version of the Lancia 200 earlier in 1953. Shortly thereafter, AMC cancelled both the Nash and Hudson nameplates so the car never reached production. It remained with AMC President, Roy Chapin for a while and is now with Mark Hyman. Both the colors and design are sublime and only the hubcaps reveal the chassis’ humble origins. The Rambler won Peterson Manufacturing’s Bright Ideas on the Move Award.

Story and Photos (unless otherwise noted) by Michael T. Lynch

The 2015 Edition of the Art of the Car Concours® presented by the Kansas City Mercedes-Benz Dealers broke all previous attendance records as well as having over 200 entrants on the campus of the Kansas City Art Institute. Most important was the fact that in the Art of the Car’s nine years of existence, it has now contributed well over $1 million to the Kansas City Art Institute Scholarship Fund. KCAI is a four-year, independent, fully accredited college of art and design offering the bachelor of fine arts degree in a variety of disciplines. [Read more…] about Michael T. Lynch: Art of the Car Concours 2015

Art of the Car Concours ® 2014

July 8, 2014 By Lynch

Richard Crump and Kathi Box’s Fiat 850 Spyder drew lots of attention. The color was partly responsible. They say if you lived through the hippie era and can remember it, you weren’t really there. I do recall these little Bertone beauties of the period introducing a whole new generation to the pleasures of motoring in an Italian car. Credit: Bob Dinkins

By Michael T. Lynch

The Eighth Edition of Art of the Car Concours® continued the show’s ascension as a leading automotive event between the two coasts. Both entries and people passing through the show field were records. Last year, the organizers added a Meet the Legends program on Saturday. It was a panel discussion of road racing in the 1950s featuring Sir Stirling Moss, Denise McCluggage and Masten Gregory’s late brother, Riddelle, himself a racer. Held appropriately in an academic amphitheatre at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, the discussion drew well over 300 people. [Read more…] about Art of the Car Concours ® 2014