The Concours d’Elegance of America is one of the top events in the calendar in the USA.  Perhaps not to the level of Pebble Beach, but it is certainly up there with events like Amelia Island.   Being in Detroit, gives it a unique flavor is there are normally historical concept cars from the big three on display.   This year was no different with the GM Firebird concept cars from the late 50s.

As far as I can tell, the core classes remain the same, but some special classes vary each year.   For example, this year they had a class for cars from 1958, Plymouth, Porsche, The Coachbuilder Rollston, Mercedes 300SL and others.    As with last year, the highlight for me was the cars from the Art Deco period.    Not only are these cars stunning, but the top cars had technology that was truly cutting edge for the day.   This includes vehicles from Bugatti, Delahaye, Delage, Duesenberg, Packard, Cadillac, Marmon and others.

The 2010 event was held at Meadow Brook, and some time between now and then it has moved to the Inn at St John.   The Inn is a nice venue too, but it doesn’t quite match the elegance of Meadow Brook.   It also means spectators must be bussed from remote parking sites.   As a frequent business traveler, I have little patience for shuttle buses.   One nice touch was that Hagerty were giving out free sunscreen and sunglasses.   Hagerty are a USA based classic car insurance company.  I used them when I lived in Detroit for my 250SE Coupe and Jaguar.

The great thing about this event for me is that it features cars that one does not see in Australia.   You also get to see them drive up to get their awards, and hear the drag cars start up.   There are so many great cars to look at, I was able to drain the battery in my camera.   That was before I had even looked at the historic racing Porsche’s.

It was good to be back in Detroit after 7 years.   Even better that it was the weekend of the Concours d’Elegance of America.

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As well as the cars in this theme of American pre-war luxury there are also other really interesting models to see.   For example, there is a Tucker and next to it is an engine, which was originally a Helicopter engine.   There is a Chrysler Turbine car, a Mercedes-Benz 500K roadster, and much much more.

I would rank this museum up in the top car museums I have visited around the world, along with the Louwman and Peterson museums.   If you are ever in Michigan or Chicago, the Gilmore Museum is well worth a trip.

This website did not exist when I visited the museum.   Since it was now seven years ago, the collection may have changed somewhat, but I am sure it is still very impressive.

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Some of the highlights for me included:

• The matching pair of Bugatti Type 57S Atalante and other French luxury cars such as the Voisin.
• A striking Rolls Royce Phantom III.
• A number of Duesenbergs.
• The Tucker.
• Various American luxury cars including Packards, Pierce Arrrows etc.
• Mercedes 500K special roadster.

I would return in a heartbeat.    These are cars that are rarely seen at shows in America, let alone in Australia.     It was one of those shows where four hours was gone at the blink of an eyelid and there was still more to see.

I was actually hoping to drive my E-Type there (and park it in the parking lot).   It hadn’t quite arrived from Oregon, so I took the black 560SEC.

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The museum has two parts, the public exhibits over three floors and three basements with cars not in the current collection.    You can do a tour of the basement for an extra charge, although for some reason photography is prohibited.   Despite that, the tour is well worth it and you’ll see a range of really interesting cars from horseless carriages, custom cars, race cars, Saddam Hussein’s W100 600 and so on.   This is also how they can keep the upstairs collections fresh.

The highlight for me was the display of the pre-war French cars, Bugatti, Delahaye, Delage, Voisin etc.   These are some of the most beautiful cars ever manufactured and this is an amazing collection of them under the one roof.

As the museum is near Hollywood they also feature celebrity owned cars, and cars that have been in movies or TV shows.   For example, the De Tomaso Pantera that was shot by Elvis Presley is in the basement.

I only had two and a half hours there which is not really enough, but the museum is well worth it for anyone who has a few hours in the Los Angeles area.

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