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The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance was created 10 years ago simply to help raise funds for the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. Today, it is considered one of the top automotive events in the country. That’s music to Carolyn Vanagel’s ears.
“Exhibitors are scrambling to get in our concours,” said Vanagel, president of the festival. “We’ve reached a point now that we’re really playing on a national stage.”
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Like a traditional orchestra, the motoring festival is made up of four parts: The Savannah Speed Classic (Oct. 28-30, Hutchinson Island), The Motoring Midway (Nov. 5-6, Hilton Head Island), The Car Club Jamboree (Nov. 5, Hilton Head Island) and The Concours d’Elegance (Nov. 6, Hilton Head Island).
Vanagel stresses the festival has something for everybody, not just motorheads.
“Every year, it’s different,” Vanagel said. “We have different cars and different exhibits. Every year you come, you’re going to see something fresh and new.”
SAVANNAH SPEED CLASSIC
The festival will open with historic sports car racing on Oct. 28-30 at The Grand Prize of America Track on Hutchinson Island.
While the Classic is linked to the concours, the type of “historic” vehicles at the two events will be very different. Cars in Sunday’s concours must be pre-1972 and motorcycles must have been made before 1980. The only restriction on models getting into the three-day Speed Classic is that they can’t be run on a current racing series.
That opens the door for some serious horsepower.
Several groupings of classes will race against one another. One grouping for vintage Indy cars will feature classics driven by well-known drivers such as Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt.
Spectators will also be able to test drive cars and SUVs from automotive sponsors including BMW, Porsche and Land Rover. For an additional fee, those in attendance can also jump in a car with a professional driver and get up to racing speeds. The cost is $50 for a manufactured vehicle or $100 for an actual race car.
Several notable Grand-Am drivers will also be on hand, including Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, Hurley Haywood and Grand Marshal Boris Said of NASCAR Sprint Cup fame.
“I expect to see a lot of really cool cars,” Said said. “And I love cars.”
In addition to all the racing, there will also be a beer garden and live music.
MOTORING MIDWAY
The Motoring Midway takes place Nov. 5-6 at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on Hilton Head Island. It is an event unique to the motoring festival, though other events have started to mimic it in recent years.
There will be several exhibits for all ages, such as “Life in the Fast Lane,” with manufactured tuner cars from AMG, Alpina and RUF, countered by a dual exhibit called “Life in the Whoa Lane,” a collection of 12 horse-drawn carriages. There will also be exhibits of historic boats, classic motorcycles and a Kids Korral filled with automotive-themed activities for children.
A display of historic BMW motorcycles from Peter Nettesheim’s collection will be there, including the first BMW. To celebrate the 10th year of the festival, eight “Best of Show” and “People’s Choice” winners from past events will also be on hand.
“It’s going to be really neat for people to see when they first come in,” said Lindsey Harrell, the festival’s vice president of operations. “Those are some of the most beautiful cars out there.”
Admission to the Motoring Midway is included with general admission to the Car Club Jamboree (Nov. 5) and Concours d’Elegance (Nov. 6).
CAR CLUB JAMBOREE
Car clubs from all over the country will put their best rides on display for the Car Club Jamboree set for Nov. 5 at the Coastal Discovery Museum. Each club will bring 10 to 15 cars, ranging from hot rods to muscle cars to European performance cars.
Each year the jamboree features a European marque. This year it’s Germany, meaning a part of the show field will be composed of only German cars such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche
and Volkswagen.
Close to 200 cars will be on display from clubs including the BMW Car Club of America, the Ferrari Club of America, the Mercedes-Benz Club of North America and the Porsche 356 Club.
Dennis Gage, host of the SPEED Channel’s television program “My Classic Car” will also be there. He’s the honorary chairman of this year’s Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance and will be on Hilton Head both days.
“I do at most one concours per year because they’re just too high-end,” Gage said. “I love them, I appreciate them but I’ll never own one. Don’t rub my nose in it. Hilton Head is my high-end tasting for the year.”
CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE
The Concours d’Elegance is a piece of the motoring festival but it just happens to be the piece that the whole event was founded on 10 years ago. The event, set for Nov. 6 at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, is growing in prestige with the field filling up faster each year. This year’s field was filled months ago. The demand has given event organizers the opportunity to be selective in the cars they choose, making sure they get the best cars out there for attendees to see.
We’re not talking about grandpa’s Chevy Nova here. These are all museum-quality, 100-point cars. In order to win, vehicles must also be able to drive to the stage to pick up their trophy. The field will consist of 140 cars and 30 motorcycles.
“I would describe it as a living museum,” Vanagel said. “These cars are works of art. You have a chance to see the living history of the automobile. You’ll walk away with one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences.”
BMW has been selected as the featured Honored Marque for the festival and will be included in all four signature events.
Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance Schedule
SAVANNAH SPEED CLASSIC
What: Drivers of historic sports cars conduct practice sessions Oct. 28 and compete against one another in historic races Oct. 29 and 30. Hot laps, parade laps and pit access are also available to spectators.
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 28-30
Where: The Grand Prize of America Track, Hutchinson Island (Ga.)
Parking: $5 per car, Grand Prize of America Track infield
Tickets: $20-$100 (Discounts available online through Oct. 15).
More information: Go online to www.hhiconcours.com or call 843-785-7469.
MOTORING MIDWAY
What: Exhibits featuring a mix of motoring heritage and technology. Exhibits planned include Life in the Fast Lane, Life in the Whoa Lane, Road to the Future and an exhibit of historic boats and motorcycles. There will also be a Kids Korral filled with automotive-themed activities for children.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 5-6
Where: The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, Hilton Head Island
Parking: $10 per car, Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn; free remote parking at Hilton Head Island High School with a free shuttle to the event
Tickets: Included with general admission to the Car Club Jamboree (Nov. 5) or Concours d’Elegance (Nov. 6).
More information: Go online to www.hhiconcours.com or call 843-785-7469.
CAR CLUB JAMBOREE
What: More than 150 muscle cars, hot rods and European sports cars from clubs all over the United States will be on display. The jamboree focuses on historically significant cars from all decades.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 5
Where: The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, Hilton Head Island
Parking: $10 per car, Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn; free remote parking at Hilton Head Island High School with a free shuttle to the event
Tickets: $30 (discounts available online through Oct. 15).
More information: Go online to www.hhiconcours.com or call 785-7469. To register a club, call Bill Schmitt at 843-298-3038.
CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE
What: On the first Sunday each November, more than 150 classic vehicles compete for the “Best of Show” title under the spreading oaks and flowing Spanish moss at Honey Horn. The event was recently named to the Southeast Tourism Society’s “Top 20 Events” list.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 6
Where: The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, Hilton Head Island
Parking: $10 per car, Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn; free remote parking at Hilton Head Island High School with a free shuttle to the event
Tickets: $35 (Discounts available online through Oct. 15)
More information: Go online to www.hhiconcours.com or call 843-785-7469.
Car Club Challenge
9 a.m.-4 p.m., Oct. 28-30; The Grand Prize of America Track, Hutchinson Island: Participants from the BMW Car Club of America, Porsche Club of America and Ferrari Club of America will compete in the first-ever Car Club Challenge. Top qualifiers from each club will compete in the finals Oct. 30.
Hot Laps
Noon, Oct. 28-30; The Grand Prize of America Track, Hutchinson Island: For an additional fee, spectators ride with a professional driver at racing speeds. Manufactured cars cost $50. Race cars are $100. There will also be parade laps where spectators take their own vehicle on the track under controlled speeds.
Fashion Show
1 p.m., Nov. 5; Discovery House at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, Hilton Head Island: The Madhouse Vintage Fashion Show will offer attendees a glance back at the original days of the Concours d’Elegance events in Paris. A suggested $10 donation is welcome at the door.
Art Tour
Nov. 5-6; Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, Hilton Head Island) The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry will scatter 20 large-scale outdoor sculptures throughout the property of the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn. Tours of the sculptures will be offered each day.
Operation Ignite! Youth Judging
Nov. 5; Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, Hilton Head Island: Event judges teach children how to judge a Concours d’Elegance vehicle by taking them around a number of contest vehicles. The idea is to get youngsters and teenagers interested in the hobby.
BMW Ultimate Driving Experience:
Click “Like” on the Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance Facebook page for a chance to win the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience. Find more information online at www.facebook.com/HiltonHead
IslandConcoursdElegance.
By Lance Hanlin / Photo by Rob Kaufman
