2021 Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance
The 43rd Cincinnati Concours, one of the longest-running shows of its kind in the country, welcomed back thousands of spectators and collectors to Ault Park for a celebration of the automobile. The theme, which was a balance of both elegant coachwork and significant cars in motorsport racing, was “An Exhibition of Motorsport Excellence.” Here are some of the 200 vehicles vying for the title of Best of Show at the 2021 Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance.
Best of Show – Concours d’Elegance and Espirit de Sport
1929 Duesenberg J-188 Bohman & Schwartz Sedan and 1961 Chaparral 1
1929 Duesenberg J-188 Bohman & Schwartz Sedan
Owner – Greg Ornazian of Troy, MI
The history of this show winner is truly a Duesy. It began life as one of the first legendary ‘Model J’ Duesenbergs produced, although it didn’t originally look like it does now. During a ferry trip from Santa Catalina Island in the mid-30s, it had the misfortune of falling into the Santa Barbara Channel. However, this Duesenberg’s story didn’t end there. After it was recovered, the owner had it rebodied with a more modern streamlined design, but the original 265 horsepower, 6.9-liter straight-eight engine was preserved. As a result, this is a very unique Duesenberg in a class that, in itself, is exclusive.
1961 Chaparral 1
Owner – Bruce Amster of Bridgeport, CT
The Chaparral 1 is an all-American race car that was campaigned in 1961 by Jim Hall. It featured a powerful Chevy V8 and represented a high-water mark for front-end roadster designs. At the time of its introduction, it competed against several recently developed European mid-engine race cars that were proving to have better track handling manners. As a result it never achieved the desired racing dominance. One of only 5 built, this Chaparral is a rare example of one of the last designed front-engine roadsters.
People’s Choice Award and Best in Class Winners
Featured Marques and Ultra Rare Vehicles
This year’s show celebrated 100 years of Lincoln, 70 Years of the Jaguar E-Type, and the 50th anniversary of the Datsun Z-Car. Of the many exceptional examples of these marques on the show field, one was particularly noteworthy – a 1921 L-101 Touring. This Lincoln, which was the very first one produced, was an all-original, a true-100-year-old time capsule.
Anniversary Lincolns
Anniversary Jaguars
Anniversary Zs
More Special Cars
The Cincinnati Concours attracts many of the best classic vehicles in the country, and while all the participants are special in some manner, some are standouts because of their rarity or provenance. This year’s best of show winners, as well as the very first Lincoln, mentioned above, would certainly be considered extraordinary. Here are additional unique classics from the show that could be centerpieces in any museum.
- 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans winner
- 1960 Watson Offy roadster, 1960 Indy 500 winner
- 1927 Duesenberg Model X speedster, the only known survivor of the four that were built
- 1953 Maverick Sportster, a custom fiberglass body over a Cadillac drive train (one of three remaining of the seven built)
- 1953 Ferrari 250 GT Europa, a rare road-going Ferrari that is both stunning and futuristic
