The coveted ‘Best of Show’ and ‘People’s Choice’ honors were awarded today at the closing event of the 14th annual Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival, the Concours d’Elegance, held at the Port Royal Golf Club on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The top honor at Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance, ‘Best of Show,’ was awarded to a 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Phaeton owned by Joseph and Margie Cassini, III of West Orange, New Jersey. This Chrysler was the stunning personal car of renowned automotive designer Ralph Roberts, equipped to his order as a gift to his wife, and was awarded Best in Class, Pebble Beach 2014. Attendees at the event chose a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster as their ‘People’s Choice’ winner. The car is owned by Dr. Richard Workman of Rare Wheels Collection of Windermere, Florida. Another top honor presented to close the annual event was the Paul Doerring Founders Award, established to honor Paul Doerring, one of the key contributing founders of the event. The award went to a 1957 Ghia Dual-Ghia Convertible owned by David and Doreen Salzman of Jupiter, Florida.
The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance also served as the location for the final presentation of the Lee Iacocca Award. The award, given for dedication to excellence in perpetuating an American automotive tradition, was presented by Norma Saken from The Iacocca Family Foundation and Rick Schmidt of National Parts Depot, the award’s sponsor, on Saturday, Oct. 31 to William and Christine Snyder of Hudson, Ohio. “We are extremely proud to have presented the final award at our event,” said Carolyn Vanagel, president of the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival. “We congratulate the Snyders for their extraordinary dedication to and passion for the classic car hobby. These are the qualities that the Lee Iacocca Award has come to represent.” This annual gathering of collectors and enthusiasts is one of the fastest growing automotive lifestyle events in the country. The Festival continues to expand its reach and did so again this year with an all-new new aviation event, the Flights & Fancy Gala and Aero Expo.
The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival reached sold out status for cars in the show earlier than ever before, in both the Concours and the Car Club Showcase. “We don’t see the momentum slowing down anytime soon and encourage owners to submit as early as possible for next year’s event,” said Vanagel. “The world-class hospitality and facilities of the Port Royal Golf Club, along with our yearly attendance records, have resulted in an even higher quality show field than ever before, and this year’s winners truly point to our growth and success." Another highlight of this year’s Motoring Festival was Auctions America’s debut collector car sale, hosted at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa on Saturday, Oct. 31. Presenting some 95 blue-chip automobiles and select memorabilia before a packed house, preliminary results from the auction exceed $5 million in sales. Top honors went to a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC, a well-sorted example of one of the marque’s classic 12-cylinder touring cars, which achieved a final $638,000. It led a superb roster of European sports cars, including a 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi, just 3,600 miles from new, which garnered $360,250, and an exceptionally original 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition for $343,750.
“It’s been a fantastic few days here in South Carolina and we’re pleased with the results generated by our debut Hilton Head Island sale,” says Megan Boyd, Car Specialist, Auctions America. “Strong interest in the auction vehicles during the preview translated into some great prices and lively bidding at Saturday’s sale. We were particularly thrilled by the widespread interest and participation in the auction - an impressive 45 percent of bidders represented first time clients to Auctions America. It’s been a great hobby weekend and a fantastic close to our 2015 season.”
More than 500 vehicles made their way to the Hilton Head Island, South Carolina lowcountry this weekend to participate in the 14th annual Festival. Numerous automotive icons were in attendance including, Manfred Erlacher (President & CEO, BMW Manufacturing), Ralph Gilles (Head of Design, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.), Lex Kerssemakers (President, Volvo of North America), Norma Saken (The Iacocca Family Foundation), Jay Ward (Cars Legacy Guardian, Pixar Animation Studios) and Skip Barber, who served as the Grand Marshal at the Festival’s Savannah Speed Classic on Hutchinson Island, Georgia. Renowned collectors Fred Guyton of St. Louis, Missouri, and William “Tom” Gerrard of Big Sky, Montana, were recognized as the 2015 Pinnacle and Honored Collectors.
The 15th annual Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for Oct. 28 – Nov. 6, 2016. For more information on the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance, visit the official website at www.HHIMotoringFestival.com.