Palm Springs Life / February 2009 / Marques of Distinction

 Email  Print  Feed

Marques of Distinction

The world's most beautiful cars shine at the Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance

Above: Ken Rosemeyer's 1930 Franklin Speedster Convertible Sedan.

Ken Smith painstakingly removes blades of grass from tires and wheel wells, gently dusts his pristine convertible, and polishes the tiniest smudges from the chrome grill and accent trim. He steps back, appreciating the sleek design of his prized possession against the rugged backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains.

Smith, a Rancho Santa Fe resident, is more than a car enthusiast. He is driven by the spirit of competition and has entered his cherished dark blue car in the inaugural Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance. It's early morning and he has parked his French-built 1936 Delahaye 135 Competition Convertible on the fairway of O'Donnell Golf Club.

Valued between $6 million and $7 million, Smith's acclaimed car participated in the 1936 Concours d'Elegance in Cannes, France, and raced in the 1949 Monte Carlo Rally. It has won 20 major awards in the past four years and graced the cover of the August 2006 issue of the Robb Report.

"When I first saw the Delahaye," Smith says, "I literally stopped in my tracks and thought to myself without hesitation that this is the most beautiful car I had ever seen. My initial reaction has never changed, and it has been rewarding to have had that sentiment echoed at so many fine concours events where it has competed against some of the most beautiful cars of all time."

When it comes to such pride and passion, Smith is in good company. The owners of more than 100 meticulously restored, classic motorcars, special interest automobiles, and vintage racers — many valued in excess of $1 million — converged on Palm Springs last March. Many of these collectors will do the same for the second annual Desert Classic Concours, Feb. 28-March 1.

The cars star in this and all concours events. Even if you can't tell a Delahaye from a DeSoto, a Maserati from a Mustang, a Ferrari from a Ford, or a Bugatti from a Buick, you will be impressed by the collection of some of the world's finest examples of automotive design and engineering.

While some collectors treat their cars like valued paintings, never allowing the tires to touch the ground, Edmond Willimann's 1947 Ferrari Type 166 has been cruising public roads and race tracks for the past 40 years. The car, which made its West Coast premiere last year, dates to the earliest days of Ferrari production and always draws crowds of admirers. On several occasions, Willimann, a resident of Arizona, has declined offers of more than $1 million for his one-of-a-kind Ferrari, saying that his love for the car and his desire to keep it is more important to him than money.

Exhibiting cars at concours events is an expensive and time-consuming hobby. Accolades from spectators and awards from discerning judges motivate collectors to attend. Throughout the final day of the 2008 Palm Springs exhibition, 19 respected automotive authorities thoroughly examined all cars in attendance and presented 27 awards in nine classes, plus 10 special awards. Three of the top awards — Best of Class, Best of Show, and People's Choice Award — went to Smith's Delahaye.

Another car inspiring admiration from the crowd was a 1936 Packard 120 LeBaron Convertible Victoria, specially ordered 73 years ago by the president of American Tobacco Co. Edward Herrmann, Emmy-award winning actor and long-time master of ceremonies at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, later owned the car. Its restoration was the subject of a History Channel documentary.

Notable American classics included stately cars owned by Palm Springs area collectors. Ken Rosemeyer's luxurious 1930 Franklin 147 Speedster Convertible Sedan is one of only six such cars known to exist. Marjorie Merriweather Post — socialite, philanthropist, and founder of General Foods — originally owned it. "To experience this car in person is like going back in time," Rosemeyer says.

David France's 1940 Packard Darrin Custom Super One-Eighty Victoria Convertible — a favored car among Hollywood's elite in the 1940s, costing $6,700 new — is one of nine such cars known to exist. France's car won Best of Class at the Los Angeles and La Jolla concours d'elegance events in 2007 and placed second in the American Classic category in Palm Springs.

Bernard Dervieux, chef and owner of Cuistot restaurant in Palm Desert, brought three cars to the Desert Classic, including his 1950 Allard J2, a limited production British competition racer.  Dervieux's J2 is the second of less than 100 such cars ever produced. A former owner raced it at Torrey Pines and Palm Springs in the 1950s, and Dervieux has raced it at the annual Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca since 2002.

Two of the oldest and best-known luxury marques are Mercedes and Rolls-Royce. People surround the 1957 Mercedes 220S Cabriolet owned by Ed and Bev Suhrbier as they listen to the Indian Wells couple describe the 9,032-mile, 40-day, London-to-Peking road rally they took in the car in the spring of 2000, one month after driving it from Los Angeles to New York City.

The oldest of five Rolls-Royces on display — a 1932 Phantom II Continental — was the last model designed by company co-founder Henry Royce. It is one of only 281 such cars built, costing $14,000 new. Part-time Palm Desert resident David Morris of Canada owns the stately car. "With the lines, the history, and the low production numbers of this car, I don't know any better way to describe it than love at first sight," he says. "Twelve years ago, I found this Phantom in a barn where it had been for 30 years. It was in rough condition. But in 2007, after seven years of painstaking research and restoration, the car is now as close to original as possible. " In the very competitive European Classic 1925-1941 class, this highly coveted car captured third place honors behind Smith's Delahaye and a rare 1930 Minerva, a prominent Belgian luxury car that gained favor among movie stars, politicians, and industrialists just after the Great Depression.

Desert Classic founder and organizer Paul Merrigan of Indian Wells promises this year's event will be "bigger and better" than last year's and will include "two special exhibits that have never been seen publicly in Palm Springs," he says. One is an exhibition of 12-15 classic cars, including a rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57 from the nearly 100-car collection of the late Robert Pond, longtime Palm Springs resident and founder of the Palm Springs Air Museum. The other consists of several open-seat Formula race cars known as Eagles — designed, built, and raced by legendary Formula One, Indy 500, NASCAR, and stockcar driver Dan Gurney.

The event, which benefits local charities, completes a year's worth of work by organizers and offers an opportunity for people to see $40 million worth of some of the world's most spectacular and highly prized automobiles. The featured marque is the Italian-manufactured Alfa Romeo.

The Desert Classic continues Palm Springs' long-held enthusiasm for automotive history. The Palm Springs Road Races at the airport was one of the most prestigious events on the national racing circuit during the 1950s. Big-name drivers such as Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, and Carroll Shelby shared the desert social scene with celebrities, including Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack buddies, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Shirley Temple, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, Gene Autry, and William Powell. James Dean, actor and amateur racer, thrilled onlookers as he powered his 356 Porsche Speedster to a second-place finish in 1955. The races ended in 1961, but Palm Springs has since been a setting for car shows, auctions, and a variety of racing events.

"By bringing together some of the finest and most beautiful American and European automobiles ever made, we hope to carry on the automotive tradition Palm Springs has enjoyed," Merrigan says, "as well as to inspire and educate everyone — newcomers to the world of collector cars and passionate, lifelong enthusiasts — to the world of classic cars and vintage racers."