1911 Oldsmobile Limited Touring Car wins Best in Show award at 2024 Greenbrier Concours
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The Oldsmobile was discovered in the Lake George area of New York in the late 1970s and has had only two owners since that time. The latest restoration was completed this February. An expensive car with a $5,000 price tag when new, the Limited appealed to the wealthy, who wanted a large, comfortable car that was technologically advanced for the day. Powered by a 6-cylinder T-head engine, it is capable of modern highway speeds. It rides on a 138-inch wheelbase, is shaft driven and has only rear brakes. Stopping has to be planned well in advance. A total of 196 Limiteds were built in 1911, and Sunday's winner is one of only two remaining Tourabouts built in that model year.
“I was blown away,” said Peeler of winning 2024's top award. “We have been on the concours circuit for a number of years, but this is the pinnacle right here. We enjoyed the experience tremendously. We have to say that it was one of the best concours we’ve been to.”
Though the Oldsmobile was clearly the star of the show, it was not alone in an incredible field of vehicles, including the featured Trucks and Utility Vehicles for 2024. The response was so fantastic for the featured class, those automobiles were divided into three different classes — Pre-War Pickups and Utility Vehicles, Post-War Pickups and Post-War Utility Vehicles.
“The featured class was really impressive,” said Phil Neff, Chief Judge, The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance. “It was a great display of vehicles, and people really enjoyed them. Our other classes were equally as spectacular, and it was an overall fantastic show.”
Class winners, who received Best in Class awards hand blown at The Greenbrier by the craftsmen at Lamp Light Glass Art, included:
Pre-War Trucks and Utility Vehicles: 1941 American Bantam BRC-40 Jeep Prototype (Adam Buck; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
Post-War Pickup Trucks: 1969 Ford F100 Ranger Pickup (Ray May; Vanceburg, Kentucky)
Post-War Utility Vehicles: 1961 Volkswagen 281 Microbus (Richard Reischman; St. Clairsville, Ohio)
Pre-1930 Veterans and Classics: 1928 Stutz ‘Drop-Door’ Speedster by LeBaron (Dwight Schaubach; Carrollton, Virginia)
Late Classic Era: 1941 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet (Bob Thomas; Indianapolis, Indiana)
British Cars: 1959 Triumph TR3A (Dennis Mamchur; Verona, New Jersey)
Sports Cars: 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe (Dr. C.R. Bonebrake and Hon. Rebecca Crotty; Topeka, Kansas)
Personal Luxury Cars: 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (Lindisfarne Collection)
Muscle Cars: 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Rick and Cheryl Hart; Chesapeake, Virginia)
Porsches: 1971 Porsche 914-6 (Thomas and Kristin Zarella; Gloucester, Massachussets)
Motorcycles: 1952 Moto Guzzi Falcone Sport (Wicker Francis; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania)
In addition to the class awards, 12 special awards were presented at the trophy ceremony, and the winners received hand-crafted trophies made by the carpenters at The Greenbrier. The awards featured the iconic Springhouse, which has been a symbol of America’s Resort for centuries. The winners included:
People’s Choice: 1915 National Hearse (Sonya and Bill Miller; Frankfort, Indiana)
Chief Judge’s Award (Selected by Phil Neff): 1948 Willys Overland Jeepster (James Rimel; Staunton, Virginia)
Duke of Windsor Award (Most Elegant Closed Car): 1947 Bentley Mark VI Coupe by Figoni & Falaschi (John Shaloub; Festus, Michigan)
Princess Grace Award (Most Elegant Open Car): 1934 Packard 1101 7-Passenger Tourer (Rajiv Kehr; Nappanee, Indiana)
Dorothy Draper Award (Most Stylish Interior): 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S “Silver Rose Edition” (Thomas and Kristin Zarrella; Gloucester, Massachusetts)
Sam Snead Award (Best Country Club Car): 1931 Buick 8-94 Sport Roadster (David Landow; Potomac, Maryland)
Eisenhower Award (Best Cold War Era Car): 1960 Buick Eelectra 225 Convertible (Michael Hurley; Flint, Michigan)
Artist’s Award (Selected by Joan Creamer): 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS (Roy and Janice Brod; Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
Most Historically Significant Road Car: 2009 Morgan Aeromax (Bill and Marla Dixon; Ninety Six, South Carolina)
Most Historically Significant Sports or Race Car: 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra (Gary and Kathy Bartlett; Muncie, Indiana)
AACA “Spirit of the Hobby” Award: 1965 Mercury Comet Caliente Convertible (Sheldon Gilliam; Hampton, Virginia)
Bill Davis Memorial Award (Best Car owned by a West Virginia native or resident): 1974 Jaguar E-Type Series III V12 Roadster (Patty and Roger Crawford)
Sunday’s Concours was the culmination of a weekend filled with events for car owners and enthusiasts from across the country.
On Friday, The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance, presented by Ferrari of Washington, started its engine with The Summit Drive, which took car enthusiasts to the Members Lodge at The Greenbrier Sporting Club for breakfast. Following the mouthwatering meal, the cars of all eras and varieties embarked on a drive through mountain roads of West Virginia, ending up at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, where they enjoyed amazing views, lunch and lift rides down the mountains. They returned by a different route with equally exceptional views.
That evening’s Welcome Reception, sponsored by Bentley Washington, D.C., at the outdoor pool gave sponsors, owners, judges and concours organizers a chance to come together and learn more about each other and the weekend. Entertainment was provided by The Greenbrier Springhouse Entertainers, courtesy of Berglund Automotive.
Saturday began with Cars & Cocktails, presented by Ole Smoky Distillery, which featured cars of all ages and types displayed in front of the iconic golf clubhouse at The Greenbrier and around the Springhouse. Spectators enjoyed the show, as well as the ride and drive events presented by Ferrari of Washington. A large gathering from Malaise Motors helped add to the festive feel and the excitement of the participants
Saturday afternoon included an automotive seminar, and the evening concluded with a Kentucky Derby Party/Charitable Dinner, which raised funds to support three charitable partners — West Virginia Autism Training Center, AACA Library and Research Center and First Responders Children’s Foundation.
All those events served as appetizers for the main course on Sunday, as the finest collector cars in the world were judged by Neff and his qualified team of concours judges.
“After a little rain overnight, the sun came out and we were blessed with a beautiful day,” said Cam Huffman, a member of The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance Steering Committee. “The participants really seemed to enjoy each event, and the turnout was spectacular. The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance gets a little better each year, and we’re already excited about 2025.”
Plans have begun for The 2025 Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance. The featured Ferrari Class will be just one of the major attractions for next year’s event, which will be held May 2-4. Registration is already open for the Sunday Concours at GreenbrierConcours.com.
