Every concours — with its elegant atmosphere and its multi-million dollar classic cars — is already unlike most auto shows.
But the 2017 Atlanta Concours d'Elegance, which returns to Braselton's Chateau Elan later this month for its second annual event, wants to be unlike anything else within that world, too.
Big, sure. Iconic, renowned, enviable? Absolutely. But also refined — and not too crowded.
“We want to be the Masters of the concours world,” co-founder Bill Wallet said this week, referencing the iconic golf tournament in Augusta.
The event will take place Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 on the fairways of Chateau Elan. Featured will be more than 150 classic cars from the early 1900s and later, all looking as they did the day they were made.
In addition to well-known high-end brands like Rolls Royce, Bentley and Aston Martin, there will be some rare automobiles on display. There will be the first-ever gathering of owners of Loziers, a vintage early-1900s touring car with very few specimens remaining.
The crown jewel of the show is likely to be a 1937 Mercedes 540K — an elegant automobile that’s valued north of $9 million.
The concours’ cars are “very, very rare and very expensive,” Wallet said.
That’s the case at most concours events. But, again, Wallet and crew want theirs to be much more.
So they'll cap their attendance [at an undisclosed number] to keep things less crowded, so visitors can spend more time actually experiencing the cars.
They’ve partnered with the Atlanta Food Truck Association to bring in a handful of the city’s best vendors. There’s also an opportunity for visitors to drive quarter-million-dollar cars.
Organizers expect between 6,000 and 8,000 guests but the event’s success, Wallet said, will not be measured by its size.
“It’s the quality of the event and the kind of cars we attract,” he said.
Visit atlantaconcours.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
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