Cadillac, Jaguar E-type featured at 12th Dayton Concours d’Elegance

Mustang designer Gale Halderman named grand marshal

Cadillac and the iconic E-type Jaguar will highlight the 12th Dayton Concours d’Elegance at Carillon Park, scheduled for Sept. 16.

Cadillac was the first car to offer a self-starter, developed in Dayton by Charles Kettering. When the Jaguar E-type was introduced in 1961, Enzo Ferrari declared it “the most beautiful car ever made.”

There will also be a special class, “Eight isn’t Enough” featuring cars with more than eight-cylinder engines.

Concours attendees will not only be able to view a collection of first-generation Mustangs, they can meet and chat with the man responsible for the car, Tipp City native Gale Halderman. Halderman has been named concours grand marshal and will be at the event all day Sept. 16. It was Halderman’s pencil sketch in 1962 that made the final cut and became the design for the legendary Mustang, which has now sold more than 8 million cars among six design generations.

Presented by AAA, the concours is limited to about 200 antique and classic automobiles and motorcycles, all displayed on the grounds of Carillon Historical Park. Proceeds from the concours go directly to Dayton History, the local non-profit that operates Carillon Park, the Wright brothers’ home Hawthorn Hill, Patterson Homestead and other historic sites in the Dayton area. The 2017 Concours attracted a record number of entrants and a record attendance of more than 6,000.

Concours weekend will kick off the evening of Sept. 15 with a casual preview party, open to the public, on the grounds of the Carillon Historical Park. The party will preview some of the concours automobiles and feature an automotive art pavilion, music, silent auction, food and beverages. Advance tickets are available from Carillon Park.

The concours will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 16. Cars and motorcycles will be judged for awards in 28 classes. In addition, a number of specialty awards are presented including the R.H. Grant Best of Show, Col. Edward Deeds Judges’ Choice, Charles F. Kettering People’s Choice, Jeffrey Siler Spirit Award, the Taj Ma Garaj Award and the Hagerty Youth Judging Award.

A dozen nationally recognized automotive artists will have a pavilion to display their work, and hand-built model cars will be shown. In addition, there will be a reunion of Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild modelers exhibiting their hand-built models that embrace automotive-vehicle design creativity.

A parade of class-winning cars, motorcycles and major award winners will be presented at 3 p.m. Live entertainment and a variety of local food and beverages will be featured throughout the day. All exhibits at the park will be open.

General admission is $20 at the door, or $15 in advance, $5 for children ages 3 to 17; children younger than 3 and members of Dayton History are free.

For more information, go online to www.daytonconcours.com or contact: Concours Chair Skip Peterson, 937-603-7601 or mgbskip@aol.com. To nominate a car, contact Concours Director Mike Edgerton, 937-866-2222 or autoedge@sbcglobal.net. To nominate a motorcycle, contact Motorcycle Director Dan Thornton, 937-266-2397 or Dan.thornton@aol.com.

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