Grand classic cars will shine at 13th Dayton Concours d’Elegance

50th anniversary of the Pontiac Trans Am will be highlighted

Grand classic cars like Deusenberg, Rolls Royce, Packard, Cadillac, Bentley and more will highlight the 13th Dayton Concours d’Elegance at Carillon Park, scheduled for Sept. 15. The concours also will honor the 50th anniversary of the Pontiac Trans Am.

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 2018 Concours attracted a record number of entrants and a record attendance of more than 6,000.

Concours weekend will kick off the morning of Sept. 14 with a special edition of Dayton Cars and Coffee, held in front of the Carillon Brewing Co. It is free and open to all cars and motorcycles.

The fun will continue the evening of Sept. 14 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 Historical Park.

The concours will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 15. 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 $25 at the door, or $20 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.

Several hundred antique and classic automobiles and motorcycles will be displayed on the grounds of Carillon Historical Park Sept. 15 at the 13th annual Dayton Concours d’Elegance. Nominations for vehicles are now open. Contributed photo

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