From coast to coast and border to border, nearly 50 special events are planned to celebrate Collector Car Appreciation Day, according to the calendar complied by the SEMA Action Network.
The official and Congressionally recognized day of celebration for the collector car hobby is July 10, but the events start as early as July 9 and run through the weekend. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a few will be staged virtually, but the vast majority will be cruises and car shows.
To see the full list, visit the special SEMA Action Network website.
ACD and Sonoma festivals, Dayton concours canceled
After 63 consecutive years of annual celebrations, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival in northeast Indiana has been canceled for 2020 because of the coronavirus epidemic, the festival board has announced. The event traditionally is held over the Labor Day weekend in the historic home of the Auburn Automobile Company.
“After consultation with local health officials, local government and our valued partners, we have determined that the responsible course of action would be to cancel,” Leslie Peel, festival executive director, was quoted in the news release.
Meanwhile, the Sonoma Speed Festival, originally scheduled for May 2020 in northern California, but postponed, has been canceled with plans to resume in May 2021.
Also announcing cancellation for 2020 is the Dayton (Ohio) Concours d’Elegance, which was scheduled for September 20 on the grounds of the historic Carillon Park.
Great Race postponed again, until 2021
Already postponed from late June to late August, The Great Race, that wonderful and competitive vintage car show that rolls across large sections of the country, has been canceled for 2020, sponsor Hemmings Motor News has announced.
“Just 10 days ago we looked to be home free with huge decreases in cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” entrants were informed, “but while hospitalizations and deaths continue to trend in a positive direction, cases are on the rise in several states we would be visiting in seven weeks. And no one could guarantee everything we need to put on the event you expect and deserve.”
The 2020 route will carry over for 2021, spanning 2,300 miles and 9 days from San Antonio, Texas to Greenville, South Carolina, in between visiting Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.
Goodguys ready for Utah debut
The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has secured approval to stage its inaugural RaceDeck Salt Lake Nationals, July 17-19 at Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City, where health and safety guidelines will be in effect. For details, visit the Goodguys website.
Nurse quickly creates Fourth of July car show
Although Texas TV station KWTX didn’t catch the irony of her car-centric name, it did a nice story about how Shelby Ellison, charge nurse at a senior residence, noticed a show car, chased down not only its owner but several others who had taken part in a local Fourth of July event, and convinced those car owners to reassemble in the parking lot of the Manor Healthcare Residence to bring some joy to the seniors living there.
EyesOn looks at driver’s vision
You may not be familiar with the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology, but you likely recognize the EyesOn Design car show it organizes, well, except this year, on Father’s Day at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford home near Detroit.
The Institute also stages an annual medical seminar with Henry Ford Health System on “The Eye, The Brain and the Auto,” and has announced that the 2020 event will be staged virtually December 7-8. The focus annual is on the driver’s vision and visual needs, as well as technology that enables autonomous mobility and its relation to healthcare.
Abstracts for the conference must be submitted by August 15.
Road America races include Elkhart Lake concours
The annual WeatherTech International Challenge, Brian Redman’s vintage racing weekend at Road America in Wisconsin, is scheduled for July 23-26. This year it will feature a reunion of the Shadow racing cars and, in addition to the activities on the track, the weekend includes a pair of concours d’elegance.
One change this year is the location for the Friday parade and Saturday concours. On July 24, the race cars will be driven from the track to downtown Plymouth, Wisconsin, and will be parked along Mill Street from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On July 25, the Sports Car Concours d’Elegance takes place in downtown Plymouth from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For details, visit the Road America website.
Prefix hosts road rally
Prefix, a Detroit area company that specializes in restorations, performance upgrades and custom vehicle development, will host an inaugural road rally and scavenger hunt on July 18 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Entry is $40 per car before July 15 and proceeds benefit The House of Providence. For more information, email jennifer.orton@prefix.com.
Hershey update
The AACA has updated information on the annual Eastern Fall Nationals scheduled for October 9-10 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. While the swap meet and car corral has been canceled, there will be a car show on October 10, pending approval by the state.
“We are cautiously optimistic this can be done,” the AACA said in its newsletter.
New Hope has hope for a one-day show
The New Hope-Solebury Community Association in New Hope, Pennsylvania, annually stages a two-day collector car show featuring more than 450 collector vehicles. The show dates to 1957, when it began as a horse show.
This year the association plans for a single day show with 150 cars on August 8 at the New Hope-Solebury High School. The show raises money for scholarships for high school seniors and for several local charities.
The 2020 show will be limited only to AACA “Senior” cars.
Amelia will salute Lyn St. James
The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will salute Lyn St. James as special honoree for the 26th annual automotive showcase on the northeast Florida coast March 4-7, 2021.
“Lyn’s life is a high speed motorsports adventure,” the concours said in its announcement. “Her racing career began in a Ford Pinto — her daily driver — in the 1970s and had its grand finale more than two decades later in a special commemorative ceremony on the “yard of bricks” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
St. James was rookie of the year in 1992 at Indy and drove in the 500-mile race seven times. She drove solo to victory in a Roush Mustang in an IMSA GTO race Watkins Glen and twice was in the winning GT-class car for the 24 Hours of Daytona.
She was president of the Women’s Sports Foundation for three years and established a foundation for the education, training and advancement of women in automotive careers.
Fall car-show calendar
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the fall car-show and concours calendar continues to evolve. Here’s the updated schedule, based on official announcements, as of July 7, 2020:
August 8-16 — Concours at Pasadera, Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals, Woodward Dream Show (Pontiac, Michigan), Street Rod Nationals Southeast (Kentucky), Goodguys Great American Nationals (Pennsylvania), New Hope car show (Pennsylvania), Indy 500 Corvette pace car homecoming
August 19-20 — London Concours
August 21-23 — Morgan Adams Concours d’Elegance (Colorado), Geneva (Illinois) Concours d’Elegance, Street Rod Route 66 Nationals (New Mexico), Goodguys West Coast Nationals (California), AACA Grand Nationals (Pennsylvania), Arthritis Foundation car show (Dublin, Ohi0) (plus the Indianapolis 500)
August 27-30 — Corvettes at Carlisle, Fountain Valley (California), Artmobilia Weekend (Carmel, Indiana), Goodguys Nashville Nationals (plus the rescheduled New York International Auto Show)
September 4-7 (Labor Day weekend) — Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival, Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance, Lime Rock Historic Festival, Groesbeck Grand Prix Festival of Motoring (Texas), Crescent Beach Concours d’Elegance, Sonoma Speed Festival, Foothills Motoring Festival (Pinehurst, North Carolina), Royal Concours of Elegance (England)
September 11-13 — AAA Glidden Tour (Sarasota Springs, New York), Vail Classic, Goodguys Colorado Nationals, Wisconsin Dells Automotion
September 18-20 — New York City Concours, LaJolla Concours d’Elegance, Street Rod Nationals Northeast (Vermont), Arizona FuelFest, Balfour Car Show (Denver) (plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans)
September 25-27 — Salon Prive (England), Telluride Festival, Ironstone Concours d’Elegance (California), St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance (Maryland), Goodguys Lone Star Nationals (Texas), Catskill Conquest Rally (New York)
October 2-4 — Fall Carlisle, Street Rod Nationals South (Knoxville, Tennessee), Goodguys Del Mar Nationals (California)
October 9-11 — Zoute Grand Prix and Concours (Belgium), AACA Eastern Fall Nationals (car show only), Chico Concours d’Elegance (California)
October 16-18 — Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, Keels & Wheels, Lake Mirror Concours d’Elegance (Florida), Mid-American Street Rod Nationals (Missouri)
October 19-23 — AACA Central Divisional Tour (Oklahoma)
October 23-25 — Charlotte Auto Fair, (plus the Mille Miglia race/rally)
October 30-November 1 — Copperstate 1000 vintage rally car show, Western Street Rod Nationals (Bakersfield, California), Luftgekuhlt 7 (Durham, North Carolina)
To share news of your local car shows and cruises, email larrye@classiccars.com.
