Thursday, July 24, 2014

It's All About the Concours of Course.

My club, The Mustang Wranglers, was invited to the 42nd Annual Forest Grove Concours d'Elegance to represent "50 Years of Mustangs".  I was asked to represent the classic convertible body style so I jumped at the opportunity (free admittance!).

We started out by waking up at about 4:00 AM so we could meet the club at the staging point at around 5:00 AM.  For my wife and I, it was a 30 minute drive.  After everybody had arrived at the staging point, we drove as a group (more of a parade, really) to the show site another 20 minutes away.   As we pulled into the Pacific University campus, they directed us up a narrow sidewalk between two buildings where we played a large game of "Car Tetris" to fit the 12 vehicles into the venue that was assigned to us.  Later on a pile of Porches arrived and were situated between us and the entrance.  This show was also representing the 50 year anniversary of the GTO for which THEY got to be placed in the main show grounds just up the hill (harumph!)

Between 6:00 AM, when we arrived, and 8:00 AM when the show starts and then 4:30 PM when we were officially allowed to leave, it made for a long day.  However, once our club placed our lawn chairs in a large Pow-Wow circle and BS'd and started answering attendees questions, the day actually went fairly quickly.  Also, there was food and a LOT of cars to look at.

Separate from us and up in the main show area, there were the Judged Mustangs which were either very original and thus concours by nature or beautifully restored concours cars.  The winner of that category, which included 64.5 - 72 Mustang.  That's right, ALL body styles and builds in one 8 year span.  The winner was a gorgeous 1967 Shelby GT-350 (which wouldn't start when came time for him to drive to the winner's circle.  LOL!)

The show had pretty much wound-down by 3:30 with many of the show cars having packed up and left so we dropped the ropes and snuck out as well.  All in all it was a fun time and we're proud to have been a part.

It was a bit chilly in the morning so top was up.  I dropped it around 8:00 AM.

Other representatives included 2 1969 Mach 1's, a gorgeous 1968 fastback, and a very original 1964.5 coupe driven by it's original owner.

And then 8 more later model Mustangs including Boss 302, Cobras, Saleens, and others.


This is the collection of judged Mustangs.  The winner was that red convertible Shelby in the background.

This was my personal favorite judged car.  A perfect 67 GT convertible.

One of the stars of the show was this 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900, designed by Touring

Just breathtaking.

Try not to notice the bored millionaire in the background.