Those strolling on Officers Row on Sunday were treated to history, mystery and 120 gorgeous classic cars at the Columbia River Concours d’Elegance.
The beauties, parked on lawns, dated from 1909 to 1974 and offered a dreamy walk for gear heads and car buffs.
The event was produced as a fundraiser by the Rotary Club of East Vancouver and its West Linn, Ore., counterpart.
Gawkers spent significant time drooling over a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing.
Chatting with onlookers, Doug Dwyer of Longview said the car gets driven when he’s assured there are ”no pigeons above, no gravel below.”
Dwyer said the 3-litre, 6-cylinder fuel-injected engine with “215 brutal horsepower” sold for about $8,000 in 1955.
“It’s insured for $660,000,” Dwyer said.
Must be nice to be the owner. But Dwyer said no, he’s not the owner — talk to Vancouver’s Duane Clark.
Clark’s name also was listed as owner on a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda convertible.
Clark said just 18 of the Cudas were made in 1970, and similar models have sold for more than $2 million, even up to nearly $3 million.
Must be nice to be the owner, Duane Clark.
But Clark said he’s not the owner of the Gullwing and the Hemi.
But he did reveal the owners are Vancouver-area men who do not want publicity. They own numerous classic cars, he said.
“These (cars) have been in museums,” he said. “The owners consider (the cars) like art.”
As visitors made their way down the closed-off row, they were treated to Porsches, Alfa Romeos, Austin Healeys, Triumphs, MGs and more.
Want a little American spirit? There were Corvettes, Cadillacs, GTOs, Packards, even a 1951 Studebaker Starlight Coupe.
Dick Lenahan of Battle Ground said he was impressed with the ’55 Gullwing, which won best of show and best of class, and also loved the 1956 Austin Healey 100M, owned by Reid Trummel of Portland,
No wonder he loved the Healey; Lenahan owns a 1964 Austin Healey, British racing green over cream.
“I thought it was an excellent first-year show,” Lenahan said.
Lenahan has a big show coming Labor Day weekend at Portland International Raceway: he’s the registrar for the All British Field Meet (www.abfm-pdx.com), where he expects more than 500 classics.
If you’ve ever wondered how MGs made it to America, talk to Cameron Hatton of Beaverton, Ore. His 1952 MG (Morris Garage) TD was drawing lots of attention.
He said the MGs were popular with soldiers serving in the United Kingdom. The TB, TC and TD models all were relatively cheap and fun to drive.
“The GI’s were bringing these home in droves,” he said.
In 1952, the MG TD sold for $1,850 to $2,050, Hatton said. He said his is worth $30,000 today.
Hatton admitted to one alteration. His hood ornament is a metal dachshund. Yes, he has two at home, Shadow and Mugsy.
Tiffany Kelly of the east Vancouver Rotary said putting on the first Concours d’Elegance show took a year of planning.
“We’re learning as we go,” she said, adding the show is expected to be back on the row in 2011. It drew about 1,000 people who paid $10 each. Owners paid $20 to show their cars.
“Car owners said it’s a fabulous setting,” Kelly said. “They really seem happy with the backdrop.”
Dave Kern: 360-735-4534 or dave.kern@columbian.com.
