“Art can take many forms, and what someone considers to be art or what their passion is for is a very individualized concept,” says Jamie Prins, director of events for Scottsdale Arts, on the connection between art and car design. “To the designers behind the creation of some of those vehicles, this is their art form, and to those who collect classic automobiles, they are curating a collection of something they love.”
Held for the first time at Scottsdale Civic Center, Arizona Concours d’Elegance will take place Jan. 22. PHOTO BY KEN BRYANT
Arizona Concours d’Elegance partners with Scottsdale Arts to bring some of the world’s rarest collector cars to the newly renovated Scottsdale Civic Center this January.
From 2014 to 2017, rare car enthusiasts gathered at the Arizona Biltmore for Concours d’Elegance, a curated and judged exhibition of some of the world’s finest cars. After a long pause, the event—started by co-founders and directors Chuck Stanford and Ed Winkler—is back, but instead of taking place in Phoenix, it’s taking over the newly renovated Scottsdale Civic Center. And, for the first time, after nearly three years of discussion, Scottsdale Arts is involved.
PHOTO BY: MIKE TOBIAN
PHOTO BY: PATRICK ERNZEN
Translating to “contest of elegance,” the 100 or so vehicles judged at the event have been very carefully selected. “There are strict rules by which we judge these cars,” says Stanford. “The judges, who come from all over the world, judge these cars based on condition, restoration, their preservation and the authenticity of the car, meaning how realistic it is to what it looked like when it left the factory.” Stanford notes that in addition to being car experts generally, judges are sometimes experts in particular cars, like Corvettes or Bugattis. “There’s no fooling the judges as far as the authenticity or the condition,” he says. “They know what they’re looking at.”
A curated and judged exhibition of the world’s finest collector cars, the event is a celebration of automotive design, supporting the arts and local artists. PHOTO BY: KEN BRYANT
PHOTO BY PATRICK DARBY
This year’s exhibition is focused on the art of aerodynamics, but that doesn’t mean it’s solely about race cars. “The cars on the field will be separated in 12 different classes,” notes Stanford. “Some of them will be race classes; some will be passenger cars; some will be very elegant prewar designs, where aerodynamics were just taking foot in the design stage and led to very elegant deco cars in the 1930s.”
Arizona Concours d’Elegance will invite approximately 100 select automobiles to be considered for judging and exhibition, with the best among them awarded class prizes and the coveted best of show. PHOTO BY PATRICK DARBY
PHOTO BY KEN BRYANT
While some may think a show like this only focuses on classic cars, it actually displays automobiles from a wide time span. “The oldest car at this year’s Concours is from 1896, and the newest is from 2022,” Stanford notes.
As for the new venue, both co-founders are excited. “With this tremendous remodel, the area will be more conducive to the cars moving around the plaza, and the public will have a better opportunity to be able to walk around and view each car, not as a group of cars together, but each car as it stands on its own,” says Winkler. “Almost all of these cars were not made in a production line. It took real craftsmen to make these automobiles, and in some cases, when you have craftsmen building cars, no two are alike to some degree.”
Arizona Concours d’Elegance takes places Jan. 22 at the Scottsdale Civic Center, scottsdaleperformingarts.org; arizonaconcours.com
“TO THE DESIGNERS BEHIND THE CREATION OF SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THIS IS THEIR ART FORM, AND TO THOSE WHO COLLECT CLASSIC AUTOMOBILES, THEY ARE CURATING A COLLECTION OF SOMETHING THEY LOVE.”
–JAMIE PRINS, DIRECTOR OF EVENTS, SCOTTSDALE ARTS
The curated and judged exhibition includes select collector cars spanning all eras. PHOTO BY PATRICK ERNZEN
Photography by:
