San Rafael, Calif.  (January 25, 2012) -  The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance announced today that Hospice By The Bay and Boys & Girls Clubs of Marin and Southern Sonoma Counties will be beneficiaries of the 2012 Marin Sonoma Concours to be held the weekend of May 19 through 20.

According to Concours Chairman, John Nirenstein, “We are very excited to be working with two outstanding charity partners, both of which offer the highest quality of service in their respective fields.  The length of time Hospice By The Bay and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Marin and Southern Sonoma Counties have been serving their communities is a testament to each organization’s viability and importance.  Our selection committee was attracted to the idea of supporting a spectrum of ages, ranging from helping youth develop their potential as citizens to helping adults face end of life needs and decisions. Both organizations are an excellent fit.”

Hospice By The Bay, a non-profit, community-based program is the second oldest hospice provider in the United States and the first on the West Coast. According to HBTB CEO Sandra Lew, “Hospice By The Bay is proud to be a beneficiary of the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance again this year.  It’s a spectacular event for our community to enjoy. We appreciate the Concours Committee’s generous support for our caring programs and services for terminally ill patients and their families.”

David Solo, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Marin and Southern Sonoma Counties, which serves an average of 766 children in need on a daily basis shared, “We are proud and honored to be associated with the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance event and we are blessed to be a beneficiary. It is a unique opportunity to partner with an organization that truly cares about making a difference in the lives of the young people we serve.”

Dates for this year’s Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance and Tour d’Elegance are Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 2012.  The Tour, a scenic drive through Marin and Sonoma counties, will be held on Saturday, May 19.  The Concours will be held on Sunday, May 20 at the Marin Civic Center, and will focus on exceptional automobiles from French coachbuilders through 1950; Italian automobile designers from 1946 through 1975; and Cord in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the last year these extraordinary automobiles were produced.  New to the Concours this year is a judged display of vintage British motorcycles, covering all years through 1979.  Applications for consideration for both Tour and Concours entry are available online at marinsonomaconcours.org.

The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance is dedicated to advancing the interest of vintage automobile culture and promoting the education of its heritage to the community.  Through events celebrating the automobile, the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance has been able to raise close to half a million dollars for local charities serving Marin, Sonoma, and San Francisco counties.

For more information regarding MSC and its partners please visit the Web site at marinsonomaconcours.org or contact the organization at 415.479.7727.

Press Contact:
Stephanie Dunn  •  Director of Communications
707.738.6145  •  SDunn@dotinkmgmt.com

Announces Dates for 2012 Event

San Rafael, Calif. (Sept. 14, 2011) – Tiburon resident John Nirenstein has been named the new chairman of the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance.  Nirenstein, who has been with the concours since its inception, most recently held the position of vice chairman and was hand-picked by founder and chairman Charles Goodman to assume his previous role.  According to Mr. Goodman “John was a natural choice to takeover as chairman. His experience in successfully growing start-up companies, high level of integrity, attachment to the hobby and dedication to helping charitable causes will work to insure the continued success of the concours.”  Goodman retains the title of Chairman Emeritus and will play a less active role with the organization, freeing himself to spend more time with family.

Nirenstein brings a wealth of business acumen to his role as chairman, most notably being involved in a number of successful Silicon Valley start-up companies including 3Com and Cisco Systems.   Already under his leadership the concours has become incorporated and is waiting on final government approval regarding their pending 501(c)(3) status. According to Nirenstein, many more changes are in store. “This year we will be focusing on moving the event to the next level, from adding an exclusive “Chairman’s Dinner,” to an even more luxurious “Concours VIP” experience. Of course our laser focus will continue to be on bringing world-class automobiles, classic wooden boats and motorcycles for display. This year promises to be a breakthrough year for us.”

Dates for next year’s Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance and The Tour d’Elegance are Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 2012.  The Tour, a scenic drive through Marin and Sonoma counties will occur Saturday, May 19.  The main event occurs Sunday, May 20 at the Marin Civic Center and will focus on exceptional automobiles from French coachbuilders through 1950; Italian automobile designers from 1946 – 1975 and extraordinary Cord automobiles in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the last year these automobiles were produced.

The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance is dedicated to advancing the interest of vintage car culture and promoting the education of its heritage to the community.  Through events celebrating the automobile, the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance has been able to raise close to half a million dollars for local charities serving Marin, Sonoma, and San Francisco counties.  For more information regarding MSC and its partners please visit the Web site at marinsonomaconcours.org or contact the organization at 415.479.7727.

Press Contact:
Stephanie Dunn  •  Director of Communications
707.738.6145  •  SDunn@dotinkmgmt.com

How would one judge a class of fine motor cars arrayed for showing at an exquisite gathering like the 3rd Annual Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance?  And with more than 175 vintage, classic and significant vehicles on the greens of the Marin Civic Center Fairground Sunday, May 15, the challenge would seem almost insurmountable.

There is a skill and art to the process of judging and according to Marin Sonoma Concours chief judge, Alan Spencer, one important quality – elegance – will shine through.

“Condition, authenticity and presentation are, of course, important and we will look to all cars to be assessed by these criteria,” says Spencer, 60, of San Anselmo. “But what we seek at this event is a review based on elegance – the combined elements of proportion, color and visual appeal.”

Spencer and his team of 50 men and women, three judges per class, review the entries within 19 classes on display. For feature marque entries, like the Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars shown at Marin, he will call in special judges to review the vehicles to their own class standards.

Judgement on judges?

“Well, it’s based on who you trust.” Spencer says.

“Our model here is based on Amelia Island (the prestigious annual and just-concluded show in Florida). We do not use a points-deduction system like those used by SCCA or CCCA in which the entered vehicle begins with 100 points and has points deducted for flaws that could include, for instance, a non-functioning gauge or a dirty undercarriage. However, for a car to do well at our show, it must meet a high level of originality and condition in the eyes of our class judges before it can be considered on the basis of elegance. Elegance is the final criterion when assessing cars against each other in a specific class.”

Spencer was born in Portsmouth, England, and went with his father to see Formula One races at legendary tracks like Silverstone, Goodwood and Brands Hatch .

He was drawn to SCCA activities in Northern California by friends and first judged an SCCA gathering 20 years ago in Ben Lomond, CA. In the San Francisco Bay Area he’s also been a judge at concours d’elegance events at Palo Alto, Hillsborough, San Francisco’s Presidio, Vallejo’s Mare Island and in Lafayette.

What are some of the glaring errors he’s seen on certain cars for showing? “They can be pretty severe – rust bubbling through, shoddy paint, reupholstered in the wrong material. Even had one chap try to register a grey market 1990s Mini Cooper into a class for 1958-75 British small sedans.”

He also operates Wheels, an agency providing picture vehicles for everything from print advertising and TV commercials to corporate gatherings.

The Marin event will include a display of vehicles honoring a century of two American icons – Chevrolet motor cars and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Among six Indy cars on view is the #17 rear-engined Cooper-Climax driven to 9th place in the 1961 race at the Brickyard by now-Sir Jack Brabham. The light and lithe little racer began a revolution at Indy and signaled the coming end of the classic front-engined Kurtis-Offy roadster. There are vintage wooden runabouts on view in the Civic Center lagoon and there will be a special gathering of British car club vehicles in the car club corral.

The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance is a non-profit fundraiser for Hospice By The Bay and also features “The Drive” a separate motoring event to benefit Hospice on Saturday, May 14.

General admission is $20 adults, free for children under 16. Hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, phone (415) 479-7727.

Featuring more than 175 classic and historic motor cars – as well as vintage trailers, motorhomes and travel trailers – the 3rd annual Marin gathering will be held Sunday, May 15, on the greens of the Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds in San Rafael, CA. There will be a showing of classic wooden boats in the center’s lagoon.

Augmenting the early entry of the Andy Granatelli 1953 Kurtis-Offy Grancor Elgin Piston PinSpecial, which will be shown in its yellow 1955 D – A Lubricant Spl. racing configuration, the five newcars from the Indianapolis Speedway Hall of Fame Museum also include a 1919 Sunbeam, 1922 Bentley, the 1972 Sugaripe Prune Special Gurney Eagle four cyclinder turbo Offy racer and 1979Norton Spirit Penske Cosworth, driven by three-time Indy winner Bobby Unser.

The appearance and final 9th place finish of the light, lithe and fast little British racinggreenCooper Climax was a watershed moment in Brickyard history, and doomed forever the once-dominant front-engined Offenhauser Kurtis roadsters. Entered by Kleenex paper heir, Jim Kimberly, the car was powered by the 2.5 liter DOHC Coventry Climax motor. Brabham was then the reigning world Formula One champion. Indy legend A. J. Foyt won the 1961 race.

The huge Sunbeam was one of two Sunbeams that did not qualify for the1919 race but was very similar to a 1916 4.9 liter model that finished fourth in the 1916 race with Belgian daredevil Josef Christiaiens driving.

The 1922 Bentley 4.5 liter supercharged finished 13th, last running car in that year’s event, and with experienced British driver Douglas Hawkes at the wheel.

Indy car evolution is apparent in the Sugaripe Prune Special, a Gurney Eagle driven by Billy Vukovich. While the car did not finish in 1972, it finished second in 1973 and third in 1974.

The Norton Spirit roadster finished fifth in 1979 and Bobby Unser won the event in the same car in 1981. Unser is only one of two drivers to win the 500 in three separate decades – the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Featured marque at the Marin gathering is Rolls-Royce and, along with a showing of Stutz vehicles, there will be a century celebration of Chevrolet autos, a showing of steel-bodied American station wagons and a special gathering of British motor cars.

The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance is a non-profit fundraiser to benefit Hospice By The Bay and will also feature “The Drive,” a separate motoring event to benefit Hospice and to be held Saturday, May 14.

Maharajah Umed Singh II Sahib Bahadur’s 1925 Rolls-Royce Torpedo Tourer to Headline Stately Rolls-Royce Collection

Easily one of the most opulent motor cars ever built – and this in 1925 for India’s Umed Singh II Sahib Bahadur, Maharajah of Kotah — a brilliant red and chrome Rolls-Royce Torpedo Tourer headlines a collection of stately Rolls-Royce motor cars at the 3rd Annual Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance, May 15, at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael, CA.

The Rolls-Royce Tourer was recently sold to the Faulknor family of the San Francisco Bay Area and was previously owned and shown by  Rubin Jurman, 83, Los Gatos, CA.

For its final construction, the Rolls-Royce chassis was sent to Barker & Company, Ltd., for final coachwork and then shipped to Bombay as a dedicated hunting car for the Maharajah.

Umed Singh II was Maharaja of Kotah from 1889 to 1940 and was an avid hunter.

The immense Rolls-Royce literally bristles with firepower.

In an earlier tour of the vehicle Jurman noted, “This was his main hunting car,” he says, pointing to an unattached Gatling-type machine gun carriage that is towed. “And that was used for the Bengal Tigers.”

Reaching into the rear seating compartment, he noted, ”This is the Howdah gun, which was a large-caliber, short-range firearm  designed to repel any beasts likely to breach the interior. There’s a cannon on the rear bumper for elephants.  Rifles are locked in vertical cases here in front of the rear compartment. There are bird guns and shotguns.”

Among unique styling cues in the rich coachwork, the Torpedo model integrated nautical themes, including gently rounded body sides, a pointed bow motif on the hood and the working nautical ventilators on the cowl. The vehicle is loaded with lights, including a single powerful central searchlight that swings side to side – and two front headlamps that move up and down. There is a similar setup in the rear. When the Maharajah was aboard an exterior red light was lit, when the Maharani was aboard, the blue light was lit and both were lit when both were aboard.

The 8-liter, six cylinder engine (horsepower in Rolls-Royce parlance then was “adequate”) has dual spark ignition. Tall tires are designed to cross rough terrain and the low gearing ratio allows the huge vehicle to creep through mud and brush. 

In addition to the featured Rolls-Royce marque, the Marin event will showcase a lineup of cars celebrating two century anniversaries – the 100th year each for America’s Chevrolet and the celebrated Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rare and rakish Stutz motor cars will be featured along with vintage motor homes and trailers, a special British car gathering and a showing of classic wooden runabouts in the site’s lagoon.

The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance is a non-profit fundraiser to benefit Hospice By the Bay and will also include “The Drive,” a separate motoring event, also to benefit Hospice, on Saturday, May 14.

General admission to the Concourse d’Elegance is $20 adults, free for kids under 16. Hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For information, phone (415)479-7727 or view the event website,www.marinsonomaconcours.org

Created for Marin County collector and sports car enthusiast Bill Grimsley, the steel blue Gatto is powered by a rare Ferrari V-12 3.0 liter 300 hp GTO engine and has been hand-fabricated and assembled over a near three year period in the classic European carrozzeria – or coachbuilding — method. From its Borrani wire wheels to Zagato-like double bubble roof, braking vents and Maserati-like grille, the Gatto fulfills its appellation as the Italian cat.

Utilizing Moal’s unique touch with aluminum bodywork, which is affixed to a semi-monocoque chassis in an early 20th Century technology known superleggera  — or super light – the coupe weighs only 2300 lbs.

Moal, whose family has perfected custom automobile styling and craftsmanship for a century in Oakland, is renowned for his ability to unite motifs and motoring themes from various disciplines – everything from early American hot rods to mud-tossing Midwest sprint cars and Grand Epoch European classics.

More than 175 vehicles and a flotilla of classic wooden speedboats (on display in the fairgrounds lagoon) will be shown at the Marin event. The featured marque is Rolls-Royce and is headlined by one of the world’s most opulent motorcars, the 1925 Rolls-Royce Torpedo Tourer built for Indian Maharaja Bhupinder Singh.

Honoring a century of two American motoring institutions – that of Chevrolet motor cars and racing at the Indianapolis Speedway – there will be a display of Chevy vehicles and rare Indy roadsters that graced the starting grid at the fabled Brickyard.

Vintage motorhomes and trailers will be on display along with a rare collection of metal-bodied American station wagons and micro cars. The event will play host to a special British car club gathering.

The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance is a non-profit fundraiser to benefit Hospice By The Bay and will also include “The Drive,” a separate motoring event on Saturday, May 14.

General admission to the Concours d’Elegance is $20 adults, free for kids under 16. Hours are 10 a.m.  – 4 p.m. For information, phone (415) 479-7727.