The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d'Elegance

News & Media

October 28, 2011

Top Ten Vehicles You Can’t Afford To Miss

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC – This being the 10th Annual event, we'd like to expand a little on what the top ten "can't miss" vehicles are for this year’s Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance. To start off, this isn't easy, all four events have a laundry list of vehicles, exhibits and other things that could be considered "can't miss." But if you only have one day at each destination, you may have some decisions to make. We don’t want you to skip over anything, so we're here to help you decide what you really can't afford to miss.

First, we must emphasize the point of arriving early. You'll have a much better chance of experiencing all of these things if you do. Then, utilize the site map. Those two tips will be of great aid in attempting to see everything truly worthwhile.

1937 BMW 328 Roadster                            
Location: Concours d’Elegance, Sunday, November 6        
Despite a suspension of the Mille Miglia by Mussolini due to the fatal accident in 1938 that resulted in the death of 10 spectators a smaller version of the event, officially called the Gran Premio di Brescia was held over a public roadway in Italy. This particular car is one of three made, which of only two still exist; BMW owns the other. This race car participated in the historic rerunning of the race. The race entailed nine laps over the 104 mile circuit. To date, this car’s worth is well into the millions. This is one car you cannot afford to miss!

BMW R7
Location: Motoring Midway Show field, Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6
After over 70 years languishing in a box the BMW R7 has been restored to its  former glory. Although the motorcycle, manufactured in 1934, was only ever a prototype and never went into production it is one of the most important, innovative and visually stunning motorcycles ever produced. The work of motorcycle engineer Alfred Böning, the R7 was produced to showcase both the design and engineering capabilities of BMW with the aim of turning it into a production model. It was a radical departure from
accepted motorcycle design of the period, having enclosed bodywork, a pressed steel bridge frame and for the first time, telescopic front forks. This bike is literally priceless and you absolutely can’t afford to miss this opportunity.

2012 Mercedes Gullwing
Location: Car Club Jamboree, Saturday, November 5
With its classic sports car proportions and upward-opening doors, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG revives the spirit of the classic Mercedes 300SL sports car of the 1950s. But in terms of performance and comfort, it's as modern as can be. The car will be on display at this year’s Car Club Jamboree.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport Convertible             
Location: Motoring Midway Show field, Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6          
Customized by Hendrick Performance and powered by a 6.2 liter LS9 supercharged V8 that produces 650 horsepower and is mated to a GM 4L80E automatic transmission. One of Rick Hendrick’s personal cars, the Chevelle has  a custom-fabricated intake designed to be integrated and function with the original factory-installed cowl-induction hood. Other performance modifications include a high-flow exhaust system, lowered suspension with tubular front and rear control arms, Baer 4-piston caliper brakes, and custom aluminum wheels with high-performance tires. The combination of these performance modifications allow this Chevelle to reach 60 MPH in 4.5 seconds and run the quarter mile in 12 seconds flat. 

1982 BMW 320i Schnitzer Turbo
Location: Motoring Midway, Life in the Fast Lane, Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6
This 1982 320 is equipte with the BMW M20 turbo charged engine.  Prior to the "M" Division, A.C. Schnitzer was one of three tuners for BMW. The 320i was the first of the "modern" BMWs. It's the car that first took BMW from being a favorite among enthusiasts to the popularity that it enjoys among a much broader audience today. After "rejecting" the new style a great number of enthusiasts embraced the new 3 series. In the early 80s a gas crisis, new emission standards and lower speed limits dampened the performance of all cars. The Schnitzer Turbo 320i was a BMW tuning specialist upgrade that helped realize the potential of one of the most popular BMWs ever.

OSU Buckeye Bullet       
Location: Motoring Midway, Road to the Future, Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6         
Last year Ohio State’s streamlined Buckeye Bullet made headlines as it shattered the world speed record for an electric vehicle by clocking in a blistering 307.6 miles per hour.  The top speed was over 320 mile per hour.  As if that feat wasn’t impressive enough, the team is back this year with plans for their next-generation racer, which they expect will be able to hit speeds in excess of 400 mph. The Buckeye Bullet 3 is being built from the ground up on an entirely new platform that includes an optimized aerodynamic shape, two custom-made electric motors by Venturi, and a set of prismatic A123 batteries.

1954 Arnolt Bristol
Location: Concours d’Elegance, Sunday, November 6
A total of 142 Arnolt Bristols were produced, 12 were destroyed in a fire and one never bodied. The Bolide is the racing version of the car. Only four coupes were made. The body is made of light steel with aluminum hood and trunk. The cars were assembled in Warsaw, IN. This car has won several events over the past two years including Greenwich Concours, Newport Concours, World of Wheels, Boston and others throughout New England.  

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Cars          
Location: Savannah Speed Classic, Friday through Sunday, October 28-30  
The GT3 has won championship and endurance races, including the GT class of the American Le Mans Series seven times, first overall in the 24 Hours of Daytona, and first overall at the 24 Hours Nürburgring six times.

The 450 hp 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car will be piloted by famed Endurance Champion and 2010 Honorary Chair of the Savannah Speed Classic, Hurley Haywood. Hurley has amassed five wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona, three at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and two at the 12 Hours of Sebring to name a few.

The 450 hp 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car will be piloted by Cass Whitehead, Lead Instructor at the Porsche Sport Driving School and winner of many races & championships within the IMSA, Rolex Grand Am, and ALMS series.

Ride as a passenger in a GT3 Cup Car at racing speeds around the 1.965 mile circuit with 10 turns. Hot laps in these and other race cars are $75 and for $25 take a ride in one of the newest model manufacturer cars. You must be 18 years old with a valid ID to participate in the Hot Lap rides.

1968 Ford Shelby GT500KR         
Location: Concours d’Elegance, Sunday, November 6        
The GT500KR represented a mid-1968 production year upgrade, replacing the 428c.i. Police-Interceptor powered GT500 with the all-new 428c.i. Cobra Jet engine. The letters KR stood for King-of-the-Road. An amusing story, Carroll Shelby had learned that Chevrolet was within weeks of announcing a King-of-the-Road Corvette. Upon discovering that GM had failed to trademark the name, he snatched it up for use on his upcoming Cobra Jet powered GT500’s, thus the GT500KR King of the Road was born!

Freshly-restored in 2011, the Shelby had never seen a speck of rust or even a parking lot dent, and with exception of the carpet, still retains its entire original interior.

The 2012 #88 Diet Mtn. Dew/National Guard Chevrolet Car         
Location: Motoring Midway Showfield, Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6           
Newly unveiled mid-October, the 2012 Diet Mountain Dew replaces the Pepsi-owned brand AMP Energy that has been featured on the car since 2008. AMP will remain on the car next season as an associate sponsor. The Mountain Dew brand has a strong history in NASCAR. It was most notably the primary sponsor of Hall of Fame driver Darrell Waltrip during his 1981 and 1982 championship seasons. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have the new brand on his car starting with next year’s Daytona 500.

It’s not all about cars, however! Let us remind you that the Fashion Show, Ketel One Vodka Cartini Lounge sponsored by Monthly Media Group, local art, live music & Motoring Festival merchandise are just a few other ingredients that make this Festival what it is today—ranked among the major Concours events in the country and the second most lucrative events on the island after the RBE Heritage PGA Tour event.

ABOUT THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND MOTORING FESTIVAL & CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE:      
The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance has earned the distinction of being one of the nation’s signature automobile events and was recently named to the Southeast Tourism Society’s ‘Top 20 Events’ list. The tenth annual festival will take place from October 28-November 6, 2011 with venues at both The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort on Hutchinson Island (Savannah, GA) and the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on Hilton Head Island, SC. The multi-day Festival features four signature events: the Savannah Speed Classic (October 28 – 30), the Car Club Jamboree (November 5), the Motoring Midway (November 5 & 6) and, the centerpiece, the Concours d’Elegance (November 6).  For more information, please call (843) 785-SHOW (7469) or visit www.hhiconcours.com online.  For the Festival’s official video, please click here to view online (for an abbreviated version, click here).

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