An extremely rare and pristinely conditioned 1937 Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet earned “Best of Show” honors at the 65th annual Hillsborough Concours d ‘Elegance, held Sunday at Crystal Springs Golf Course.
Showcasing excellence in automotive design and engineering, the event honored featured marques BMW and Ford and was highlighted by record attendance and more than 200 treasured vintage and classic cars and motorcycles, including special displays.
Chosen by a panel of esteemed experts from the international collector car world, the “Best of Show”- winning 1937 Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet was selected from a highly competitive field. The ultimate in elegance, beauty and timelessness, the Horch epitomizes a classic car that all concours events aspire to having on their show field, the judges agreed.
Receiving the coveted award marked the latest prestigious honor for the Horch’s owners, Valerie and Aaron Weiss of San Marino, California. The stunning classic had previously won second in class honors in a special “Elegance In Motion” category at the Pebble Beach Concours d ‘Elegance as well as a “Times Elegance Award” at the Amelia Island Concours d ‘Elegance.
“This car has great lines, is elegant, very fast and extremely comfortable,” said Mr. Weiss. “We’re deeply honored to have won this prestigious award at Hillsborough, which is an event that we’ve enjoyed attending and supporting.”
In addition to the six judged classes of this year’s honored Ford and BMW marques, the Hillsborough Concours d ‘Elegance was highlighted by more than 20 additional “Automobiles of Distinction” groupings. These included American Pre- and Post-War, CCCA Approved Classics, American Sports Cars Through 1987, Vintage Motorcycles, two Ferrari classes, two imported sports car classes, Japanese cars, a preservation class, two Rolls-Royce and Bentley classes, Shelby GT350’s, imported passenger and touring cars, vintage race cars and arcane and rare cars. New exhibits showcased the history of Ford Performance, as well as the emerging hypercar sector, which included McLaren, Porsche and other marques.
“This year’s Concours exceeded all expectations in terms of both entrants and attendance,” said Hillsborough Concours d ‘Elegance Chairman Glen Egan. “After missing last year due to the COVID pandemic, it was especially gratifying to witness the enduring enthusiasm from the car community and sense the feeling of being back together, sharing our passion.”
Founded in 1956, the world’s longest continuously running Concours again presented exceptionally rare automobiles spanning virtually every genre and marque, from muscle cars to sports cars, motorcycles and elegant classic luxury models.
The Concours capped a memorable weekend of festivities that started on Friday with the annual sold-out “Start “Your Engines” Kick-Off reception. That was followed by Saturday’s Hillsborough Tour d ‘Elegance, a police-escorted road rally which featured 70 stunning new and collector cars traveling along the Bay Area’s most stunning back roads and scenic vistas, across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and finishing at a private collection in the East Bay.
Partnering with the Town of Hillsborough, The Concours weekend events generated proceeds for Ability Path, The Guardsmen and the Hillsborough Schools Foundation.
