Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance 2011 – Report and Photos

Report and photos by Dennis Gray

The Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance 2011 was held Sunday, November 8th at the historic Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Record crowds and blue skies greeted the full field of more than 150 classic cars and motorcycles displayed among the towering live oak trees at the low country destination.

BMW was the featured marque for the 2011 Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance. As the honored marque, BMW was included in all four of the Motoring Festival’s signature events, the Savannah Speed Classic, Car Club Jamboree, Motoring Midway and the Concours d’Elegance.

Best of Show at the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance 2011 was awarded to a 1937 BMW 328 Roadster owned by Lothar Schuettler of Darnestown, MD. First owned by famous German race driver Baron Fritz Huschke von Hanstein, the original cost was $2,792 US equivalent. It is only one of only 18 painted black. With the Baron at the wheel in 1938-39, this car saw many top finishes at such famous tracks as the Nurburgring, Hockenheim and the Gorssglockner Hill Climb. Lost track of during WW II, the car resurfaced in 1953 as a white car and was sold by a German national to a US GI who brought it to the US and owned it for the next 40 years.

In addition to the Best of Show BMW 328, the quality and depth of the featured marque BMW at the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance 2011 was something to behold, with important BMW street and race cars at every turn. Highlights included the early BMW Dixis; the 1937 BMW 328 Mille Miglia ‘Bugelfalte’ Roadster of Oscar Davis; Scott Hughes’ 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL (1st in class at 1973 Le Mans) and 1987 BMW E30 M3 IMSA (first M3 in States – chassis 0001); the 1956 BMW 507 James Thomas drove to the show from Florida; plus a myriad of special 2002s; Glas 1600 GTs; Isettas and more.

Philip Capossela, Event Chairman for the Hilton Head Island Festival, said, “We had an exceptionally tough field this year. Becoming fully subscribed earlier than in years past, we actually had to turn down a number of wonderful candidates. Needless to say, this year’s top honors were well deserved. We are extremely proud to add them to Hilton Head Island’s history book.”

Dr. Paul Doerring, one of the founding members of the Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance, commented, that “because of the depth of vehicles participating over the past few years, we have added additional top honors to better showcase the breadth and quality of vehicle Hilton Head Island is now attracting. We’re proud that selecting a single ‘Best of Show’ has becoming nearly impossible.”

Other significant awards at the 2011 Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance included People’s Choice to a 1936 Auburn 852 Boat Tail Speedster owned by Charles and Diane Mistele of Bluffton, SC. The car, which can go from 0-60mph in 15 seconds, was delivered with documentation on dash tested to exceed 100+ mph. The car has been in the Mistele family for 49 years. Most Outstanding Car – Pre 1948 went to Peter Boyle’s 1928 Isotta Fraschini Type TIPO 8A55 Boattail Speedster, the Hilton Head Island Concours’ Best of Show winner from 2007, and Most Outstanding Car – Post 1948 went to a 1967 Shelby GT-500 owned by Michael Stickney.

The 2012 Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance will be held October 26th to November 4th, with Ford Model T designated as the event’s Honored Marque.

Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance 2011 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)

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Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance 2011 – Class Winners

Best in Show
1937 BMW 328 Roadster, Lothar Schuettler, Darnestown, MD

People’s Choice
1936 Auburn 852 Boat Tail Speedster, Charles and Diane Mistele, Bluffton, SC

Most Outstanding Pre 1948 Car
1928 Isotta Fraschini Type TIPO 8aSS Boattail Speedster, Peter Boyle Oil City, PA

Most Outstanding Post 1948 Car
1967 Shelby GT-500, Michael Stickney, Columbus, OH

Class 1A: Brass Pre 1916 – One & Two Cylinder
1903 Olds Curved Dash, John and Elizabeth Garnett Spotsylvania, VA

Class 2: Production 1916 – 1948
1937 Lincoln-Zephyr Coupe, Cecil Bozarth and Andrea Irby, Chapel Hill, NC

Class 3A: Honored Marque – BMW, Pre WWII
1937 BMW 328 Roadster, Lothar Schuettler, Darnestown, MD

Class 3B: Honored Marque – BMW, Post WWII
1956 BMW 503, Don Detlefsen, Lake Bluff, IL

Class 3C: Honored Marque – BMW, Race Cars
1972 BMW CSL FIA Group 2, Scott Hughes, Sunset, SC

Class 4A: Classics
1936 Auburn 852 Boat Tail Speedster, Charles and Diane Mistele, Bluffton, SC

Class 5A: Preservation Cars
1964 Ford Galaxie 500 XL, Jim Schmidt and Sally Gould, Ocala, FL

Class 5B: Preservation Motorcycles
1951 Matchless G9, Robert and Betty Mercer, Kings Mountain, NC

Class 6: American Performance
1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, Rick Hendrick, Charlotte, NC

Class 6F: American Performance – Ford
1962 Ford Thunderbird, John and Debbie Wagner, Athens, GA

Class 7: Production Modern 1949 – 1972
1957 Chevrolet Belair, Hulon and Linda McCraw, Hendersonville, NC

Class 8A: Sports Cars – American
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe, C.D. and Patricia Weidman, Eagle Rock, VA

Class 8B: Sports Cars – English
1950 Aston Martin DB2, Frank Rubino, Pinecrest, FL

Class 8BP: Sports Cars – Petite English
1938 MG TA Tickford, Jack and Gwen Simpson, Dallas, TX

Class 8C: Sports Cars – International
1971 Porsche 914/6 GT M-471, George Hussey, Marietta, GA

Class 10: Modifieds
1935 Chevrolet Three Window Coupe, Clayton Justice, Connelly Springs, NC

Class 11: Outstanding Orphans
1956 Packard The Four Hundred, Robert Kipping, Alpharetta, GA

Class 12: Micro Cars
1957 Heinkel 153, J. C. and Judy O’Steen, Tallahassee, FL

Class 14A: Motorcycles – American
1953 Indian Chief, Evert Lightcap, Hamilton, NJ

Class 14B: Motorcycles – International
1973 MotoGuzzi V7 Sport, Neil Fogelberg, Jacksonville, FL

Class 14C: Motorcycles – BMW
1926 BMW R-32, Peter Nettesheim, Huntington, NY

Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance 2011 – Special Award Winners

BMW Awards – Pre WWII Car
1954 EMW (1937-39 BMW) 327/3 (Built in GDR), Rachelle and Henry Grady, Palm City, FL

BMW Awards – Post WWII Car
1956 BMW 502 Cabriolet, Lothar Schuettler, Darnestown, MD

BMW Awards – Race Car
1937 BMW 328 Mille Miglia Roadster, Oscar Davis, Elizabeth, NJ

BMW Awards – Motorcycle
1928 BMW R-52, Jack and Judie Wells, Lake City, FL

The Chairman’s Award
1938 BMW 327/28 Cabrio, Steve and Annie Norman, Edmonds, WA

Lee Iaccoca Award
J.C. O’Steen, Tallahassee, FL

Automotive Design Excellence Award
1954 Siata 200CS, Walter Eisenstark, Yorktown Heights, NY

Best Car for Touring the Lowcountry Award
1953 Morgan +4 Flat Rad 4 seater, Joe Topinka, Raphine, VA

Spirit of British Performance Award
1933 MG J2, Roy and Linda Crowninshield, Asheville, NC

Outstanding Micro Car Award
1952 Rolux VB 61, Peter Svilans, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Most Historically Significant Pre-1945 Award
1937 BMW 328 Mille Miglia Roadster, Oscar Davis, Elizabeth, NJ

The Best Buick Award
1962 Buick Invicta Convertible, Jeff and Angie Brashares, Delaware, OH

Timeless Elegance Award
1914 Pierce Arrow 38 C-3, Ralph and Anna Tolman, Savannah, GA

Outstanding Original Vehicle Award (FIVA)
1929 Ford A, Robert and Madeline Luczun, Clifton, NJ

William Hilton Award
1948 Kurtis-Kraft Upright Midget, Gordon White, Hardyville, VA

(See 2011 Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance – Complete Results)

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[Source: Hilton Head Concours; photo credit: Dennis Gray]