The 16th annual Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing automotive and motorsports enthusiast event weeks, will this year pay tribute to the grit, gruel and glamour of endurance racing. Now in its ninth year, the Festival’s “Life” exhibits honor automotive culture and era-specific vehicles with annually changing themes. This year will bring a collection of vehicles never seen together before, another of the “firsts” that visitors have come to associate with Hilton Head Island’s signature fall event.
“Life for 24 Hours” will feature vehicles that have competed in famed endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The exhibit will be headlined by vehicles such as:
- A 1930 Aston Martin International owned by Rick Rader of Chattanooga, Tennessee. One of only 129 built, the car won at Brooklands in 1931 and competed twice in the Mille Miglia as well as at Lime Rock;
- A 1966 Ford GT40 from The Collier Collection at the Revs Institute (above, Peter Harholdt photo courtesy of Hilton Head Concours). The GT40 was the car that brought Le Mans into America’s consciousness—and victory in the French classic to Dearborn.
- A 1966 Penske Corvette owned by Kevin Mackay of Valley Stream, New York . This is the car from Roger Penske’s first race as a team owner that finished 1st in class and 11th overall at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona.
- A 2001 BMW E46 GTR from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing . Driven by Boris Said — who will be in attendance — and Bill Auberlen, the car was designed with Stars and Stripes livery in remembrance of the 9/11 attack and all the lives lost. It won its class at the 2001 Petite Le Mans.
- A 1994 Saleen Race Car owned by Kent and Melissa Hussey of Atlanta, Georgia . TF Racing was hired by a privateer to run the car at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1997 where it was driven by Boris Said.
In addition to the racecars, attendees can expect to see a number of race-inspired production vehicles, including: a 2017 Jannarelly Design-1 – the only one of its kind in the United States; a 2015 BMW I-8 owned by Kimrey Tefft of Bluffton, South Carolina; a 2013 Callaway Corvette SC606 owned by John McAlister of South Carolina; a 2007 Ferrari F 430 CP owned by Mario and Mary Grace Grande of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; a 1980 Ford Mustang “Prototype” owned by Joe Wolnick of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Boris Said, Scott Hughes and Kevin Mackay will participate in a panel discussion moderated by Larry Koch, former brand manager for the BMW M series. The discussion will be open to those attending the Concours d’Elegance) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 4 at the exhibit at the Port Royal Golf Club. In addition to “Life for 24 Hours,” the Festival will feature several other two-day exhibits on November 4-5, including vintage wooden boats, the 2017 Pinnacle and Honored Collectors — Ken Gross and Robert S. Jepson Jr.— and a preview of the 2018 Life exhibit.
Tickets for the 2017 Motoring Festival are now on sale at www.hhiconcours.com/tickets.html. For more information please visit www.HHIMotoringFestival.com
