Words: Nathan Chadwick | Photos: Hagerty/Detroit Concours
A 1937 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet bodied by Chapron took top honours at the Detroit Concours d’Elegance on September 18.
Chassis 47538, which features a unique laid-back grille, lower wing profile and wood surrounds on the doors, was the star car in the revamped concours, which is now part of the Hagerty events operation.
Over three days, more than 5000 participants enjoyed four events across the centre of Motor City, kicking off with Detroit Electrified at Beacon Park on Friday. Students from Detroit Public Schools sought to teach them about the evolution of alternatively propelled vehicles. General Motors and Ford Motor Company showed off their newest models, with the Cadillac Lyriq and Ford F150 Lightning.
Saturday saw 200 cars head to Comerica Park for Concours d’Lemons, RADwood and a curated car club display, while Hagerty’s Ride and Drive programme offered the chance for fans to experience cars from the Hagerty Learning Garage. These cars included a 1951 Buick Super Eight, 1960 Plymouth Fury, 1963 Lincoln Continental, 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396, 1970 Dodge Challenger and 1971 Ford Bronco.
The Detroit Institute of Arts played host to an automotive art display on Sunday, with 120 cars forming part of the display. Detroit-specific classes included Cars of Harley Earl, Detroit Autorama and Woodward Avenue. However, the main event was the Concours d’Elegance, which saw Tom McGough’s aforementioned Delahaye take top honours.
“Today’s concours was the fulfilment of a vision. Our goal was to create a world-class automotive event in the heart of Detroit, one that is worthy of the Motor City. Thanks to our entrants and our partners, that is exactly what we did,” said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty. “The 1937 Delahaye was a perfect choice for today’s Best of Show. It’s a sleek, elegant car that people rarely see. It’s the kind of car that concours events are made for. Congratulations to owner Tom McGough for a well deserved win.”
Elsewhere, the Timeless Beauty Award went to Marc Dutton’s 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, while the Spirit of Detroit award went to Brad Conley’s 1970 Buick GSX prototype. A full list of winners can be found here.
The Detroit Concours and the Hagerty Drivers Foundation pledged a combined $55,000 to local non-profit partners including College for Creative Studies, DRIVE One Detroit and Midtown Detroit, Inc.
