Show Review: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance 2007
CDN reviews the Tokyo Concours D’Elegance 2007
In the main hall alongside the Parmigiani exhibition was a neat display of contemporary cars alongside their classic forebears. One of the highlights for the public unable to attend the auto show during the press days was the new Nissan Skyline GT-R, shown next to its Michelotti-designed ancestor a day before its public unveiling. There was also a Maybach 62S next to the Zepellin DS8, further models from Mercedes-Benz including a ’67 Pagoda 250SL and the 190SL from 1957 - the only one of the illustrious sports car series to have used a four-cylinder engine. Bentley countered with two stunning Continentals: the ’54 R-Type and today’s GTC, and Porsche completed the line-up with a 997 next to a ’58 356 Speedster.
Pounding rain notwithstanding, verdicts were arrived at for the classic cars deserving special mention. As with many such events there seems to be a prize for everyone, and though the Tokyo Concours D’Elegance is no different in this respect, there was still one car singled out for the ‘Best of Show’ honor. This prize went to a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupe by Carlton, as voted for by a panel of judges including chief designers from Renault, Nissan and Mercedes in the form of Patrick Le Quement, Shiro Nakamura and Peter Pfeiffer respectively. Conversely, the public voted in favor of the Jaguar SS100 that the judges had placed as ‘Best Dresser’.
While the Tokyo Concours D’Elegance may not yet match the splendor offered by Villa D’Este and Pebble Beach, it is nonetheless a promising concept that has the cars, the location and the support to earn a place on a car enthusiast’s calendar. All it needs now is the weather.
