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2021 Awards:Click Here To View
Purpose:
A Judged Exhibition that was started in 1948.
Date:
Friday, September 5, 2025
Location:
Watkins Glen State Park, located between 10th and 11th on Franklin Street.
Eligibility and Class Categories:
Concours quality condition and true unrestored "survivor" vehicles, that are factory built spec before 1996, will be considered. There will be two judging classes, Class One manufactured before 1973, and Class Two 1973-1995.
Mandatory: Fire extinguishers present in car
Awards:
Either class can compete for Best of Show; Best of Class; Judges Choice and People's Choice. The International Motor Racing Research Center will recognize the Historical Award. There will be two Honorable Mention(s) in each class,
1) Best Domestic, 2) Best Foreign.
Cost:
$145 Includes lunch for driver and guest, a commemorative bottle of Glenora wine, a dash plaque, and two Cayuga Health System Laps of the old circuit. Optional trailer and tow vehicle parking is available near the event site for an additional $25.
To Enter:
Sign up now for 2025! Events fill up fast so Click Here for online registration.
Registration is open only to past participants until October 15.
For more information, contact:
Casey Creamer 607-351-3936 or Email casey@senecasaw.com
Sponsored by:
Lotus of Western New York
Concours at Clute Park 1955 by John H. Hood
"Every Car has a Story"
by Steve Butchko
What does a princess, a military man and a businessman have in common? One particular car. It seems
a prince married a common girl and the royal family dis-owns him only to find out he is bitten by a
monkey and dies not knowing the princess is pregnant with his son. The royal family takes the princess
in and she takes on royal duties. In 1954 she purchases a car in Paris and is chauffeur driven in and
around Italy and Greece, visiting the royal families homes for the next ten years after which she trades
the car in for a Mercedes-Benz at Mercedes-Benz Venice.
A United States military man buys the car at the dealership where the princess traded it in and begins
driving this car all around Europe when his duties did not call. After some time when his military tour
was over he has the car shipped to America. He then travels around with his family with this car for the
next FIFTY years!
Fast forward to 2014 when the businessman is able to acquire the car and all of its historical
documentation. Now he is making history with the car and it seems that the son of the military man has
discovered some headlights in his father's attic that were original to the car while in Europe, but were
replaced with sealed beam bulbs by his dad stateside. The son sends the original headlights to the
businessman and the story telling begins. The grandson of the princess is a prince and was raised by the
princess his grandmother, so he grew up with the car. After the car went to the military man he had kept
in touch with him and subsequently in touch with the military man's son. So, the princess's grandson
the prince, the military man's son and the businessman are all in communication around this car sharing
its stories and developing friendships, to the day.
Try taking the time to stop by at our Concours d'Elegance located at the old start finish line on
Franklin Street across from the Courthouse. Take a look at the cars, and see if you can guess which one
is, "one particular car", because every car has a story.
2021 Awards
Nine awards were given out for the 2021 Concours d'Elegance event. Four Honorable mentions, People's Choice, the Historical Award (selected by the International Motor Racing Research Center IMRRC). Judge's Choice, Best in Class and Best of Show.
Honorable Mention- Jackie and Bruce Smith's 1963 Porsche 356 coupe which they have owned for 10 years. The car is a 10th year anniversary of the 356.
Photo by Bill Green
Honorable Mention- Judy and Elliot Reitz's 1929 Ford-Miller Indy-type race car. They have been in 7 Great Race events and drove this open car from Ottawa to Mexico City 7,000 miles.
Photo by Bill Green
Honorable Mention- Adelle and James Facinelli's 1989 Bentley Turbo R with only 40,000 miles on it this 5,300 lb. car recently took 1st place in the AACA Senior category.
Photo by Bill Green
Honorable Mention- George Wallace's 1954 Packard Cavalier originally sold new to a Princess of Greece in Paris who sold it to a US military man in 1964 who brought to America and sold it 50 years later to George. It will appear at Jay Leno's Audrain Concours in Newport, RI. this year.
Photo by Bill Green
People's Choice- Jonie and Ken Kumiega's 1960's Custom Convertible Concept car. The "sheet metal" is actually an epoxy composite material used on this "one of a kind" car. The designer and builder is no other than Ken himself.
Photo by Bill Green
Historical Award- selected by the IMRRC is Mike West's 1910 Mitchell Indy car. Having been restored by Mike the last 6 years this is the first time the car has been shown. Watkins Glen Concours runs in Mike's family. His dad showed a 1902 Crestmobile at Watkins Glen in 1958.
Photo by Steve Butchko
Judge's Choice- Cameron Dunlap's 1959 Alfa-Romeo Guilietta Spyder is the upgrade version of the Alfa-Romeo's Veloce sporting a 1600cc block with dual Webers and a 5 speed stick. Cam frequently does laps at the track with this excellent 2015 restored matching numbers Alfa, which by the way is the festival's honored marque this year.
Photo by Bill Green
Best in Class- Chad Comeau's 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster. This stunning 2014 restoration is the last of the pre-A body style, authenticated matching numbers and one of eight factory speedsters with the blue paint and red interior. Max Hoffman importer of cars in Manhattan introduced the Porsche Speedster to America at Watkins Glen in 1954.
Photo by Bill Green
Best of Show- Todd Reder's 1960 Chevrolet Corvette roadster with the factory optional removable hard top and factory optional dual quad carburetors producing 245hp in the 283ci block. This "Vette" has other awards including AACA's 1st Place Junior in Parsippany, NJ, 1st Place Senior in Hershey, PA, and 1st Place Grand National at Gettysburg PA 2020. Maybe more impressive than all of that, Todd did everything (except the paint spray) on this impeccable restoration over a 10 year period just finished 2 years ago.
Photo by Bill Green
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