Fairfield County Concours d’Elegance bids farewell

Organizers say new concepts in development

WESTPORT, Conn. - Bill Scheffler, chairman, and John Shuck, president, of the Fairfield County Concours Consulting Group recently announced that after four months of evaluating numerous alternative venues and show formats after the loss of its location at the Fairfield County Hunt Club, there will be no 2012 edition of the Fairfield County Concours d’Elegance.

“Each venue we evaluated brought with it challenges and opportunities for an event of our scope, with regional reputation and headed for national repute. Ultimately, we concluded that none of the options enabled us to continue our steady growth over eight years and onward towards our greater goals,” said Scheffler.

The Fairfield County Concours rapidly grew from its fledgling show in 2004 at Westport’s Veterans Green to become by 2011 one of the country’s top ten automobile and motorcycle events. A move to the Fairfield County Hunt Club in 2007 allowed for new and exciting exhibits, a full weekend of events, partnership with additional significant sponsors, and notably, the addition of Bonhams automotive and automobilia auctions in 2010 and 2011. Continued success and growth to over 10,000 attendees by 2011 found the Fairfield County Concours at the limits of that venue.

"We introduced a number of innovations to the concours scene, and took extra care to make the experience for the vehicle owners a pleasurable one. One of our goals from the start was to welcome a new group of enthusiasts both young and old to our passion through education and the sharing of information,” said Shuck.

The Fairfield County Concours Consulting Group has been formed by the founders and management of the Fairfield County Concours and is actively developing new concepts in vintage automobile and motorcycle events. These ideas build on the accomplishments and innovations of the Fairfield County Concours, including the facilitation of on-field public access to the vehicles and collectors through providing educational essays on eachvehicle, on-field , expert-led tours, and the pioneering in the integration of motorcycles and "barn find" vehicles in a concours setting. Organizers say the next iteration of the Concours, to be launched in 2013, will continue the Group’s commitment to displaying the best of the best, as demonstrated through the years of the Fairfield County Concours.

“It is with pride and gratitude that the Fairfield County Concours closes out its chapter in Concours d’Elegance history. We toast and applaud all who have contributed to the show’s success,” said Scheffler. “It is the impressively high quality of vehicles we have presented, the dedicated and enthusiastic owners who have shown with us, and the sponsors who have honored us with their support, which has helped us craft it into a concours of depth that will be remembered as one that showcased truly fine vehicles from the best collections.”

The event has raised more than $100,000 for The Drive to Treat Autism Fund, supporting services for children and adolescents with developmental and Autism Spectrum Disorders through St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health Services, Bridgeport and Westport, Conn.

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