John Carlson knows what it takes to put on a good classic car show – and the retired Vancouver shop teacher says that this weekend’s Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance has become Canada’s best.
Carlson is the president and chief judge for the National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada and the Chief Judge for the Vintage Car Club of Canada. That’s just some of his credentials.
He’s a master judge for the Classic Car Club of America, chief class judge for the Pebble Beach Concours and chief class judge for the Pacific North West Concours, along with other internationally-acclaimed concours shows.
But back to the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Georgian Bay near Owen Sound, Ontario. Picture a growing golf course community with an 18-hole golf course hugging the shoreline lit up by the morning sun rising over Georgian Bay cottage country. Add a spectacularly elegant clubhouse and the Inn at Cobble Beach for guest accommodation.
This Saturday, a participant’s tour of the show cars snakes its way through historic and picturesque Grey County. The following day, many of the world’s most spectacular antique, classic, special interest, muscle and race cars will be assembled on the 18th fairway in groupings and classes.
It is here that some of the world’s most experienced classic car judges assemble for a breakfast briefing from Chief Judge John Carlson. He will tell them to be thorough, accurate and fair when they rate the display vehicles for quality of all aspects of restoration and authenticity.
These judges know what they are doing. They include: John Kefalonitis, chief judge of the Classic Car Club of America; Michael Spezia, curator of the Gilmore Classic Car Museum; and John Ballard, a 1,000-point level master judge for the National Corvette Restorers Society.
In addition, Carlson has invited the entire board of directors of the National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada to judge the 21 classes of vehicles to be displayed.
One very unique element for this year’s show is a cavalcade of classics put together by Pebble Beach concours judge Mark Lambert from Nashville, Tennessee to Cobble Beach. The tour cars will be displayed at the show.
“The cars to be judged are different every year as the cars aren’t duplicated from year to year,” Carlson says from his waterfront home in Belcarra. “The emphasis is on the type of car that’s shown each year and the classes are structured so there is a wide variety.”
Groupings include pre-1916 antique brass class cars above and below 35 horsepower, European classics from 1935 to 1948, and Corvettes from 1953 to 1962 as well as from 1963 to 1973. There is also a preservation class for cars that have never been restored, a special class for post war Canadian-built or engineered vehicles and a class for vintage pickup trucks.
New this year is a vintage motorcycle class featuring all Vincent models to be judged by two world-class motorcycle experts.
Also new this year is a mahogany boat class. The boats will be displayed on trailers, but Cobble Beach Resort owner Rob McLeese has big plans to build dock space for show boats to shown at next year’s fourth annual event.
“We have some very special cars which will surpass what we did last year,” says Rob McLeese, who has attended all major concours events in the U.S. to ensure the highest quality of his show.
There will be 110 vehicles on display including a spectacular French-designed 1938 Bugatti Type 57C.
And this year, the Lee Iacocca Award will be presented to honour a person who has demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to the classic car hobby through vehicle preservation, club participation and unselfishly assisted and encouraged others in perpetuating an ‘American Automotive Tradition.’ This is the first time the award has been presented outside the United States.
Last year, Rob McLeese received the NAACC ‘hobbyist of the year award’ for doing so much to make the car hobby flourish is the area where he lives and puts on the show.
“Hands down, Rob has the nicest Canadian concours d’elegance going,” says Carlson. “There is nothing in the country that holds a candle to this event with its location, quality of cars, sponsorship and hospitality. It is not to be missed.”
Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and partner in Peak Communicators, a Vancouver-based public relations company. You can reach him at aedwards@peakco.com.
