The Arizona Concours d’Elegance has added two new featured events: an insider’s look at Arizona’s famous collector-car auction week and a panel discussion with acclaimed race car designers. Both forums happen on Saturday, January 10, 2015, in the Arizona Biltmore’s Grand Ballroom. The concours itself takes place Sunday, January 11, on the Biltmore’s landscaped inner lawns.
First up is the Phoenix Automotive Press Association’s annual auction week preview. A panel of collector-car experts will discuss the trends of today’s market and share their predictions for the six collector-car auctions that happen in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area the following week.
The PAPA discussion also will include representatives from the various auctions who will present the highlights of their upcoming sales.
Automotive journalist and author Larry Edsall will moderate the PAPA event, which starts at noon and runs to 1:30 pm. The members of the expert panel will be announced at a later date.
Next is a special panel discussion entitled Elegance at Speed, in which three top designers will speak about race car design over the decades. The forum will be moderated by former race driver Lyn St. James, who was the second woman to race the Indianapolis 500 and the first to be selected rookie of the year in 1992.
Panelists for the Elegance at Speed are Nigel Bennett, designer of F1 and Indycars, who spent 10 years at Penske Racing contributing to 53 wins and five driver championships; Peter Brock, best-known for designing the Cobra Daytona Coupe for Carroll Shelby’s team to compete with at Le Mans; and Kip Wasenko, the former director of design for GM’s Cadillac Division and designer of Cadillac’s Le Mans Prototype.
The Elegance at Speed panel discussion runs 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets are now available for the PAPA auction preview and the Elegance at Speed – one $50 ticket gains entry to both events. Tickets are available online at www.arizonaconcours.com/product-category/ticket. Seating is limited, and tickets are expected to go quickly.
The Arizona Concours d’Elegance, a premier automotive event that serves as the start of the famous Classic Car Week in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area, benefits Make-A-Wish Arizona, the founding chapter of the national organization that grants wishes for children facing life-threatening medical conditions.
For more information about the Arizona Concours d’Elegance, including ticket sales, see www.arizonaconcours.com.