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| Combine nearly 200 amazing automobiles with hundreds of enthusiastic visitors of and the scenic beauty of southern California's Palos Verdes Peninsula and what do you have? The Acura Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance! Each year, the Ocean Trails Golf Club, now owned by Donald Trump, serves as the setting for this eagerly awaited event. The 2003 Concours celebrated 100 years of Ford and the heritage of Aston Martin. |
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Serving as Grand Marshal for the event was Leon Kaplan, The Motorman. From cars to boats to airplanes, Leon is an expert on anything with a motor and he enthusiastically shares his vast knowledge every Sunday morning on his weekly call-in show on KABC Talkradio 790 in Los Angeles. Leon has appeared as a guest on numerous television talk shows and news programs and is the President of Lancer Automotive, an automotive repair shop near Hollywood that he opened in 1967. Leon even wrote a guide to basic auto care and repair called Keep This Book In Your Glove Compartment. He was a selectee to the Nashville Auto/Diesel College Hall of Fame in 1989 and the prestigious National Association of Trade and Technical Schools Hall of Fame in 1991! In addition to owning some eye-catching classic cars, Leon own and flies his own six-seat, single engine airplane! |
Leon and I are posing in front of a rare 1903 Model A Ford with all its original parts. It is one of only 10 left in the world! |
Leon did a live broadcast of his KABC radio show from the Concours. Here he is interviewing racing legend Carroll Shelby. |
| Do you like Fords? Take a look at a couple of my favorites... |
1929 Ford Station Wagon |
1935 Ford Woodie |
| Or how about the stylish Ford spin-off, the Edsel... |
1958 Edsel Bermuda Station Wagon |
1958 Edsel Pacer Convertible |
| And take a look at these little beauties... |
1930 Isotta Fraschini 8-A Flying Star |
1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay Drop Head Coupe |
1939 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible I'd like to have it in my garage! |
1931 Buick 95 7-Passenger Phaeton It has a dual windshield! |
| Unique celebrity cars were on display, too! |
1953 Cadillac Ghia...one of only two made! It was once owned by actress Rita Hayworth. |
1955 Aston Martin DB 2/4 Drophead Coupe. It's owned by Deepak Chopra. |
| And the winner is... |
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Well, it's no wonder that Concours visitors and television crews alike are focused on this unique automobile. Yes, it is a strange looking car but it is a vehicle with an fascinating history. The 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Dubos Coupe was originally built as a Bugatti factory team Grand Prix racer driven by legendary French racing drivers Louis Chiron and Rene Dreyfus. The car changed owners and eventually the body was separated from the chassis for use on another chassis. The original chassis was purchased by J.B. Nethercutt (The Nethercutt Collection, Sylmar, CA) and was restored with a replica body. In 2000, the Nethercutt Collection was able to acquire the original body and it was soon reunited with it's original chassis! The car has a leather interior and a polished Sycamore wood trim. Not only did it get a lot of looks during the day, but at the end of the Concours during the awards ceremony, the Bugatti Dubos Coupe drove away with the top honor -- Best of Show! |
Check out the Bugatti's stylish interior |
Rear view...very sporty design! |
| For a complete list of the 2003 award winners and for further information on the Acura Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance, click here. to visit their official site. |
Photography and Production Assistance - Ronald Esquivel
