Bentley Speed Six Sports Saloon is Best of Show at Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week

The stars of the vintage automotive world shined bright on a cloudy and blustery day at the 2022 Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week. The magnificent 1930 Bentley Speed Six owned by William Medcalf of Vintage Bentley took home the coveted ‘Best of Show’ trophy at the 2022 Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week at The Breakers mansion.  The 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Dubos Coupe from the Nethercutt Collection in California captured the Concours’ prestigious People’s Choice award.

This matching-numbers Speed Six Bentley was supplied new to Viscount Mandeville, the 10th Duke of Manchester. Termed a Folkestone close-coupled saloon by the British coachbuilder Martin Walter, it was the second of only two built. The owner’s father bought the car in 1982. The Bentley has been in the Medcalf family for nearly 40 years, crossing the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Europe. Some years ago, the original coachwork became available following a three-year restoration. The owner reunited the original body to the chassis, returning this magnificent car back to just how she left the factory — standard and correct in every detail.

“I am proud of everyone involved with this year’s event and thrilled we were able to give car people the opportunity to get together and share their stories and create new memories,” said Audrain CEO Donald Osborne. “We were thrilled to share Newport with everyone in attendance and I am sure they came away with a newfound love for our island and the hospitality they received. Our team will continue to look for ways to elevate the experience for future Motor Weeks and establish our place in the global concours world.”

With 65 prominent judges from five countries and 180 cars from across the USA and Europe, the Concours was held at The Breakers mansion, the most famous of the ‘Newport Cottages’ and former home of the Vanderbilt family. Not only were the Vanderbilt’s prominent Newport socialites but numbered among them Willie K. Vanderbilt, one of the greatest car enthusiasts of the early twentieth century. 

Class winners:

·       30 Under 30 American – 1968 Chevrolet Corvette convertible owned by Zachary Klopack

·       30 Under 30 BMW – 1976 BMW 2002 coupe owned by Bradley Trepanier

·       30 Under 30 Foreign – 1974 Datsun 260Z owned by Colin Ivan

·       American 1920 to 1932 – 1932 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton owned by Allen Shay and Kirsten Hansen

·       American 1933 to 1940 – 1938 Packard 1604 by Mayfair owned by The Marano Collection

·       American Luxury 1945 to 1980 – 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II Coupe owned by John and Jim Keesee

·       American Sports Cars 1945 to 1980 – 1965 Ford Mustang convertible owned by Karen & Bruce Weiss

·       Aston Martin – 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans Roadster owned by Mitch & Wendy Gross

·       British Sports Cars 1945 to 1980 – 1966 Ford GT40 Mk I owned by Janus Associates

·       Cadillac – Standard of the World – 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham owned by John Boccardo & Derek Esplin

·       Custom Cars pre-1975 – 1938 Lincoln Zephur owned by David Jolly

·       Early Brass Era – 1908 Rochet-Schneider owned by Marilyn Schuster

·       Elegance & Speed – 1967 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada owned by Doug Cohen

·       European Luxury 1920 to 1935 – 1930 Bentley Speed Six Saloon owned by William Medcaf/Vintage Bentley

·       European Luxury 1935 to 1940 – 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Sports Tourer owned by Rob Kauffman/RK Motors

·       European Luxury 1945 to 1970 – 1948 Delahaye 135 MS Cabriolet owned by Mark O’Neill

·       European Sports 1920 to 1940 – 1931 Bentley 4 ½ Litre Superchard Vanden Plas Tourer owned by Peter Goodwin/Time to Drive Holdings, LLC

·       European Sports 1945 to 1980 – 1980 BMW M1 Coupe owned by Neal Heffron

·       Ferrari – 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Low Roof Coupe owned by Brad and & Buzz Calkins

·       Jaguar – 1935 SS Cars Limited SS1 Airline Saloon owned by Jim & Lisa Hendrix

·       Motorcycle – 1977 MV Agusta 750 S America owned by John Lawless

·       Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost – 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London to Edinburgh Tourer owned by Ann Brockinton Lee/The Robert M. Lee Collection

Among the other special awards given were the Most Elegant award to Lawrence Auriana for his 1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The Hagerty Youth Judges’ award went to the 1912 Mercer 35C Raceabout from the Heritage Museums and Gardens. The Timeless Luxury award was presented to Stephen and Susan Babinsky for their 1930 Duesenberg Model J Beverly Sedan. The Chairman’s Award this year went to the 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Coupe of Bruce McCaw. The Design Award was presented to Michael Schudroff for his 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Rondine Coupe. The Sporting Choice prize was awarded to The Cultivated Collector for their 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Spyder. The Founder’s Award went to Brian and Kimberly Ross for their 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta by Touring. 

The next Audrain’s Newport Concours d’Elegance will be held on Sunday, October 1st as a part of the 2023 Concours & Motor Week beginning on September 28^th.

Sponsors making the 2022 Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week possible include American Collectors Insurance, AR Global, Bank of America, Bonhams, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Reliable Carriers, Inc., Paul Masse, Lamborghini Boston, Bentley Boston, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars New England, Mercury Racing, Hagerty, BankNewport, A1 Roofing and Construction, Legacy Advisors, ATR Treehouse, AIG, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, The Aquidneck Club, Wine Advise, Bring-A-Trailer, Automotive Valuation Services, A.T. Cross, Emory Motorsports, Logicalis Architects, emersa Waterbox, Gateway Bronco, McLaren Boston, Kroll Real Estate Advisory Group, Worth Avenue Yachts, Cabana, Celestial Restaurant & Bar, The Black Pearl, Virgin & Aged Gourmet Oils & Vinegars, Mills Tavern, Midtown Oyster Bar, Bellevue Nutrition and Clara’s Cart.

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Jim Pickering

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