2017 Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance

Japanese Classics, Modern Super Cars Featured at the 2017 Pinehurst Concours 

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. – Japanese Classics and Modern Super Cars will be the featured marques of the classes competing for Best of Show at the fifth anniversary of the Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance on Saturday, May 6 at the Pinehurst Resort.

“Japanese Classics without a doubt are going to be the future of the collector car hobby,” said veteran Pinehurst Concours chief judge Nigel Matthews. “They are somewhat affordable and the hobby is driven by demographics. We’re noticing the baby boomers are aging out and some are selling off their collections. So, the new people in the hobby naturally gravitate to what they grew up with or what they came home in from the hospital.”

Meanwhile, Matthews says the Modern Super class -- cars such as the Jaguar XJ220 or LaFerrari -- are sleek and will turn heads of patrons.

“They are always interesting to spectators because they are unattainable for most – they are low production, very expensive cars and automobiles that people dream about owning,” he said.

Tickets to the fifth annual vintage car showcase on the fairways of iconic Pinehurst Resort can be purchased online at www.pinehurstconcours.com and at four local ticket outlets in the Village of Pinehurst and Southern Pines. Tickets to this year’s Pinehurst Concours, which includes a live performance by award-winning country artist Sara Evans, are $40 in advance and $50 the day of the event.

American Classics Pre-War and Post-War, European Classics Pre-War and Post-War, Race Cars, Porsche Carrera Pre-1975, American Classics Post-War, European Sport Cars and American Sports Cars will join the Japanese Classics and Modern Super Cars to round out the event’s classes.

Matthews says the Japanese Classics collector hobby starts with cars from the mid 1960s such as the Honda S600 and includes the mid 1970s with automobiles like the Mazda RX7 and Toyota Celica ST or GT. But the Japanese collector car hobby also features more modern automobiles such as the Toyota 2000 GT or Honda S2000.

“They only made 334 of the Toyota 2000 GT and those hit the $1 million mark a couple of years ago,” Matthews said. “And there is quite a generational shift as we’re seeing a following for some of these domestic markets only Japanese cars that are now finding their way into the U.S., like the Nissan Skyline GT-R,” Matthews said.

The Pinehurst Concours Best of Show winners have included a 1928 Isotta Fraschini 8ASS (2016), a 1919 Pierce-Arrow Model 66 A-4 Tourer (2015), a 1931 Cadillac 452A (2014) and a 1938 Steyr 220 Glaser Roadster (2013).

Matthews believes the infusion of new classes is good for both entrants and patrons, a recent trend that has helped build the reputation of the Pinehurst Concours.

“After just four years the Pinehurst Concours is certainly recognized as a significant and important East Coast Concours,” Matthews said. “From a chief judge prospective I am getting more and more interest and more and more questions from judges who want to come from Europe and want to be a part of the judging team at Pinehurst because they know it is serious judging.”

Sara Evans, whose distinctive voice and edgy contemporary sensibility have helped sell more than six million records and produce five No. 1 hits, will perform a live concert following the presentation of the Best of Show. The concert continues a Pinehurst Concours tradition that has included concerts by Three Dog Night (2015) and The Commodores (2016) the last two years.

Local ticket outlets in the Sandhills area include: Village of Pinehurst Town Hall, The Old Sport Gallery (Village of Pinehurst), Pinehurst Resort Members services desk (Members only) and The Country Book Shop (Southern Pines).

In addition, limited tickets to the Putter Boy Pavilion, the event’s premium VIP hospitality experience, are also on sale at www.pinehurstcouncours.com. No refunds, exchanges or general admission ticket upgrades will be honored with Putter Boy Pavilion online purchases.