Hilton Head Festival set for Nov. 5-6

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Each year, the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing automotive and motorsports enthusiast events, features leading automotive collectors from around the world. Among the notable names visitors and enthusiasts will encounter at the 2016 event are Miles Collier and Jeff Lane, selected respectively as this year’s Pinnacle and Honored Collectors. Their collections sponsored will be featured both Saturday and Sunday at the Port Royal Golf Club on Hilton Head Island.

“We could not have two recipients better suited for these honors this year,” said Carolyn Vanagel, president of the Motoring Festival. “Miles Collier and Jeff Lane have gone above and beyond solely preserving automotive history – they are sharing it by opening their collections up to the more than 20,000 attendees we anticipate at this year’s Festival. It is that education that will develop future collectors and continue to make events like ours possible.”

2016 Pinnacle Award Collector: Miles Collier, the Collier Collection at The Revs Institute (Naples, Florida)

The Pinnacle Award debuted in 2013 in conjunction with the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance’s move to the world-class Port Royal Golf Club. For 2016, Miles Collier joins fellow Pinnacle Award recipients Fred Guyton (2015), Joseph and Margie Cassini (2014) and Sam and Emily Mann (2013). To celebrate what will be his first appearance at the event, Collier has chosen to showcase three cars, including one whose original owner was movie legend Gary Cooper.

1896 Panhard et Levassor Wagonette
After an unsuccessful attempt at a horseless carriage, Emile Levassor persisted and came up with a revolutionary idea: engine in front, gearbox behind it, drive to the rear wheels. This layout gave the world the first automobile that did not betray horse-drawn carriage antecedents; and it worked. Over the next few years, the Panhard et Levassor factory became a model for the adorning industry, filled with state-of-the-art tools from America, Germany and those designed in-house including woodworking equipment to make the acacia wheels.
1935 Duesenberg SSJ
Introduced in December 1928, the J Duesenberg was massive, weighty and of heroic proportion. Its race-inspired, straight-eight engine was equipped with over twice the horsepower of its nearest American competitor. As America’s most expensive luxury car by far ($8,500 for chassis alone), its flamboyance attracted movie stars, maharajahs, trendy royals, dynamic tycoons and even a gangster or two. Just 480 Duesenbergs had been built when E.L. Cord disbanded his automobile empire in 1937. A half century later and the Duesenberg remains a legend.
1960 Porsche RS-60
As one of the seven Porches to win the 44.64-mile, 10-lap Targa Florio race in the 1960s, this display car took home the winning title in 1960. Neither the engine nor transmission were significantly changed in the RS-60. In addition to racing, 718-041 served the factory as Porsche’s guinea pig to test various transmissions and the 2.0-liter Type 587 engine.

2016 Honored Collector: Jeff Lane, Lane Motor Museum (Nashville, Tenn.)
No celebration of the automobile exists without the support of collectors. Every year, the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance recognizes one Honored Collector for their continued participation and support. The 2016 Honored Collector will feature the six vehicles listed below, hand-picked from Jeff Lane’s collection of ‘unique cars from A to Z’ including:

1932 Helicron
Constructed in 1932, this one-of-a-kind, propeller driven car was discovered in a barn in France in 2000 having been placed there by the original owner in the late 1930s. Little could be seen of it through the rubble.
1933 Dymaxion Replica
Buckminster Fuller had a long and productive career. He was a visionary that worked in many fields, from the environment to architecture. The Dymaxion, which is an acronym for DYnamic MAXimum TensION, was his most famous automotive project.
1938 Tatr T-97
Erich Ledwinka, one of Hans Ledwinka’s sons, was responsible for the T-97. It was developed alongside the T-87. It was in effect a slightly scaled down version of the T-87 and was almost identical in style.
1948 Larmar
The Larmar holds the claim to be the world's narrowest car. At 2 ft., 4 in. wide, it was designed to pass through a standard gate that was 2 ft., 6 in. wide. That's pretty close, as it only leaves 1 in. clearance on either side.
1952 Citroën Cogolin
The fire and rescue service in Cogolin, France, used a Citroën 15-6 (you can find one in our French area) as part of their fleet. One night while on patrol, Colonel Hourcastagné found the narrow mountain road blocked.
1965 Matra Djet5
In 1963, Engins Matra, a large airplane and armaments company, took over the assets of a small sports car company run by René Bonnet. Bonnet was at the forefront of French motor racing, and was unfortunately much better at building cars than running a business.