Drive My Car

 

A 1932 Packard at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

Late May and early June bring two events to Greenwich.

First up is the Greenwich Town Party, and we've highlighted that many times.

The following weekend at the same site is the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, a car show featuring world-class vehicles from across the years.

Sean noted to me how much he'd like to go last year but we were too late to do anything about it. It made us keep our eyes on the event for this year. I remember we walked over and looked around, leaning against the chain link fence to see what it was like.

Working in the media gives us some perks and one of them is the ability to ask an event if we can cover it for WGCH or any other outlet. So, I looked into it and pulled together credentials for us, including one for Sean's friend Chris. 

We also took a shot at making a show broadcast happen from the event but we couldn't quite cobble that together. So, again, we hope for next year.

Otherwise, the organizers we worked with were fantastic and we had a great time.

Chris showed up yesterday, and the sight of a Tesla in our driveway was pretty incredible. He's a great guy who refers to me as "The Big Man."

Well, Sean, Chris, and "The Big Man" walked from our place to Roger Sherman Baldwin Park for the Saturday edition of the Greenwich Concours. A collection of gorgeous cars stretched across different styles was in place. Some food trucks and vendors were on hand as well, and a show area presented conversations and interviews about some of the vehicles.

Sean and Chris both got to experience media check-in, which went without concern. We each had an email with a code to be spanned in exchange for a lanyard with our pass on it.

We also had access to a tent with sandwiches, snacks, and drinks.

Chris and Sean (in Red) 

We enjoyed ourselves, including meeting up with a family friend of Chris's who regaled us with stories and made us feel like family.

I had to head out to be the booth producer and PA announcer for the Renegades, which turned out to be a great experience. Sean and Chris hung out in Greenwich as the day came to an end.

The Greenwich Concours continued today and even though Chris didn't return to join in the fun, Sean and I walked back to the park to check things out, as we were told things would be different.

True to that, many of the cars on display on Saturday had been moved out and a new group was in place.

Saturday's cars were a delightful collection that dazzled me.

1927 Rolls Royce

Today's hit more on the older and more classic edge and that was down the right highway for me.

My father was a huge classic car fan. He was never a "gearhead" in that he didn't break down engines and parts. He talked about looks and styles and features and what they might be like to drive more than anything. As an amateur car fan, that's closer to how I am.

And, truly breathtaking to me, Sean is like that.

Ford Model A. My father would have flipped.

I was touched by this.

I imagined what it would be like for three generations of Adams men to walk to around this fun event.

Of course, in this "what if" scenario, I'm reminded that my father would be 94 years old.

But just knowing the three of us have this connection made me so happy. It's not sports -- at least not the kind of team sports that I've blabbered about for my entire life.

Instead, it's about the 1932 Packard and the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado, and the Ford Model A.

It was about the 1927 Rolls Royce that it looked like Babe Ruth would be driving on Riverside Drive.

Or the Lincoln Continental that I heard a few people refer to as "the JFK car" from Dallas when the president was assassinated. While that wasn't entirely true, the comparison was accurate.

Exterior and interview views of a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado

There were plenty of Porsche's, Mercedes Benz's, McClaren's, and Lamborghini's to be found along with other classics. There were Dodge Chargers and Ford Mustangs roaring around.

We got to take it all in. We talked to some people and plotted where our show would be at the 2025 event.

In fact, Sean will be on "Doubleheader" tomorrow to share his experience with me.

And we enjoyed a food truck since the free media food had been picked over. But, hey, that meant we each got to crush a phenomenal Dough Girls pizza.

I didn't mention the connection to his grandfather, probably because I just wanted him to enjoy it and not worry about the tears in his father's eyes.

OK, so I can change that. We ran to the grocery store before I posted this and I brought it up. He thought about it as well. It was a sweet moment.

Sean photographs a McLaren

I wanted him to just enjoy every car and every moment. He brought his camera with him today, and I really enjoyed watching him be a photographer.

That meant more to me. 

And I'm already looking forward to next year.