Photos by Vijay Sankar
The world’s longest continuously running concours featured the display of more than 200 collector cars
Showcasing excellence in automotive design and engineering, the 2024 Hillsborough Concours was embellished with the display of more than 200 treasured vintage and classic cars. This year’s Concours paid tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Ford Mustang, Mazda Miata’s 35th anniversary, the 30th year of the Ferrari Challenge Series and the 125th anniversary of Packard. The show also featured more than 20 judged classes of “Automobiles of Distinction.”
A “one of one” 1937 BMW 326 Sport Cabriolet earned “Best of Show: Sport” honors, while a 1934 Packard 1101 was selected as winner of the “Best of Show: Elegance” award during festivities held Sunday at Crystal Springs Golf Course.
“Best of Show: Sport” was one of multiple awards recognizing the BMW. The stunning silver Cabriolet also took top honors in the “CCCA – Approved Classics” class, while winning the “Sid Colberg Award’ and the “People’s Choice Award.”
The 1934 Packard 1101 also claimed top honors in the show’s “Packard Through 1936” class.
Honoring its 35th anniversary, a display of historically significant Miatas, were presented by Mazda USA and the Bay Area Mazda Association. This included the first three production cars brought to the United States, as well as never before seen cars from Mazda’s design center – a 1993 M-Coupe Concept, a 1989 NA Speedster which appeared in the very first “Fast and the Furious” film, a 1989 Club Racer concept and rounding out the group was a 1967 Cosmo Series 1, Mazda’s first rotary-powered sports car.
The Miata anniversary celebration also included an interview with Tsutomu “Tom” Matano, chief designer of the MX-5 Miata at the time of its introduction in 1989. A Hillsborough Concours Honorary Judge for many years, Mr. Matano shared fond memories about the development of the acclaimed Mazda roadster and its impact on the global automotive community.
The Concours capped a memorable weekend of festivities that started with Saturday’s Hillsborough Tour d’Elegance, a road rally which featured 100 collector cars traversing Bay Area back roads and scenic vistas culminating in an elegant lunch at a world class restoration facility. That evening, Concours judges and guests gathered for the annual “Start Your Engines” kick-off party held at an exclusive, private vintage car club located in a historic building in Burlingame.
Partnering with the Town of Hillsborough, The all-volunteer Hillsborough Concours Foundation organizes this annual sell-out event and raises proceeds for Ability Path, The Guardsmen and the Hillsborough Schools Foundation.
About the Hillsborough Concours d’ Elegance:
Hillsborough Concours d’ Elegance has built and maintained a proud tradition of honoring and celebrating excellence in automotive design and engineering. The passion of the Concours leadership and volunteers, pride of its entrants, and devotion of its attendees has earned Hillsborough the proud record as the world’s longest continually running Concours.
The Hillsborough Concours offers a forum for passionate vintage car owners to showcase their prized vehicles, and to compete for respect and recognition for their commitment to preserving automotive authenticity. The Concours also aims to cultivate future generations of car enthusiasts by providing privileged access to some of the world’s most celebrated automobiles and by serving as a channel for inspiring and informative automotive knowledge and lore.
