Congratulations to Lothar Schuettler and other BMWCCA members who won awards at the prestigious Hilton Head event this past weekend! The press release follows:
Hilton Head Island, SC –(November 6, 2011) – The premier winners, the coveted ‘Best of Show’ and ‘People’s Choice’ awards along with the ‘Most Outstanding Car - Pre-1948’ and ‘Most Outstanding Car - Post-1948’ were chosen today for the prestigious Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance, held at the historic Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn.
Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance top honor, “Best of Show,” was awarded to a 1937 BMW 328 Roadster owned by Lothar Schuettler of Darnestown, MD. First owned by famous German race driver Baron Fritz Huschke von Hanstein, the original cost was $2,792 US equivalent. It is only one of only 18 painted black. With the Baron at the wheel in 1938-39, this car saw many wins at such famous tracks as the Nurburgring, Hockenheim, LeMans and the Gorssglockner Hill Climb. Lost track of during WW II, the car resurfaced in 1953 as a white car and was sold by a German national to a US GI who brought it to the US and owned it for the next 40 years.
Other significant awards on Sunday included “People’s Choice” awarded to a 1936 Auburn 852 Boat Tail Speedster owned by Charles and Diane Mistele of Bluffton, SC. The car, which can go from 0-60mph in 15 seconds, was delivered with documentation on dash tested to exceed 100+mph. The car has been in the Mistele family for 49 years. Most Outstanding Car – Pre 1948 went to Peter Boyle’s 1928 Isotta Fraschini Type TIPO 8A55 Boattail Speedster, the Hilton Head Island Concours’ Best of Show winner from 2007, and Most Outstanding Car – Post 1948 went to a 1967 Shelby GT-500 owned by Michael Stickney. Philip Capossela, Event Chairman for the Hilton Head Island Festival, said, “We had an exceptionally tough field this year. Becoming fully subscribed earlier than in years past, we actually had to turn down a number of wonderful candidates. Needless to say, this year’s top honors were well deserved. We are extremely proud to add them to Hilton Head Island’s history book.” Added to that sentiment, Dr. Paul Doerring, one of the founding members of the Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance, stated, that “because of the depth of vehicles participating over the past few years, we have added additional top honors to better showcase the breadth and quality of vehicle Hilton Head Island is now attracting. We’re proud that selecting a single ‘Best of Show’ has becoming nearly impossible.”
Additionally, on Sunday, The Lee Iacocca Award given for “dedication to excellence in perpetuating an American automotive tradition” was awarded to long-time Hilton Head Island exhibitor J.C. O’Steen.
Saturday’s top honors for the Car Club Jamboree were the “People’s Choice Award” given to a 1954 MG 1500 MGTF owned by Geoff Wheatley of the Low Country Oyster and Motorcar Driving Society, the Chairman’s Award presented to Fran Hughes of the BMW Car Club of America for a 1990 BMW Z1, the Honorary Chairman’s award selected by Dennis Gage awarded to a 1970 BMW 2800CS owned by Avery Wise of the BMW Car Club of America and the Best BMW Award given to a 1976 BMW 2002 owned by Wayne Long in honor of this year’s featured Honored Marque.
More than 500 automobiles made their way to the Hilton Head Island, SC/Savannah, GA Lowcountry this weekend to participate in the 10th annual Festival. Dennis Gage, the mustachioed host of the SPEED channels My Classic Car served as the Honorary Chairman and participated at events on Hilton Head Island. Boris Said, the ‘road course ringer’ of NASCAR participated as the Grand Marshal during the Festival’s Savannah Speed Classic. Other noted appearances during the 10th annual event included as well as Bobby Rahal (the 2005 Honorary Chairman), Hurley Haywood (the 2010 Honorary Chairman), Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand on-site for the Savannah Speed Classic.
Carolyn Vanagel, President for the Motoring Festival today remarked, “The event was better than it’s ever been – higher quality, more variety, and larger exhibits. The crowds were engaged with our wide variety of offerings – presentations, guided walking tours, parade of cars – and I think we have had a record year. There was an incredible energy on the show field.” Vanagel stated that the combination of the four signature events, the Savannah Speed Classic, the Motoring Midway, the Car Club Jamboree and, of course, the pinnacle, the Concours d’Elegance, as well as the variety of sponsors and the continuation of Motoring Festival Week this year, all contributed the excitement.
Motoring Festival Partners, the event’s key sponsors, for the 2011 Festival included BMW Group/Hilton Head BMW/Critz BMW, Porsche of North America/Porsche of Hilton Head, Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Hargray, The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, the Savannah Convention & Visitors Bureau, Savannah Morning News, Adventure Radio, WSAV and Classic Party Rentals.
The 2012 event is already generating excitement amongst its organizers. The dates have been set for October 26 – November 4, 2012 with Ford Model T designated as the event’s Honored Marque. More information for the 2012 event will follow.
For more information, please visit www.hhiconcours.com.
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Originally Posted by John in VA
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