Radnor Hunt Concours
Written by Keith Fudge

Last September, Dennis Gage had the chance to visit a very exclusive show:  The Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance located at the beautiful Radnor Hunt Club near Malvern, Pennsylvania.  Participation in this event is by invitation only, and there are 100 cars and their owners that receive this honor.  All types of cars are represented here including historic, classic, sports, and performance racing.  After he arrived, Dennis met the founder of the event, Michael Tillson, who told him just how the show came into existence.  Michael said that he served on the Futures Planning Committee of the club and while observing the beautiful setting of the Radnor Hunt Club, he envisioned an exclusive collector car display.  That was a decade ago as this year marked the 10th anniversary of the show.  Michael was proud to say that the event was held to benefit two charities: the Willistown Conservation Trust and the Thorncroft Equestrian Center.  Michael went on to tell Dennis that there were cars here today in attendance from coast to coast and even from Puerto Rico!  Even though 100 cars doesn’t sound like too many to take in during a show, Dennis realized that he only had five hours in which to do it.  After wrapping up his conversation with Michael, he quickly headed toward the show field.

The presence of Porsche at the event was evident.  Dennis soon found Mick Pallardy of Porsche Cars North America, Inc.  Mick told Dennis that as a sponsor of the event he was thrilled at the show and couldn’t be more enthusiastic!  He also noted that Porsche’s heritage played well there.  Dennis soon saw this firsthand as he visited with Matthew Daniel, the owner of a sleek 1996 Porsche 911 GT1 racer.  Matthew told Dennis that Porsche built 12 of these racers and 18 street versions of this model.  This car is almost entirely constructed of carbon fiber except for the driver’s “tub” which is constructed from steel.  The car was raced in the 1997 Exxon Supreme GTS 1 Series and had four wins in a row on the way to the championship!  Weighing 2,800 pounds, this rocket was rated at 650 horsepower from the factory, but Matthew told Dennis that they had seen 776 horsepower out of the car.  Now that’s moving!  The next car that Dennis found shared American and European heritage.  Jerry Ambrosi is the owner of this 1965 Chrysler Imperial Limousine.  After its production, the car was sent to Italy to be stretched.  This car has a bit of a famous heritage as it was once owned by the Shah of Iran and was in service at the Iranian Embassy in New York City.  Featuring sheepskin carpet, walnut interior appointments, and unique rear-facing jump seats, this limo carries its passengers in unprecedented luxury!  Powered by a 413 cubic-inch Police Interceptor engine and weighing some 7,000 pounds, a smooth ride is always guaranteed!  By the way, Jerry said that there were only 10 of these cars produced and this one is the largest one of the bunch.  Flamboyant would be the term used to describe the next car that Dennis saw as he met with David Carter, the owner of a 1938 Talbot-Lago.  With its Art Deco styling and colorful paint scheme, this car has become a top collectible in the world of classic automobiles.  David told Dennis that the original owner of this car was a Portuguese Count.  Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine that makes 180 horsepower, this car is a magnificent example of art and engineering!  Another elegant and rare car that Dennis had the pleasure of seeing was a 1931 DuPont.  Owned by a private collector, the car’s caretaker is Paul Personti, Jr.  He told Dennis that while DuPonts were usually built in Wilmington, Delaware, this car was produced at the Indian Motorcycle factory in Massachusetts and was the last DuPont that was built.  Paul went on to say that 547 of these cars were originally produced but only 30 remain today.  With dual windshields for driver and passengers and a Continental Straight 8 engine, this car won 1st in Class at Pebble Beach!  The last car Dennis saw that day was a 1955 Jaguar 515 D-Type racer.  Owned for the past two years by James Taylor, this car is a fine example of Jaguar’s racing history.  James said this car is, “the short-nose type” and this model was created to compete with Ferrari at LeMans, and compete it did as it won the race for three years in a row!  This particular car wasn’t raced a great deal and is a fine example of just how magnificent these racers are!

Dennis and the crew had a fantastic time at the Radnor Hunt Club for this exclusive show.  If you would like information on the 2007 event, give them a visit on the web at www.radnorconcours.org.  That’s if from near Malvern, Pennsylvania.  So until our next visit, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”