The 10 Best Classic Cars at Audrain Newport Concours and Motor Week
The Audrain Motor Week returned to Newport, Rhode Island this month, culminating in the Concours on the lawn of The Breakers overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The event, which is sponsored by A. Lange & Sohne (see the watches we spotted at the event here), featured a diverse selection of machinery on display throughout the town of Newport, from modern exotics to pre-war treasures. In typical Audrain fashion, the weekend included more than just a formal Concours, from a cars and coffee to a tour of the roads around Newport. Plenty of these cars were brought to be driven.
The experience was a celebration of car culture across generations, with the Concours featuring a “30 under 30” category by decade to spotlight owners under the age of 30, with cars built for under $30,000. The cars and enthusiasm exhibited were just as exciting as the more traditional classes broken out, and brought a sense of depth and personality to the weekend’s proceedings.
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The Audrain Newport Concours and Motor Week was only established in 2019, but already feels an integral part of the Audrain’s broader presence and goals. The town of Newport has a rich automotive history, serving as the backdrop for the first Vanderbilt Cup in 1900, where Willie K. Vanderbilt and company raced their newly imported automobiles around a horse track. The Cup would move south to Nassau County, New York by 1904, and set the stage for American racing culture in the process.
With that stage set, here are 10 of the best cars we saw in Newport over the course of the Audrain Newport Concours and Motor Week. Some were award winners, while others evoked a strong sense of nostalgia. Each of them is brilliant in their own way.
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1949 Allard J2 Prototype
This is the second Allard J2 that was built on decades of experience by Sydney Herbert Allard, and followed the J1 and K1 race cars as a next-generation experience. The J2 got coils over the leaf springs of its predecessor, and a not quite independent De Dion setup suspension over the live axle. The aluminum body housed a Ford flathead V8 pushed back toward the driver for better weight distribution (this was changed with the J2X), and it sounds as good as it looks here. This Allard proves that a good design never ages.
1955 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce
This 1955 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce took home second place in the Race Cars Pre-1955 category, and this Franco Scaglione design built by Pinin Farina is one of the very first ever produced. The Spider Veloce was specifically tuned for racing, and this chassis did just that. This specific car won its class at the 1957 12 Hours of Sebring, representing a serious piece of racing history. The car has been restored and maintained with its original racing number 55 on the door panels and hood.
1973 Renault Alpine A110 GROUP 4
This Renault Alpine A110 was an absolute standout of the show, commanding attention everywhere it roamed over the weekend. The car took first place in the Race Cars Post-1955 class thanks to its faithful preservation of the Group 4 spec and livery. Alpine served as Renault’s de facto performance branch through the ‘60s and was officially purchased by the French manufacturer in 1971, making this type 1600VC pure Renault. This car has an inescapable presence, packing a huge visual punch into its small Berlinetta frame.
Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival
OK, this one might be cheating a bit, but I can’t help but include this Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival that made an appearance in Newport over the weekend. As the name suggests, this car is a revival, with 24 examples being produced by hand in celebration of the 5300 GT Corsa which won its class at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans. The original was designed by the prolific Giorgetto Giugiaro, and is among the most beautiful race cars of its era, making it one of the most beautiful race cars ever.
1976 BMW 3.5 CSL
Also showing in the Race Cars Post-1955 category was this 1976 BMW 3.5 CSL in full IMSA race livery. This car is certainly the most outrageous (in a good way) Coupe Sport Leicht (CSL) design ever put into production by BMW. This example from 1976 would have been competing in fourth-generation Group 5 rules, allowing for more development than IMSA or Group 4, and it shows in detail like the dramatic rear wing hanging over the back of the car. Inside you’ll find an upright 3.5-liter 24-valve M49 engine, with nearly as much personality as the car’s exterior.
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB
This charming 1965 Ferrari 275 took the Founder’s Award of the show. The design of the 275 came from Francesco Salamone of Pininfarina and would be immensely influential to the brand’s evolution. This GTB is a short nose variation and features the final development of the Colombo V12. I’d call this one of Ferrari’s most graceful designs and it hasn’t aged a day, with clear influence points across some of their other neo-vintage greats.
1952 Jowett Jupiter Drophead Coupe
The Jowett Jupiter is a British sports car produced for a short period in the early ‘50s, and while it may not have taken off in the same way that other sport cars from the region did, there’s still plenty to appreciate and enjoy with this one. The beautiful design experienced some success on track as well, even claiming a class victory at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans (the Allard J2 as seen above finished third). The Jowett is remembered today for its classic lines and impact on British motoring, brief as it may have been.
1965 Lamborghini 350 GT
This 1965 Lamborghini 350 GT took second place in the European Grand Touring class of the Concours and represents the first production model from the Italian brand. Only about 130 examples of these were built, and it highlights a subtle but evocative design language that would evolve into the 400 GT a year later, which was introduced alongside the iconic Miura in 1966. This 350 GT found an audience thanks to the massaged 350 GTV design by Milanese coachbuilder Touring, and it remains just as compelling today.
1963 Buick Riviera “Villa Riviera” by George Barris
This is not your typical Buick Riviera, but it did begin life as one in 1963. This is a custom creation by George Barris, and was seen in the 1964 Leslie H. Martinson film For Those Who Think Young. The design of Riviera stopped many in their tracks on the lawn of The Breakers thanks to the cacophony of interesting details to discover at a closer glance, such as the TV mounted between the back seats. The overall design of the car was captivating and dramatic, and it brought a welcome sense of personality to the events.
1964/1998 Porsche 356 Emory Special
On the lawn of the International Tennis Hall of Fame sat a selection of custom Rod Emory ‘Outlaw’ Porsche cars, showcasing Emory’s unique and subtle customization style across a range of models. This 356 Special is a bit different. It was created for Porsche’s 50th-anniversary celebration in Monterey, California, in 1998. The build is based on a 356C Cabriolet with extensive modification meant to give the car a vintage 550 look. The result is shockingly cohesive and quite beautiful to boot.
