Detroit Concours (formerly Meadowbrook and St. John's) canceled for this year

[Jim Skelly]

Reshaping Detroit's classic car show may mean a change of location (freep.com)

 

Note the paltry attendance for the last show.  

[bryankazmer]

Meadowbrook and St. John’s were on grass. This is both more comfortable and cooler than a paved location. Belle Isle is a viable spot, but the city would need to close at least half of the park to public access

[TAKerry]

Thats a shame, but am I remembering correctly that after last years event there was some concern regarding the venue? Also with the new event in Miami the same time as Amelia how long will that one continue to draw a large crowd? 

[alsancle]

Such a shame. Meadowbrook was historically the third ranked show behind pebble Beach and Amelia Island. 

 

I was there once when it was Meadowbrook, and then a little later, when it was St. John’s. Still a great show.

 

This is the last time when I was showing my Graham.  

 

 

Edited April 5 by alsancle (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

I live two miles due north of Meadowbrook.  It was truly a class act. 

 

The loss of the show there IMO was caused by a canyon of thought differences between the academic world who own Meadow Brook/ Oakland University and the business community of self made car dealers and other successful business personnel. 

 

It was a shame to lose the show at the home of Matilda Dodge and her husband Mr. Wilson.  Lots of history there that made it the perfect venue.

[Bhigdog]

Meadowbrook was a way first class operation. Great competitor's luncheon, afterglow party and a beautiful venue. St.John's was still good but was noticeably a notch down scale............. And now down town Detroit.......................Bob

[Jim Skelly]

5 hours ago, alsancle said:

Such a shame. Meadowbrook was historically the third ranked show behind pebble Beach and Amelia Island. 

 

I was there once when it was Meadowbrook, and then a little later, when it was St. John’s. Still a great show.

 

This is the last time when I was showing my Graham.  

 

 

That is/was yours!  I looked at it and thought it was really cool.  Did you ever paint it and wasn't it the only one made as a convertible?  I shot a photo or two of it. 

[ron hausmann]

    Sad. But things change and Classic car collectors and enthusiasts of twenty years ago are twenty years older and I think that they haven’t really been replaced in the same numbers. I think it a changed, reduced audience. Just not the demand anymore.

    The show many years ago at Cranbrook was the best in my opinion.
    I had my Gold Bug at Meadowbrook and absolutely loved the venue.

    I had my Gold Bug at later St. John’s and that was great too, but not quite up to Meadowbrook I felt.

    And I had my Gold Bug at the first Concourse at DIA which felt really cramped and had quite restricted attendance. It was still fun. 

    I’ll miss the shows, wherever they are, in Detroit. But you can always get invited to other nice ones that are relatively close by, like the Milwaukee Concours or the Cincinnati Comcours, if you want to go thru the process.

    Time marches on. We don’t - our hips give out.

    My thoughts. Ron Hausmann P.E.

[alsancle]

12 hours ago, Jim Skelly said:

That is/was yours!  I looked at it and thought it was really cool.  Did you ever paint it and wasn't it the only one made as a convertible?  I shot a photo or two of it. 

I still have it. Nothing a couple hundred thousand dollars in cash won’t clean up. Hoping I find the time and the cash at some point.

 

there are two known Hollywood convertibles. A two passenger one, like mine, and a five passenger one. The spread in the serial numbers indicates they may have made three or four others. But they are not known to exist. There is also an identical Hupp 5 passenger convertible which is currently for sale.

Edited April 6 by alsancle (see edit history)

[ericmac]

I took a car of my own to Meadowbrook and several from the Gilmore Car Museum and Franklin Museum to both Meadowbrook and St. John's.  I always had a great time and will certainly miss the event.  I too remember seeing the Graham Hollywood at Meadowbrook.  It was awesome in its original state.

[61polara]

This is the risk whenever corporate interests buy non-profit concours events.  

Edited April 8 by 61polara (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

Hagerty is in the "cashing in" stage of their corporate life. Service will suffer, a lot of people will get fired to boost the profit margin, and rates will probably increase. This stage is also known as the "pump" part of "pump and dump" in stock market lingo. Finally, the "dump" phase is when the principals of the company sell their stock and get insanely rich before it all goes in the dumper.

[Avanti Bill]

Detroit was always a lousy location, sorry.  There are many places you could have a concours in that area which could be very nice.  For a successful concours you need to have a beautiful setting for the cars and things in the area for non car spouses to do for a couple days.  

[Matt Harwood]

100% disagree. Detroit is awesome. It's a city that's reinventing itself. It isn't all bombed-out looking inner city housing tracts. We displayed a car at the Concours of America at St. John's a few years ago and it was one of the best weekends we've had with old cars, including a drive around the Ford test track and lunch at the Henry Ford. There's a ton of stuff to do there that isn't car related if your spouse needs to occupy his or her time doing something. It's still a big city, after all.

 

I agree with AJ that Meadowbrook/St. John's was the #3 concours in the country. The fact that it was in the midwest and shockingly affordable made it all the better.

 

I love Detroit. I think the fact that it has lost a major concours event is a big kick in the junk for the city and for car people everywhere.

[edinmass]

The real issue today is to start or run a show someone ends up being on the hook for 200-500k. It's insanely expensive to run a show today. And try and get volunteer help. The numbers don't work anymore for the insane over the top venues. I think the smaller shows that cost a fraction to put on are the future. Other problems also pop up with the smaller venues like judging,ect. 

[Tph479]

10 hours ago, edinmass said:

The real issue today is to start or run a show someone ends up being on the hook for 200-500k. It's insanely expensive to run a show today. And try and get volunteer help. The numbers don't work anymore for the insane over the top venues. I think the smaller shows that cost a fraction to put on are the future. Other problems also pop up with the smaller venues like judging,ect. 

Your smaller show comment made me think of a story my late friend told me. In the early 1950’s he hosted the first ACD club meet on Chicago’s Southside in the school parking lot across the street from his parent’s house, which he was still living in. He said his mom walked over with homemade sandwiches for everyone as well as lemonade and ice tea. In the pictures I seen most of the ACD cars were tired looking, but then again they were 20-25 year used up cars mostly owned by young guys. I might have some pictures lying around. 

[Jim Skelly]

On 4/6/2024 at 8:05 AM, alsancle said:

I still have it. Nothing a couple hundred thousand dollars in cash won’t clean up. Hoping I find the time and the cash at some point.

 

there are two known Hollywood convertibles. A two passenger one, like mine, and a five passenger one. The spread in the serial numbers indicates they may have made three or four others. But they are not known to exist. There is also an identical Hupp 5 passenger convertible which is currently for sale.

I just found my photos from 2012 ... I forgot about the other convertible.

[alsancle]

Wow.  12 years ago. Time flies.

[8E45E]

On 4/8/2024 at 7:28 AM, Matt Harwood said:

100% disagree. Detroit is awesome. It's a city that's reinventing itself. It isn't all bombed-out looking inner city housing tracts. We displayed a car at the Concours of America at St. John's a few years ago and it was one of the best weekends we've had with old cars, including a drive around the Ford test track and lunch at the Henry Ford. There's a ton of stuff to do there that isn't car related if your spouse needs to occupy his or her time doing something. It's still a big city, after all.

 

I agree with AJ that Meadowbrook/St. John's was the #3 concours in the country. The fact that it was in the midwest and shockingly affordable made it all the better.

 

I love Detroit. I think the fact that it has lost a major concours event is a big kick in the junk for the city and for car people everywhere.

Without offending all the Packard owners here, I believe what's left of the Packard plant finally being demolished will actually spur some further redevelopment in that city.  Unfortunately, over the years, the Packard plant became a poster child of Detroit; the city either unable to get the owners over the years to pay their property taxes on it, nor having enough money in the city coffers in the past to tear it down.  With what's left of it gone, it will no longer be symbolic with Detroit's decline, and the U.S. car industry in general.

 

Craig

[West Peterson]

2 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Without offending all the Packard owners here, I believe what's left of the Packard plant finally being demolished will actually spur some further redevelopment in that city.  Unfortunately, over the years, the Packard plant became a poster child of Detroit; the city either unable to get the owners over the years to pay their property taxes on it, nor having enough money in the city coffers in the past to tear it down.  With what's left of it gone, it will no longer be symbolic with Detroit's decline, and the U.S. car industry in general.

 

Craig

 

No offense here. It should have been torn down decades ago. Matt is correct, though, Detroit is a whole lot different now than it was 10 years ago. Quicken Loans has turned that place around, along with the dumping of the 12-level-deep of government corruption.

[Jim Skelly]

Detroit had a dysfunctional City Council for decades and never seemed to work with the various mayors to simplify processes such as property owners trying to get construction and demolition permits.  Instead of getting all of the approvals in one department, a person had to go to multiple departments.  Then you had a corrupt mayor who ended up going to prison, city-owned, tax-foreclosed houses being rented out by Housing Dept. employees who pocketed the money, and other malfeasance. 

 

Ordinance enforcement is still hit-or-miss.   Some properties have been blighted for decades with no apparent attempt by the city to do anything about it.   I recently visited a friend in Henry Ford Hospital near the old GM Building and the Fisher Building.  On West Grand Boulevard, which used to be one of the fanciest residential streets in Detroit a century ago, I saw two derelict boats partially sticking out in a front yard.  They looked to have been there for years.  

 

The 1913 Michigan Central train depot is supposed to reopen in June.  It was the most visible abandoned building on the West side, but since Ford Motor Company bought it several years ago, it is being restored.  I believe the Packard Administration Building is going to be saved.  It will make a nice building for some company.  The entire property is a mess and was bad before the scrappers came.  The surrounding neighborhood could use new housing and shopping.  The core of Downtown is slowly and impressively being revitalized.  I never thought it would happen in my lifetime, but the Mayor and Council are working together to encourage development and investors have been investing since the bankruptcy.  

 

[8E45E]

5 hours ago, Jim Skelly said:

I just found my photos from 2012 ... I forgot about the other convertible.

And then there is the Hupmobile Skylark convertible in the ACD Museum.

 

[alsancle]

18 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

And then there is the Hupmobile Skylark convertible in the ACD Museum.

 

This car is for sale.

[Avanti Bill]

There are a number of great Venues near Detroit but the one they chose for this Concour just didn't work.  Most Concour quality car owners prefer to be on the grass and spread out.  Being on a parking lot even partially and in the city I think is a mistake.  Detroit may have turned around, I haven't been there in a good while, but it still doesn't have a a good reputation as far as I can see.  The cost of putting on these shows is enormous as has been pointed out and without strong corporate sponsorship and a lot of volunteer help it isn't going to succeed.