As the car show season begins to wind down in Chicago, there is still time for a knockout event: The Geneva Concours d' Elegance. This was my first time attending this event and I have to say I was blown away. Outside of the Pebble Beach Concours, this event has the most extensive collection of automobiles from every era, manufacturer, and personal preference. Being a concours event, the focus was on clean originality, as opposed to customs and hot rods. But that doesn't mean there wasn't an occasional race car or concept car to raise the eyebrow of even the most jaded car show attendee.
This is a 1961 Mercedes 190SL - you can tell by the license plate! Grey was a popular color back then, and these days seems to have come back in vogue. The light grey interior and whitewall tires provide nice contrast, although most cars would have had skinny whitewall tires by then.
Microcars are a treat to see at any car show, and this tiny Messerschmitt Kabinenroller is no exception. It looks like something that rolled out of a future from the past. It's amazing how even the most basic transportation back then had such exquisite detailing on every surface. Don't you just want to park it in your living room!
Speaking of microcars, imagine you are the guy at the party with the Messerschmitt and all of a sudden you are no longer the star. Upstaged by a 1958 Meadows Frisky Sport! There are only 75 of these (out of a production run of 1500) left in the world, and at the time this is reported to be the only runner in the US. As eccentric as it is cute. But with only 16 horsepower, most lawn tractors will want to race!
Looking straight out of Kill Bill, the Mangusta is one bad ride. It looks especially good in silver, with muscular lines and great details. The driving position is not great, but once you open up the double clamshell in back, it becomes an art piece nobody can ignore.
While we're on the subject of Italian supercars, it's hard not to notice this Maserati Bora. The stainless steel roof is quite striking, and reflective! These have an incredibly laid back seating position, in tune with the 70s. The only thing letting this example down is the US-spec rubber impact bumpers - European examples had much more pleasing chrome bumpers.
Geneva Concours also caters to the vintage racing crowd. This 1954 Maserati is waiting for its driver to don some racing goggles and a leather helmet. Pure class.