Canada’s foremost event for classic car enthusiasts, the 7th Annual Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance, takes place this weekend on the shores of Georgian Bay near Owen Sound, Ontario.
Among the 100-plus pristine classic vehicles on display, in 19 different classes, will be a (non-judged) class of GM concept cars that includes three very special Corvair concepts from the early 1960s – the Monza GT, the Monza SS, and the Super Spyder.
The two Monza concepts, in particular, established styling elements that would carry over into GM production cars for years to come, under the direction of the company’s flamboyant design director, Bill Mitchell.
More than just styling exercises, the two were real runners, frequently doing parade laps at race tracks at major events. While production Corvairs of the period had their flat-six engines in the rear, behind the rear wheels – a la Volkswagen and Porsche – in the GT and SS concepts it was mid-mounted, ahead of the rear wheels, like the just-revealed 2020 Corvette.
Less dramatic but unique in its own right, the Super Spyder was a modified, two-seater variant of the turbocharged production ’63 Monza Spyder.
There’s another special class for cars from GM’s early ‘50s Motorama exhibits that includes a first-generation Corvette and an all-black trifecta of rare, special-edition 1953 convertibles – a Buick Skylark, Cadillac Eldorado, and an Oldsmobile Fiesta. And much more, from brass-era antiques through American muscle-cars to modern-day exotics.
The 2019 Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance takes place Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15. On Saturday, September 14, the Concours Participant Tour will take place on local county roads while a Cars & Coffee meet will take place at Cobble Beach. Sunday, September 15, the Concours d'Elegance will be held on the 18th fairway of Cobble Beach Golf Resort Community overlooking the waters of Georgian Bay.
Advance tickets are available for the Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance along with all other ancillary events at www.cobblebeachconco urs.com/visitors#Tickets.