Misselwood Concours d'Elegance

July 21, 2018 — The 9th Misselwood Concours d'Elegance at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts may have been the best yet. This antique and classic car show, held on the northern Massachusetts coast with views of the sea from high cliffs, has had its scenic setting partially spoiled with cloudy conditions, drizzle and a couple of rain-outs in its relatively short history. In fact, this year's show was moved from Sunday to Saturday after dire forecasts for all-day rain on Sunday.

But Saturday was a perfect day with abundant sun, moderate temperature and low humidity. The good weather brought out a large variety of cars, maybe not the highest number they ever had, but some of the most interesting, especially among the classic '20s and '30s models. As usual, Bella Sera Bridal held a fashion show in conjunction with the car show.

This is one of the best shows in the northeast in terms of quality of cars and its picturesque setting, in spite of unusually bad luck with the weather. However, I'm disappointed with their treatment of general admission ticket holders, who enjoyed lunch at individual tables with white tablecloths in the early years. Then we were moved to a smaller area, but still on the estate grounds. Last year we got street food off trucks in a lot next to the estate. This year, the food trucks were across the street in a parking lot with no seating. This might be expected at a cruise night, not a Concours d'Elegance charging $20 general admission. VIP tickets, now up to $80, entitle attendees to better accommodations.

In spite of this complaint, I still think it's the best show in New England. My photos of this year's show, with links to the fashion show which I've placed in separate pages, can be seen at:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/misselwood18/