The Art that Moves Us: Highlights from the 29th Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance

Spectacular automotive machinery has been gathering on the broad lawn of auto magnate John Dodge's widow Matilda Dodge Wilson's baronial estate for 29 years, and this year's show was one of the most spectacular in recent memory. New chairman Larry Smith forged some meaningful changes, not least of which was the inclusion of descriptive story boards accompanying every car. Many other such shows have been doing this, and we sincerely hope Pebble Beach follows suit. Knowing a car's history brings it to life by allowing viewers to imagine owners like Olympic skater Sonja Henie or leading man Clark Gable at the helm. This year marked the first, but surely not the last appearance of a grouping of significant vintage motorcycles as well. And because Alfa Romeo was the featured marque, the Alfa Romeo Owners Club staged their national meet in conjunction with the Concours, staging a show of its own the day before, which featured the debut of some very significant Alfas. A bit of early morning rain and mist didn't dampen spirits at all, as Meadow Brook is now a rain-or-shine must-do event for the vintage car enthusiast. We've got highlights: