It has been couple of weeks since the Hilton Head Concours but I thought I would share what the Japanese car did versus the Italians! On November 2nd the 13th annual Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance was held at the Port Royal Golf Course. The Z was invited after a successful Pinehurst Concours this past May. The car was placed in the Sports Car- International class with 3 Ferraris and an Alfa Romeo. The 3 man judging team not only checked the cars for any flaws but you also had to demonstrate that all the lights, horn, wipers, radio and engine worked. The Alfa and one of the Ferrari Dino’s received Palmetto Awards (2nd and 3rd) and the Datsun 240Z received the Best in Class award.
There have been several additional Concours that have invited Z’s to their event. In each of the following events the Z has been very successful and again raised the flag! Those Concours d’Elegance events are: Pinehurst, Keeneland, Forest Grove and most recently Hilton Head Concours. The Forest Grove concours did have a specific class for the Z but the other three did not. But just because those events did not does not take away from their events and actually helps to place the Z against other world known sports cars. Those “other†cars included Ferraris, Alfas, Porsches, Jaguars, BMWs, Sunbeams, MGs and Volkswagens. The Z prevailed over all of these other brands! 2014 was a great year for the recognition of a car that changed the sports car world in the fall of 1969.
The concours doors are wide open for the Z and Japanese cars in general. There are numerous Datsuns, Toyotas and Hondas that will now be accepted into these events. Many of these events are now reaching out trying find Japanese vehicles for the venues so if you have one or know someone who does, urge them to get their cars out of the garage and entered into one of these events.
I recently talked with an agent for Hagerty Insurance who commented that he foresees the value of Japanese cars going up in the next year or two. That is a good sign of recognition and the future.