Car Show Lures Rich, Famous & Just Curious

Thousands of car aficionados from around the world are descending upon Greenwich this weekend with the 16th annual Greenwich Concours d'Elegance.

The array of expensive and antique cars are displayed Saturday and Sunday at on Arch Street in Greenwich. Admission is $25; $40 for a two-day pass.

The Greenwich Concours draws a Who's Who in the automotive collecting and car magazine publishing worlds including actor Edward Herrmann, who is back again this year as the show's chief judge. Even television's David Letterman has shown his cars at the show.

Described as a "Festival of  Speed and Style," the show has become an annual rite of late spring on the first weekend of every June. It's the brainchild of Greenwich resident Bruce Wennerstrom and his wife Genia, who passed away May 11.

The couple, long-time car enthusiasts and collectors, have developed the show into a two-day affair with American cars featured on Saturday and foreign cars on Sunday. There's also an auction of cars organized by Bonhams to be held at noon Sunday.

Each year, the show benefits the Stamford-based international relief agency AmeriCares. Wennerstrom said the show has raised about a $500,000 for the charity. "Curt Welling, the CEO of AmeriCares, says 97 percent of their donations are goods, and that 'You give us the cash,' that helps them deliver those supplies," Wennerstrom said.

The auction at noon on Sunday will feature more than 80 cars including the 1968 Maserati owned by the late entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and the 1928 Rolls Royce driven by Robert Redford and Mia Farrow in the classic movie "The Great Gatsby." Wennerstrom said the auction draws collectors from around the world who either travel to Greenwich or bid on the baubles by telephone.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, rain or shine. For more information, log on to www.greenwichconcours.com.