Dr. George Vassos’s 1932 Studebaker President convertible sedan. Photo by Gregg Merksamer, courtesy Greenwich Concours d’Elegance.
Most major concours d’elegance events run in a single day, which can be a bit overwhelming for attendees trying to take in hundreds of classic automobiles. Likewise, those passionate about American cars can be indifferent about European cars and vice versa, so the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance spreads the event over two days, with Saturday devoted to American classics and Sunday dedicated to European classics. At last weekend’s 20th-annual Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, a 1932 Studebaker President convertible sedan owned by Dr. George Vassos took Best in Show Concours Americana, while a 1936 Brough Superior 8 drophead coupe owned by Nick Grewal earned Best in Show Concours International.
Though built to rival the finest cars on the American road in the late 1920s and early 1930s (and today recognized as a CCCA Full Classic), the Studebaker President is not a model often associated with concours d’elegance wins. Struggling with sales amidst the Great Depression, Studebaker built just 2,399 Series 91 President models during the 1932 model year, and of these, just two were said to be the newly introduced convertible sedan variant.
For 1932, all President models rode on a 135-inch wheelbase and came powered by a 337-cu.in. straight eight engine, rated at 122 horsepower and equipped with nine main bearings for smoothness and durability. The Studebaker engine also came equipped with a modern air cleaner, oil filter, and fuel filter, and used vibration dampers to further smooth the engine’s operation. Such advance engineering wasn’t enough to counter the effects of a wrecked economy, and in March of 1933 Studebaker entered into receivership, only to re-emerge as a profitable entity, with Lehman Brothers financing, by year’s end.
A passionate champion of the Studebaker and Avanti brands, Dr. Vassos found his 1932 Studebaker President convertible sedan, believed to be the sole remaining example, in Mexico. With previous experience restoring a 1923 Studebaker Light Six roadster, Dr. Vassos tackled much of the car’s tear-down, refinishing and rebuilding on his own, and last weekend’s outing represented the car’s public debut.
Nick Grewal’s 1936 Brough Superior 8 drophead coupe. Photo by Andy Reid, courtesy Greenwich Concours d’Elegance.
Brough is a name most often associated with motorcycles, but the British firm also dabbled in automobiles with the Superior name from 1935 to 1939. Without the resources to develop and build a car from scratch, Brough turned to partners like Hudson and coachbuilder Atcherley of Birmingham, England. Initially, a drophead coupe was the only model offered, but later in production a saloon was added to the Brough automotive lineup.
The 1936 Brough Superior 8 used a Terraplane chassis, and early production examples received a 4.2-liter (254-cu.in.) Hudson inline eight-cylinder, rated at 113 horsepower (later examples a six-cylinder Hudson engine). With a relatively light body, the eight-cylinder Superior was said to sprint from 0-60 MPH in 10 seconds, on the way to a 90 MPH top speed, making it an impressive sports car for the day.
Nick’s Brough is one of roughly 20 built before the company switched to the six-cylinder engine, and one of just a handful of surviving eight-cylinder examples. The car was restored by Competition Motors Limited in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and debuted at the 2015 Boston Cup, where it took top honors in the British Class. His win at the Greenwich Concours International is further testament to both the quality of the car and workmanship of its restoration.
Other key category winners included the 1931 Duesenberg Model J Tourster convertible owned by Joseph and Margie Cassini, III, which captured the People’s Choice Award – American; the 1957 Ford Thunderbird of Ed and Carol Blumenthal, which captured the Chairman’s Choice Award – American; the 1914 Harley-Davidson Model K motorcycle of David Fusiak, which captured the Most Outstanding Motorcycle Award – American; the 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 cabriolet of Michael Schudroff, which captured the People’s Choice Award – International; the 1941 Tatra T87 Diplomat of Barney Hallingby, which captured the Chairman’s Choice Award – International; and the 1939 BMW R12 motorcycle of Ted Smith, which captured the Most Outstanding Motorcycle Award – International.
Look for complete results to appear on GreenwichConcours.com in the coming days.
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