PLYMOUTH, MI – With countless cruise-ins and collector car shows in the metro Detroit area, having a Concours d’Elegance in the region is a real treat for those well-heeled enthusiasts who prefer brass-era beauties over chrome lead-sleds, international exotics over hot rods and turn-of-the-century custom coachbuilders over modern mass-market machines. Indeed, the Concours d’Elegance show format dates all the way back to 17th century France, when aristocrats first paraded their custom horse-drawn carriages through Paris, and after adopting automobiles had staged public competitions to choose which manufacturers, coachbuilders or owners had the most beautiful designs in the eyes of the judges.

Following that same celebration of automotive design history, The Concours d’Elegance of America originated some 42 years ago at Oakland University’s Meadow Brook Hall, which is the historic home of Matilda Dodge Wilson, widow of automotive pioneer John Dodge. In 2011 this world-class event moved to the picturesque grounds of the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth, Michigan. After a year’s hiatus because of the pandemic, the Concours of America at St. John’s returned this year on the last weekend in July in the wake of weeks of record heavy rainfall throughout Southeast Michigan. In fact, after a severe Saturday night thunderstorm had totally waterlogged the golf course show field at the Inn at St. John’s, organizers scrambled in the middle of the night to relocate the entire event up to higher and dryer ground on the parking lots around The Inn. While some luster was lost trading the lush, elegant green fairways of St. John’s for the parking lots, the move did save the show and allowed for a more friendly and informal cars-and-coffee vibe.

Ford marketing retiree turned Ford Performance photojournalist correspondent Bill Cook, along with fellow Ford super-enthusiast Mark Storm, arrived at the show at 9 a.m. on Sunday to find that all of the more than 100 show cars were already in their newly assigned spots in front of the Inn at St. John’s, allowing the event to open to the public by 10 a.m. – a truly remarkable effort and accomplishment.

It’s quite a coincidence that this Concours will be moving next year, from July to September and from The Inn at St. John’s to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) in the city’s trendy Sugar Hill arts district along Woodward Avenue. We expect things will be much different for the 2022 event, which is now owned by Hagerty and who has partnered with the City of Detroit and the DIA to revamp the Concours d’Elegance of America in The Motor City. In the meantime, Cook offers a last look at the Concours on the grounds of The Inn, capturing some of his favorite cars on display with his trusty camera for the Ford Performance gallery below:

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY BILL COOK