1959 Triumph TR3A
Learn how Bill Neidhardt keeps his 1959 Triumph TR3A in top condition during the Car Club Jamboree.
If polished chrome, leather seats and the throaty growl of a finely tuned engine make your heart skip a beat, you’d better have a cardiologist on speed dial for the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance.
Now in its 10th year, the annual exhibition of head-turning vintage cars, motorcycles and one-of-a-kind vehicles is organized around four major events—the Savannah Speed Classic, the Motoring Midway, the Car Club Jamboree and the signature Concours d’Elegance competition.
The celebration of all things automotive begins its run on Oct. 28, and organizers expect as many as 15,000 people to attend. If you’re planning to be one of them, here’s a handy roadmap to the four major events that make up South Carolina’s hottest festival on wheels.
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Savannah Speed Classic
When: Oct. 28–30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: The Grand Prize of America Track next to the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa on Hutchinson Island, just across the state line in Savannah, Ga.
For anyone who has ever felt the “need for speed,” the Savannah Speed Classic offers a glimpse of what it’s like to be a race car driver. The weekend event, held in conjunction with Historic Sportscar Racing (the people behind the Daytona Historics), features intense competition among experienced drivers who will compete in “retired” race vehicles and high performance sports cars.
Between races, spectators can strap on a helmet and ride shotgun with drivers like Gordon King (see King of the Road) as they tool around the 1.965 mile, 10-turn track at top speeds approaching 120 mph.
“It’s an adrenaline rush,” King promises. “I like to give people an experience they’ve never had before. They watch racing on TV and say, ‘That looks so easy,’ but there are so many factors to consider—the speed, the cars around you, the wind, the bumps. There’s a lot to process.”
Got your own hot wheels? Find out what it can really do on a touring lap around the course. Luxury car dealers will also be on hand offering free testdrives through Savannah on a custom route designed to highlight performance and handling.
If you go: Tickets are $20–$25 a day or $50 for a three-day pass. The VIP Package, which includes admission for Saturday and Sunday, preferred parking, food and beverages and access to the best trackside seating, is $100. Hot laps are an additional $25 for a ride in a production sports car; $75 for a ride in a vintage race car. Riders must be at least 18 years old (ID required) and in good health. Touring laps in your own vehicle are $20 each. Participating drivers must have valid insurance and a driver’s license.
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Concours d’Elegance
When: Sunday, Nov. 6, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn Plantation, Hilton Head Island.
The Concours d’Elegance, literally translated as “parade of elegance,” is the crown jewel of the Motoring Festival and one of the top exhibitions of vintage cars in the country.
Private collectors from around the world are invited to display their finest machines, ranging from one- and two-cylinder “horseless carriages” to all-American muscle cars built before 1972—with everything else on two or four wheels in between. Many of the almost 200 cars and motorcycles that will be on display represent important advances in automobile design and engineering, says Lindsey Harrell, vice president of operations for the festival.
“It is basically an automobile museum but in the beautiful outdoor setting of Honey Horn Plantation,” she says. “These are beautiful pieces of art. You don’t have to be a car person to appreciate what you’re seeing.”
Best of all, this museum comes without glass partitions or velvet ropes. While judges evaluate the cars in 24 specific categories, as well as for the coveted “Best in Show” title, visitors are free to stroll among the cars, take pictures and even vote for their favorite to win the “People’s Choice” award at the end of the day.
If you go: Single-day tickets (which also include access to the Motoring Midway) are $35 at the gate. Parking at the Coastal Discovery Museum is $10 per car. Complimentary off-site is available at the Hilton Head Island Public School Complex.
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Motoring Midway Car Club Jamboree
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn Plantation, Hilton Head Island
Setting the stage for the Concours d’ Elegance, the Car Club Jamboree offers an equally stunning collection of lovingly restored machines. Sixteen car clubs from around the country will participate in this fun-filled exhibition.
Arguably the most nostalgic day of the festival, the event showcases a diverse mix of nearly 200 automobiles, including muscle cars, hot rods, pickup trucks and European sports cars, each telling a unique story and offering a glimpse back in time.
As they have every year since the festival began, members of the Hilton Head-based Lowcountry Oyster and Motor Car Driving Society (LOMDS) will be on hand displaying their vintage cars and talking with spectators about the joys of maintaining and driving classic automobiles, says LOMDS Vice President Bill Neidhardt.
“Come with every expectation of seeing some fine automobiles and to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to the owners and understand what it takes to restore these cars,” he says.
In the case of Neidhardt’s 1959 Triumph TR3A, “I bought it in 1979 when my wife was pregnant with our second daughter. I had it finished in time for her wedding in 2005.” He still regularly scours eBay for parts to keep it on the road because British cars have a tendency to “mark their territory,” he says with laugh. “Something’s always leaking!”
If you go: Single-day tickets (which also include access to the Motoring Midway) are $30 at the gate. Parking at the Coastal Discovery Museum is $10 per car. Complimentary off-site is available at the Hilton Head Island Public School complex.
When: Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5– 6, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn Plantation, Hilton Head Island
This year’s exhibits range from :Life in the Fast Lane” with high-performance specialty vehicles from manufacturers like Yenko, Shelby, Alpina and Ruf, to “Life in the Whoa Lane,” featuring antique horse-drawn carriages. There’s also a Kid’s Korral with plenty of interactive games and crafts, including a full-sized car that’s just waiting to be painted.The Motoring Midway—a quirky look at transportation from the past, present and future—is one of the unique features that sets the Hilton Head festival apart from other nationally acclaimed car shows.
One midway exhibit sure to generate plenty of interest is the “Road to the Future” display, featuring Palmetto Electric Cooperative’s Chevy Volt.
“This is one of the top automotive shows in the country and we’re excited to be a part of such a great event,“ says Jimmy Baker, Palmetto’s vice president of marketing and public relations.
The Volt is one of the first plug-in electric vehicles to be mass produced and offered for sale in the United States. Under the hood there’s a 100-horsepower electric motor powered by a rechargeable lithiumion battery. The car can travel 35–40 miles on a single charge and drivers can recharge the battery overnight by plugging the car into any standard 110-volt outlet, or in as little as four hours at a 240-volt charging station. As a backup, the Volt also has a small gasoline-powered generator that kicks in when the battery is drained.
Eager to test the viability of electric cars for consumers, Palmetto purchased one of the first Volts off the line and put it into service this spring. “We make every effort to stay on top of new technologies so that members have the best information possible,” Baker says.