Milwaukee, Wis. – June 10, 2019 –The Milwaukee Concours d’Elegance is steeped in history. Proof of that is the pedigree of four prestigious, glamorous cars from the 1920s and ‘30s that will compete for the judges’ attention on Aug. 4 in Veterans Park. The vehicles include a 1925 Marmon Phaeton, 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom, a 1928 Graham-Paige 835 Boat Tail Speedster, and a 1935 Amilcar G36 Pegase.
Did you know that a Marmon Wasp won the first Indy 500 in 1911? The 1925 Marmon Phaeton to be shown at the Milwaukee Concours d’Elegance is not the same as the Indy winner but it is a showstopper.
Of the 300 Marmons known to still exist, this 1925 Phaeton is the only known survivor of this series of car. It was first purchased new by Cebert Holmes who made his wealth in the department store business in California; he would go on to purchase a total of three Marmons. This was quite the accomplishment as between 1902 and 1933 the low-volume, high-quality Marmons produced in Indianapolis were priced about the same as a nice home.
Carl and Carrol Jensen of Mukwonago, Wis., are the second owners of this 1925 Phaeton. They noted this car was used in a photo shoot for the Sea Breeze Beach Club in Santa Monica, Calif., in 1926. Definitely a prestigious car with a glamorous history.
Rolls Royce is a name everyone has heard, and the name is still synonymous with wealth and style. All four of the automobiles you are reading about are known for their status in the early years of the automobile manufacturing business; only Rolls Royce is still being produced.
The 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom I is not a race car, but it is loaded with style. The car has a 7.7-liter overhead valve engine that can propel the car to a top speed of 90 miles per hour. The 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom I was the most expensive body style that Rolls Royce made at that time. It has an all-weather body of which only three were produced by coach builder Windovers.
This Rolls Royce was almost lost due to being abandoned in a field for 25 years before it was resurrected by Wendell Smith of St. Louis, Mo., who did a personal restoration on the car. Smith mentioned the Rolls Royce looks very formal with the top up but looks very sporty with the top down. He also noted his car is the only one known to still exist in this body style.
We all know Rolls Royce, but another prestigious automobile from the era is the 1928 Graham-Paige 835 Boat Tail Speedster by Hays-Hunt. This Graham-Paige exhibits custom coachwork making it the only one known to exist. This 1928 Graham-Paige is the earliest 8-cylinder Graham-Paige known to exist and the 8-cylinder engine is 322 cubic inches. Roy Margenau, Grass Lake, Mich., is the owner of the car and said seat belts are the only addition to the original body; the original color is unknown.
Another car with a racing history and prestige is the 1935 Amilcar G36 Pegase. The Amilcar G36 Pegase was a car that was raced in both Grand Prix and LeMans in Europe. Due to its racing history at the Circuit de Monterrey, the engine was replaced but period correct while the rest of the car remains original. The body was designed by George Ham at Figoni et Falaschi, and the car was shown at the Salon de Paris in October 1935. Ralph Bonanotte, Mokena, Ill., said only two Pegase G36 Racer Grand Sport series were produced in 1935. This roadster is the only one known to still exist. Surely an automobile to be admired.
All these cars are great examples of prestige and glamour from a bygone era. All can be seen at the 15th anniversary of the Milwaukee Concours d’Elegance. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at: https://www.masterpieceltd.org/product/event-tickets/
The Masterpiece Ltd., host of the Milwaukee Concours d’Elegance, is organized to support other public charities. The charities provide social service care and relief services to underprivileged children and families. The funding for these various organizations comes from various motor vehicle related fundraising events. Learn more about the Milwaukee Concours d’Elegance at MilwaukeeConcours.com.