Group focused on elevating annual auto, truck and motorcycle show to world-class status
Milwaukee, Wis. – December 12, 2013 — A group of Milwaukee-area business people including automobile, truck and motorcycle aficionados have formed a new corporation, The Masterpiece Ltd., to grow the Milwaukee Masterpiece®, an annual event that celebrates the history and art of automobiles, trucks and motorcycles, to nationally recognized status.
“Through this action we are building on the nine-year history of the Milwaukee Masterpiece,” said Leon Flagg, chairman of The Masterpiece Ltd. “Our goal is to elevate the Masterpiece to a status similar to the Pebble Beach, Calif., and Amelia Island, Fla., competitions. We want to be among the top four or five events that attract participants and amazing vehicles from across North America.
“From the start nine years ago, we always held the belief that we could make the Milwaukee Masterpiece® a prominent destination for auto, truck and motorcycle collectors as well as spectators,” Flagg said.
Attendance at the two-day event has grown steadily, according to Flagg. More than 3,000 spectators viewed nearly 200 pristine vehicles of nearly every make at the 2013 event.
A key feature of the Milwaukee Masterpiece is the annual focus on a specific manufacturer, whether domestic or foreign. Over the years, the Masterpiece has featured Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin among others. In 2014, the Masterpiece will celebrate its 10th anniversary of this prestigious event by displaying the best of the prior years’ entrants as well as more than 100 new participants. In addition to Sunday’s juried concours d’elegance, regional area car clubs and their members are invited to display their favored vehicles in Club Saturday At The M which begins with a parade in the morning originating at the Harley-Davidson Museum and ending at the lakefront. Saturday’s well-attended event attracts some 400 vehicles.
Since its inception, the event has raised some $150,000 in support of charity in the greater Milwaukee area. Going forward, the event will continue to support charitable programs that provide medical and social services to underprivileged children and families.
Other members of the corporation include Ron Pace, vice president; Gary Messing, secretary; Renee Messing, treasurer; and directors Mike O’Krongly and Karl Wuesthoff.
Plans are under way for the 10th edition of the Milwaukee Masterpiece, Aug. 23 – 24.
The Masterpiece Ltd. is organized and operated exclusively to support other public charities including but not limited to those operating in southeastern Wisconsin which provide medical and social service care and relief to underprivileged children and families through various motor vehicle-related fundraising events.