(Photo: The legend, Sir Stirling Moss, with Lady Susie. Number 722 commemorates one of the greatest drives of all time, his record-setting win in the Mille Miglia in 1955, at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. That was the number on his car.)
The ears prick up, and goose bumps appear on the arms. Dennis Little is telling how the Santa Fe Concorso, which just completed its second year, came about.
“Phil Hill and his wife Alma were visiting, and we had them over for dinner, along with Denise McLuggage. And Phil, who really loved Santa Fe, kept asking, when are you going to do a concours here?
(2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster, exhibited by Mercedes-Benz USA of Montvale, NJ.)
“And then, of course, he passed away. And my wife Beverly said to me, maybe it’s time to do it… there’s a generation that’s slipping away. And so we took it on.”
Dennis is no slouch himself. He’s the former Chief Designer, Cadillac Studio, now retired. He’s been a judge at Meadowbrook, and he’s been visible at Pebble Beach for many years.
What this small group did was start calling their friends… for example, Denise called Bill Warner, the vision behind Amelia Island… they formed a committee, divided responsibilities, and an event took shape.
Dennis says they found a niche in the galaxy of car events, a high-quality “boutique” concours. The event was limited 60 cars, grouped under three themes: “The Need for Speed,” “125 Years of the Automobile” and “Motorcycles.”
(1931 W.O. Bentley 4/8-Litre Le Mans, owned by Kurt P. Furger of Conifer, CO. One of ten 4-litre chassis fitted with an 8-litre engine, combining the best chassis and the most powerful W.O. engine)
(Horses and horsepower; at the Santa Fe Concorso they seemed to mesh very well.)
They also found an excellent venue in La Mesita Equestrian Ranch, just outside Santa Fe. Did the juxtaposition of horses and horsepower have anything to do with the ambiance? As various engines were turned over and leaped into life during the course of the event, you could almost hear a neigh of approval from the adjacent stables.
(According to Ben Cohen of Tucson, AZ, owner of the 1961 Lotus Elite, Stirling said to him that he had one, once. He thought it was a terrible car….)
And, yes, that WAS Stirling Moss and his wife Susie, there thanks to the good graces of Mercedes-Benz, zipping by, at the wheel of a golf cart which sported the hallowed number 722 on the side, only to jump off to quiz the owner of an original Lotus Elite.
Mark your calendar for Sept. 28-30, 2012.
*Words and Photos by Dick Badler…one of the newest members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. When not driving or writing about Porsches, Badler contributes to TFLcar.com.
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