Concord d'Elegance, the perfect summer affair
By Eva Dunn
For a romantic and highly nostalgic venue, you cannot surpass an afternoon wandering among vintage automobiles. Immaculately kept lawns at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys were filled with row after row of antique cars, the sun glinting off the gleaming curves of 
fenders and rumble seats. These beauties took your breath away. Marvels of design and function, classic cars will always be in high esteem for aficionados. What an exciting glimpse into the world of the vintage automobile and a wonderful way to see these classics represented over the last 100 years.
This year's 12th Annual celebration of automobile history included "Cars from the former Harrah's Automobile Collection" and the "Lincoln Continental, 1940-1960." There were over 300 entrants, including antique motorcars, vintage and American classics, and contemporary cars through 1971. This was in addition to a great lineup of vintage trailers and antique motorcycles. There was absolutely a full day's worth of cool automobile to see! New this year was two displays, one of "new performance and luxury automobiles" and a circle of "hybrid and alternate-fuel automobiles." There was 
certainly something for everyone at this elegant car show.
Our guests, Bill and Andrea Smith, had a great time enjoying the delicious buffet prepared by the Ironstone Vineyards chef to checking out all these marvelous cars. One beauty was the car owned by Lana Turner. A beautiful, soft red color with white interior, this convertible was parked on a stone dais, set apart in its glory. 
This stunning automobile was bought by a wealthy Angelino named Topping as a present for his wife, the great movie star, Lana Turner. The "T" on the grill stands for Topping & Turner. The car was originally a 1941 Chrysler Newport parade phaeton, only one of six built by the Le Baron Division of Briggs Manufacturing in Detroit.
Every car had a story; their owners were happy to share it with the guests, telling us when and how they came to purchase the car, whether it was restored or not, and a little history too. Just when I thought we had seen all the cars as we had reached the end of the lawn, it sloped down towards the left, to a large pond in the back, behind a seating and picnic area, an area I did not know existed. The gentle, sloped lawns with oaks and flowering Crape Myrtles, lovely flowers, evergreen shrubs and grape vineyards in the distance provided stunning surroundings for this annual automobile show held at Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys.
I remember thinking how lovely a wedding would be here, or how much fun just having a picnic lunch on these beautiful grounds would 
be. There were so many more cars to see on these expansive, manicured lawns. I would not want to be one of the judges, it would be too difficult to choose the best from this fantastic array of beauties. But judge they did, and here are some winners:
BEST IN SHOW went to Tom and Julie Williams of Los Altos Hills for their 1931 Pierce-Arrow Salon Series 41 LeBaron Convertible Victoria; Most Elegant Closed Car was won by Dick King, Murphys, 1913 Peerless Model 48 Town Car; Ironstone Foundation Award went to Donny Lewis of Lodi for his 1909 Rauch and Lang Electric Brougham; and the 4H Members Choice, Favorite Entry was awarded to Ted and JoAnn Raines, Rescue, for their 1930 Chris Craft Triple Cockpit Runabout.
I cannot encourage you enough to visit Ironstone Vineyards located in the historic Gold Rush town of Murphys, quietly nestled in the Sierra Foothills. Come for lunch; for a wonderful evening in the Alhambra Music room enjoying a buffet dinner, popcorn and cookies, and silent movies; visit the historic museum or the Jewelry Shoppe; have lunch at the Deli while enjoying a wine tasting; or just stroll around the lovely grounds. 
There are several events planned for the fall and winter season. Check the website often for details. The Ironstone Concours d' Elegance is presented by the Ironstone Concours Foundation, a non-profit organization. This event was a benefit for the California Agriculture Youth Development Programs, California State Fair Scholarship Fund, Calaveras County Fair Scholarship Pro-gram, and California FFA, California 4-H, Local 4-H and FFA Chapters, including Horse Classics, the Guide Dog and Service Dog program, Computer Corps and Citizenship Service Learning.
Call 209.728.1251 to reserve attendance at an event soon. You will be delighted being a part of the elegance at Ironstone. Visit online at: www.ironstonevineyards.com. Ironstone Vineyards is located at 1894 Six Mile Road, Murphys, CA.
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