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.
