1929 Lincoln LeBaron Aero Phaeton takes Best of Show at Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance

1929 Lincoln LeBaron Aero Phaeton. Photos courtesy Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance.

The 1938 Buick Y-Job, styled by Harley Earl, is often credited with being the very first concept car. Several examples pre-date this, including a 1929 Lincoln with phaeton coachwork by LeBaron inspired by airplane design and meant to demonstrate Ford’s commitment to the aircraft industry, at a time when the company’s Tri-Motor was a resounding success. Last weekend, this 1929 Lincoln LeBaron Aero Phaeton, owned by Stan Lucas of Long Beach, California, took Best of Show Concours d’Elegance honors at the 2017 Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance in Beverly Hills, California.

Coachbuilder LeBaron shaped the aluminum boattail phaeton body with a non-functional vertical rudder in the rear, and mounted it atop a Lincoln L-series chassis powered by a 384.8-cu.in., 60-degree, L-head V-8 rated at 90 horsepower. The concept’s front fenders were meant to resemble wings, while the dual cockpits were inspired by open biplane designs of a slightly earlier time. Full wheel covers enhanced aerodynamics, and the instrumentation included a compass and altimeter.

Following the car’s completion, it was shown at the October 1928 Paris Auto Salon and the January 1929 National Automobile Show at New York’s Grand Central Palace. At the conclusion of the New York show, the Lincoln was sent on a tour of the United States, with stops in Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Los Angeles; San Francisco; and Seattle, and it was at this final venue that the car was sold to its first owner, the operator of a Washington state airline.

Under the care of its current owner, the Lincoln LeBaron Aero Phaeton was shown (but not judged) at Pebble Beach in 2013.

1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Berlinetta.

The Best of Show Concours de Sport award was presented to a 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Berlinetta owned by A & A Premier Classics of Missoula, Montana. Of the roughly seventeen 500 Mondials built by Ferrari, just two were constructed with Berlinetta (coupe) bodywork from Pininfarina, while the remainder were open-cockpit spiders. While most Ferraris of the day relied upon a V-12 beneath the hood, the 500 Mondial was powered by a 2.0-liter double-overhead camshaft four-cylinder, fed by a pair of Weber DC03 carburetors and rated at 170 horsepower.

The Ferrari 500 Mondial Berlinetta shown at Greystone is believed to be a three-time Mille Miglia entrant (1955-’57), and is also believed to have raced in the 1954 Tour de France.

Ferraris on display at Greystone Mansion.

Look for a complete list of winners to be posted to the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance website in the near future.