The Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, founded 30 years ago by Genia and Bruce Wennerstrom has become an institution and the premier and longest-running automotive concours in the Northeast. It is held annually, around the end of May, beginning of June, at the picturesque Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, Connecticut—just 30 miles from New York City. The park is a peninsula surround by the ocean waters of the Long Island Sound.
The Wennerstroms had been ingrained in the New England automotive culture by running this event, as well as the Madison Avenue Sports Car Driver and Chowder Society (one of the oldest car clubs in the US, est.1957). Their deep passion was instrumental in creating a sort of large-scale car-enthusiasts family that regularly came together to enjoy their mutual automotive passion with a lot of close and personal interactions. The Wennerstroms created a real community, where extensive groups of enthusiasts would personally get to know and befriend each other. Genia Wennerstrom passed away in 2011, and her husband Bruce Wennerstrom followed her only four years later at the age of 88—in my very subjective personal opinion, due to a broken heart.
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Subsequently the management of the concourse–by now a proper institution in American car culture–went through a number of changes and was eventually acquired (as so many other iconic automotive events in the US) by the Hagerty Classic Car Insurance Company. Hagerty, now running the event in its 6th year, changed the vibes considerably.
As is the trend in our modern American world, big corporations buying up smaller successful enterprises and run them in a more “efficient” centrally controlled corporate style.
In this particular case, many local vendors were eventually prized out, entry fees and admissions for the public increased dramatically and central control (i.e. for marketing) appears to run counterproductive to the local community-soul that characterized the identity of the event for decades. The format of the multi-day event is being changed from year to year as the company—in their effort to “improve things” —is trying to find its way.
This year’s Facebook ads, leading up to the event, show interchangeable pretty people standing at exclusive out-door bar counters, sipping Champagne. A cliché luxury life style is being promoted that ironically is much less relatable than the previously existing authentic enthusiasts’ life style, that was very inclusive, friendly, warmhearted, personal and human. That genuine life style included some of the very top collectors not only from the American North East but the entire country. And many of those collectors do now stay away.
And once again, for the 30 Year Anniversary, the management came up with something “new:”
The Saturday (of the main two days; Saturday and Sunday) was now advertised as:
“The Greenwich Concours de Sport
Join us Saturday to celebrate innovation, performance, and motorsport heritage at The Greenwich Concours de Sport, where more than 135 sports cars, racing machines, and one-of-a-kind vehicles will showcase their fascinating histories and unique qualities.”
— Greenwich Concourse Website
… and with it came its very own concours, a “Concours de Sport “ for these exact types of cars.
I was excited!
My interest, personally and professionally, sits right on the intersection of classic high-performance and sports cars as well as vintage racing machines and that is how I interpreted “performance, and motorsport heritage […] and […] 135 sports cars, racing machines, and one-of-a-kind vehicles.”
Physically, living now for over a decade in the middle of the Westchester, Connecticut and, in a wider sense, the New England car-scene, I know what incredibly famous and iconic cars (belonging precisely to the aforementioned group) are out there—even where many of them are “parked.” I was very excited to see them all now piled up at Greenwich.
Now to be fair, I did not visit the “Sunday,” with the traditional Concours d’Elegance proper, which apparently was great–but my expectation for the new Concours de Sport was not met.
Yes, there were a few usual suspects such as the wonderful Nick Soprano who showed his incredible Maserati 450 S V8, one of only 10 ever made and the fastest race car at the time. And that car promptly won ‘Best of Show’ Concours de Sport. Deserved!
(Below with Nick Soprano himself on the very left)
And there were a few other exciting cars such as the rarely seen 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO Series II, one of seven. Clearly a proper grail car and fabulous to see in the metal. Further worthy mentions were an incredibly well restored Mercedes 300SL Gullwing with Rudge wheels and all, as well as a splendid 1959 Porsche 718 RSK, curtesy of the Revs Institute. See pictures below.
Naturally there were a few more terrific cars but compared to what the East Coast scene has to offer, I was underwhelmed. You can see much more interesting, iconic and historically relevant performance, and motorsport heritage racing machines in any given year at the Historic Festival at Lime Rock Park. There you may even see an original unrestored 250GTO on the track, still racing.
However, thankfully we have a capable “next generation” of Connecticut’s die-hard car aficionados coming into their own, one of which is Nat Mundy and his young and dynamic crew of HK Motorcars.
Declaimer: I have no ties to HK Motorcars and we are not getting paid for this article by them in any way, but I do know Nat since a long time and think he is really passionate, talented and capable–so I am somewhat bias.
HK Motorcars deals in what is still called “Resto-Mods” even though that does not hit the mark. Nat’s company sells many of the new startup brands that take classic automotive concepts from the 70s, 80s and 90s and upgrade them for 2026 and beyond. Here you can find brands like Kimera, Fifteen Eleven, HWA EVO (top), Kindred (above), Evoluto (on the very bottom), Nardone, Gunther Werks (below), and many others that got Nat enthusiastic about dealing in these cars.
His car display gathered a massive crowd all day long (below). The cars HK Motorcars offer are the 2026 versions of performance and motorsport racing machines–but with a new twist. They hit a nerve with a younger crowd, that still has enough sentimental appreciation for the classics of bygone eras but love the up-to-date cutting-edge technology under the skin. And I have to admit; I, too, find these cars very cool.
The crowd bombards the HK Motorcar display with great interest all day.
The most outrageous one is of course the Kimera EVO38, described by Nat as a “chainsaw.” It is a reimagined Lancia Group B rally car for the street, based on the chassis of old Lancia Beta Mote Carlos but build new from the ground up. 600 Horsepower moving only 1,100 kilogram.
This specific, blue car follows Kimera’s tradition where every single car caries a female name. And since this is Nat’s personal car it carries his wife’s name as can be seen in the carbon fiber doorframe cover below.
Since the coach built cockpit looked so very inviting we decided to sit down in it with Nat for an interview, which you can watch below.
On the more modest end of the spectrum sits the Porsche 914, meticulously reimagined by Fifteen Eleven. A mid mounted flat six with 380 horses promises to be a very visceral proposition.
Another most magnificent car of the many that HK Motorcars showed at the event, was the Ferrari based 355 by Evoluto, which was designed in collaboration with Ian Cullum. While the weight is down to 1,250kg, the 3.7L puts out more than 470HP. But above all, it is how bespoke this car is put together (inside and out) that blew this writer’s mind, as one can see below.
The big question is” What is this phenomenon called “Resto-Mods?” …especially when it comes to the very high-end ones with an over half-a-million price tag? Is this hype? Is this a fad? Or are bespoke and “re-imagined” icons of the automotive heritage here to stay? Watch my interview with the man who bets on it with his entire business preposition: Nat Mundy.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/PMX9gcQ409w
Text, pictures and video by Alexander Davidis for DF MEDIA and CARCULTURE.TV
