HOW THE GREENWICH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE CAME TO BE

Bruce and Genia Wennerstrom with their matched pair of custom-built high-performance Bitter SC automobiles from Germany.

       Bruce Wennerstrom, when asked how he came to be so passionate about automobiles, replied, "In their teens, guy's hormones and gasoline all get mixed up together. Most outgrow it - I never did."
       His artist/author wife, Genia, shares his broad interest in cars and motorsports, and they've attended races from Formula 1 events in Europe, to the 24 Hours of LeMans in France, to vintage races at Lime Rock and other regional tracks. They also partcipate regularly in concours. Bruce is also editorial director and on-air host of Cablevision's "Classic Cars on Mag Rack" video-on-demand series.
       In explaining the appeal of car collecting, Bruce noted that "the true collector gets the same aesthetic thrill from owning and looking at a classic car as other people get from owning and looking at a beautiful painting or piece of sculpture."
       The Wennerstroms thought their hometown of Greenwich was the ideal location for a true world-class concours and created the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance . It's now recognized as one of the top events of its kind in the country. The event helps benefit AmeriCares, a favorite charity of theirs.
       From the start, the town has been very supportive, from Town Hall to the many collectors who reside in Greenwich.
       A great deal of the concours' success is attributable to the help of the Wennerstrom's sons, daughter, and daughter-in-laws, all of whom are involved in the event, and to the Wennerstrom's wide circle of friends in the automotive field. Bruce and Genia know the top executives of many of the car companies, and they're both close to hundreds of car collectors and racing figures. Each month they preside over the luncheon meeting of the Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society, a media based group of enthusiasts that's been meeting at Sardi's since 1957.
       The Geenwich Concours consists of two separate events. Saturday's Greenwich Concours d'Elegance features pre-WWII  and post-WWII domestic cars. Sunday's Greenwich Concours Europa focuses solely on pre-WWII and post-WWII European sports, touring, and competition cars. Both events also include vintage motorcycles, aircraft, and boats. Both events are invitational. Collector-car owners interested in participating should contact the Greenwich Concours by telephone, mail or E-mail.

Greenwich Concours d' Elegance
Phone/Fax: (203) 618-0460
E-mail: GreenwichConcour@aol.com