March 6th, 2019
Media registration for the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s is now open. The Automotive Heritage Awards venue, as most of you know, is in the Brembo media hospitality tent at the Concours on show day, July 28th at 10 AM. In order to attend the program, you’ll need either a media credential or a special early-access ticket that we can help arrange. We encourage all our media colleagues to get credential early at https://concoursusa.org/news-media/media-credentials/ The Concours of America is one of the most prestigious shows of its kind in the country, not to be missed by those who love classic and collector vehicles.
What auto heritage-related stories have you told in calendar 2018 of which you are most proud? Entries are open for the AHA Journalism Competition, just one of our four distinct awards programs. We’ll honor the stories best told in 10 categories that relate to automotive heritage, culture and related topics. (See the Website for details.) Entry deadline is May 31st. Entry fee is $50 if submitted before May 1st, and $60 after that. Beautiful trophies by Alex Buchan go to the best in each category with gold, silver and bronze medals to others deserving recognition. Gary Witzenburg and Csaba Csere will oversee the judging by experienced and respected journalists.
The National Automotive History Collection at the Detroit Public Library is on board again as a lead sponsor and will present their Future Collectible Vehicle of the Year Award. Let us know if you would like to nominate a vehicle – new or substantially refreshed and introduced during calendar 2018, sold in the U.S. and under $100,000. We’re looking for the vehicle that will be seen at car shows 25 years hence. The decision will be made by members of the NAHC under the leadership of Richard Kollins. Last year’s winning vehicle was the Corvette Z06 and GM VP Mark Reuss attended to accept the award.
We are planning a ceremony in April for our Lifetime Achievement Award permanent trophy as it is readied for the LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. Our friend and supporter, Alex Buchan, one of the best-known automotive fine art sculptors in the country, created a large bust of famous driver from the early days of auto racing, Louis Chevrolet, on a large walnut base upon which will be brass plates honoring all previous winners from the International Automotive Media Competition. The late Tony Swan led this award team last year. The team chose Peter Egan for his lifetime of exceptional work. Nominations for that award can be made through our Website.Veteran auto journalist Jim McCraw is leading that effort for 2019.
We created the Automotive Heritage Foundation in early January, a charitable non-profit, to be the fiduciary for the Automotive Heritage Awards and related projects. We are in the process of creating a variety of projects in partnership with a remarkably dedicated and active group of organizations and individuals with similar missions – the MotorCities National Heritage Area, America’s Automotive Trust, the Society of Automotive Historians, the National Automotive History Collection, the Automotive Hall of Fame, the Concours d’Elegance of America and the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation.
We invite individuals and organizations who share our passion for automotive history and culture to support the Automotive Heritage Awards though sponsorship from $250 to $5,000. You’ll find those details on the Website.
Steve Purdy, stevepurdy3@gmail.com, 517-655-3591
Angie Bournias, angieabb@aol.com, 313-670-6682
