Make no mistake – I don’t speak French. But every Spring, there is one French phrase that is music to my ears: Concours d’Elegance (literal translation: “Contest of Elegance”). The Ault Park Concours d’Elegance is to cars what the Academy Awards ceremony is to actors. To car enthusiasts, it is the penultimate automotive event in Cincinnati, if not the entire Midwest.

Every year, the Concours features a different marque or theme. For example, the 2006 Concours featured “Italian Beauties” – including an incredibly rare Ferrari 330 GTO owned by Jim Jaeger (who was, aptly enough, one of the guys behind the Escort radar detector); the 2007 event featured “Legends of British Motoring,” with honorary Grand Marshall (and British racing legend) Vic Elford. This year’s Concours will feature “Red Hot Rides: Ferraris and Fire Engines.” I can already envision the sea of red canvassing Ault Park.

Ferrari 275 GTB/4

Aside from classes within the featured marque or theme, cars of important historical significance come from all around the country to compete in numerous individual classes, including: Antique (through 1924); Pre-War Classic 1925 – 1934; Collector Foreign 1946 – 1975; Sports (Collector) 1960 -1975; Racing (all years); motorcycles and more. While all of the cars are competing for “Best in Class” or the coveted “Best in Show,” the real “winners” of the Concours are car enthusiasts like you and me. Essentially, what you’re getting is a complete automotive history on display for everyone to enjoy.

This year’s show will also have a few special displays, including the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 and the 50th anniversary of the Jaguar XKE. So how did Cincinnati become home of one of the most prestigious automotive events in the country?

The inaugural Concours was held in 1978 at the estate of William and Helen Williams. Developed in conjunction with the Ohio River Valley Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, the inaugural event honored a good friend of Ms. Williams named Bill Rudd who, like me, had severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. Now, 33 years later, the Concours still benefits the Arthritis Foundation – but the event has blossomed into a three-day automotive extravaganza that no car enthusiast should miss!

It all kicks off on Friday night with a fantastic gala fundraising event. Featuring cocktails, dinner and a live auction, this elegant affair is a great way to start the weekend. Previous venues – including the beautiful Greenacres Arts Center in Indian Hill and the Drees Pavilion in Devou Park – provide an elegant backdrop for the vintage and highly collectable automobiles on hand. This year’s “Cruisin’ for a Cure” gala will be held at the Glendale Lyceum in historic Glendale, with entertainment provided by the Rob Allgeyer Jazz Trio. Tickets are $125 or $1,200 for a patron table of eight.

The excitement builds on Saturday with the annual Countryside Tour. Folks from all walks of life – and in all types of cool cars – meet up in Mariemont Square at high noon before hitting the open road. This is the perfect way to experience a remarkable collection of automobiles doing what they were intended to do! Best of all, if you’d like to participate, it’s only $35 per car – so why not load up the convertible and take the family along for the ride?

Interior of a vintage Maserati at last year's Garage Party

Saturday evening brings one of my favorite events of the year. The Garage Party provides a unique opportunity to see numerous rare and collectable automobiles in a more relaxed, intimate setting. In fact, in previous years, the event was hosted at Zakira’s Garage – one of the finest restoration shops in the Midwest. Attendees got a special treat: seeing vintage sports, collector and racing cars in various stages of the restoration process. There’s also a great silent auction, featuring everything from original artwork and auto memorabilia to hard-to-find parts for your own restoration project. Another highlight? Check out the parking lot. Many car owners drive their prized possessions out for a night on the town before showing them off Sunday morning (and occasionally, there might be one or two with a “for sale” sign in the window – so keep an eye out for those opportunities!).

This year’s Garage Party will once again be hosted by Porsche of the Village, Maserati of Cincinnati, Volvo of Cincinnati and Beechmont Audi at their dealerships near Mariemont Square. Tickets are $85.

The weekend culminates Sunday morning with the actual Concours d’Elegance. The gardens at Ault Park are magically transformed into an automotive Garden of Eden. Of course, the only temptation here might be to slip behind the wheel when no one’s looking (helpful hint: don’t do that). Traversing row after row of automotive perfection can be a dizzying experience for any car buff. From massive 1930s saloons to high performance exotics; from muscle cars of the ‘60s and ‘70s to one-off vintage Ferrari race cars – they’re all here. And they’re all, for lack of a better word, perfect.

For many people with cars on display, the Concours d’Elegance is a family affair. Just ask Kurt Niemeyer. His family’s love affair with Alfa Romeos began with his father, Bill. Already racing Austin Healys and an Abarth Record Monza Coupe, Bill Niemeyer added an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder to his stable in 1960 “and the adventure with the little Italian cars began.”

Kurt's father, Bill (blue Alfa) and his uncle Tom (ivory Alfa)

“The Alfa was the first race car I remember in the garage,” says Kurt. “I was eye level with the badge on the grill and could barely see over the fenders as my Dad and uncles tuned the cars for maximum speed; it was all very fascinating to a three year old boy.”

Kurt bought his own first Alfa Romeo as a teenager – a 1962 Giulietta Spyder. “I had the cash from working part time and bought the car,” he recalls. “To a 17-year-old a red Alfa was more attractive than college….and in the end probably cheaper!”

Over time, the family added other Alfa Romeos to their collection – including a 1978 Spyder Veloce, a 1967 Duetto Spyder and a 1987 Quadrifoglio. These days, Kurt continues the family tradition by presenting a special award at the Concours in his father’s name.

“The William Niemeyer Sr. Award for Best Alfa Romeo was initiated in 2009 to honor dad’s commitment to the Concours event,” says Kurt. “As the long time recruiter for the Sports Classic Class – sports cars up to 1959 – he always tried to draw Alfas to the display for everyone to enjoy as he did.”

The first two cars to win the award were impeccable examples of Italian form and function. “The first recipient was a local car,”  says Kurt. It was a 1964 Alfa SZ Coda Trunca, “a beautiful car belonging to a good friend and fellow Alfa enthusiast.” In 2010, the 100^th anniversary of Alfa Romeo, the award went to a 1949 Alfa 6C2500ss Cabriolet, “a gorgeous car that had stunned the crowd at Pebble Beach a few years prior.

Kurt says some of the finest examples of Alfa Romeos are right here in town. “Cincinnati has been a hotbed of Alfa activity, with many historically significant and racing cars calling the area home.” He loves the fact that “local folks race, show and enjoy their Alfas.”

Unrestored Ferrari 250 from a friend's collection

Of course, Alfas are just one of the many marques on display at the Ault Park Concours d’Elegance. Every car has a story of its own. And every owner has a story about how he/she came to own the car. The best tales involve purchasing a rolling chassis (sans motor) and then conducting a cross-country search to track down said motor so restoration could begin. Even more interesting are the growing number of collectors who choose not to restore their vehicles, often for historically referential purposes.

For the most part, the cars on display at the Concours have had every single nut and bolt lovingly and painstakingly restored to its original glory. Their history is fully and completely documented. And the people judging the cars know that history inside and out. The cars on display at the Concours d’Elegance don’t just show up; they have to be invited or approved. You, however, have an open invitation to check them all out. Individual adult tickets to the Ault Park Concours are available online for $20 each, or four for $60.

Finally – and you’ll be glad I remembered this one – the Ault Park Concours d’Elegance is offering the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any car enthusiast: a four day trip for two to “Muscle Cars at the Mansion.” That’s at the Playboy Mansion, kids. Hugh Hefner’s place. The winner receives round-trip airfare from any continental U.S. destination to Los Angeles; four nights’ accommodations in a private, poolside cabana at the Beverly Hilton; your choice of a tour of the Peterson Automotive Museum or a shopping experience at The Grove; invitation to an exclusive “Muscle Cars at the Mansion” pre-party in the Stardust room at the Beverly Hilton; a side trip to Venice Beach; ground transportation to and from the airport and all included events; and of course, tickets to “Muscle Cars at the Mansion” – complete with a private tour of Hef’s game room, animal sanctuary, food and open bar. Tickets are $100 each, and only 499 will be sold!

To purchase raffle tickets, event tickets or for more information on the Ault Park Concours d’Elegance, visit the official website at http://ohioconcours.com. Hope to see you at this year’s event!