Report and photos by Tom Tefelske
The sixth annual Milwaukee Masterpiece of Speed and Style celebrated Duesenberg and Alfa Romeo’s Centennial on August 21 – 22, 2010 on the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin under generally clear skies and moderate temperatures.
Saturday was “Club Day” on the show field, and over 240 cars from over 25 local and regional car clubs were on display, ranging from pre-war Jaguars and American classics to hot rods, customs and motorcycles. (After all, Milwaukee is the home of Harley-Davidson). This included a dozen Alfa Romeos ranging from 50’s Giulietta’s to a 1995 164Q, which was the last model imported by Alfa into the US prior to its re-introduction with the 8C in 2009. Another club with a strong contingent was the Jaguar club, which held its annual club concours in conjunction with Club Day.
While the clubs took control of the show field, many of the Concours d’Elegance cars took part in an 80-mile tour of the Wisconsin countryside to show that they are more than “trailer queens.” Participation in the tour was used as a tiebreaker for the Sunday Concours.
The Concours on Sunday was an invited event, and class winners from Pebble Beach and cars from Europe accepted invitations. Over 180 vehicles, which ranged from pre-war electric cars, to brass vintage, to motorcycles (Indian was the featured marque), to 50’s 60’s, 70’s and 80’s Alfas, Jaguars, Porsches and Ferraris. Special classes for Red, White, and Blue American Motors cars (another local twist, as the cars were built in Kenosha, approximately 40 miles away), European/American hybrids, Pickups, and vintage race cars were also shown. This included five HRG’s in honor of the marque’s 75th anniversary. A special class also included fire engines from 1915 to 1937.
As stated, the featured marques were Duesenberg and Alfa Romeo. A total of four Duesenbergs were on display, and a 1932 Dual Cowl Phaeton by LeBaron won Best of Show. A total of 10 Alfas were on display, including a 1932 8C 2300 Spyder by Zagato and two 6C’s including a 1942 2500 SS Berlinetta by Bertone that came from Italy and won the Chief Judge’s Award and a 1949 2500 SS Berlinetta by Pinin. Other Alfas ranged from a 1954 1900 CSS coupe to a 1971 1750 GTV.
An exhibition car that drew a lot of attention was the BAT 11kd, which was commissioned by Dr. Gary Kaberle of Traverse City Michigan. The original BAT’s (Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica) were built by Bertone on Alfa Romeo chassis to demonstrate how aerodynamics can improve a car’s performance. Gary purchased a BAT 9D off a used car lot when he was 16 using money he made working at a popcorn stand. At first, he did not know anything about the car, but once he found out, he wrote to Bertone, and they became friends. It was a car he never though he would sell, but when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, he sold it to help fund her medical treatments. This helped them have several years together before she passed. After her death, Gary commissioned Bertone to build a successor to the previous BAT’s. The finished body was unveiled during the Geneva Auto Show in 2008. Since then, Gary has used it as a “conversation starter” to promote breast cancer research and screening. Except for a showing at the Detroit Auto Show (the first time a private person, rather than an auto company, was asked to show a car there), this was the first time the car has been shown in the Midwest.
The next Milwaukee Masterpiece of Speed & Style will be held on August 26 – 28, 2011. For more information, visit www.milwaukeemasterpiece.com.
[Source: Tom Tefelske]
