We Came, We Drove, We Conquered...

Here are some photos of the fabulous Gold Rush Girls hot off the press from the 53rd annual Hillsborough Concours. It was a splendid day, the weather cooperated, and a good time was had by all. More photos to come! Photos (C) Jonathan Parnell 2009.

We Came, We Drove, We Conquered...

Little Deuce Coupe!

Little Deuce Coupe!

Shout Out to Mollie Stones

Hillsborough Concours would like to thank Mollie Stone's owner Dave Bennett and general manager Mark Luchesi for their continued and generous support of the Car Show and HSF.

Please support them!
www.molliestones.com

Shout Out to Mollie Stones

Look Who Will Be at Hillsborough Concours

Active 49ers:
Nate Clements
Tarrell Brown
Delanie Walker

Alumni 49ers:
Eric Wright
Steve Bono
Keena Turner
Guy McIntyre

49ers Owner:
John York

Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance is Sunday, May 3rd, from 10-4pm. Special exhibits of green cars, vintage boats, motorcyles and antique cars.

Look Who Will Be at Hillsborough Concours

49er Cheerleaders at Concours on May 3rd

It's not just Cars and Sports. It's also the Gold Rush girls...

The Hillsborough Concours in concert with the 49er Foundation, is raising money for the 49er Academy, a non-profit to help underprivileged kids in East Palo Alto.

Come out, show your support... and meet some Gold Rush girls...

49er Cheerleaders at Concours on May 3rd

The Answer is YES!

To answer the question everyone is asking, yes, Tesla Motors will be at the Hillsborough Concours. They will be setting up their tent and Tesla Roadsters on the upper field in the Green Vehicle Special Display, between North and Crocker. Come check them out!

The Answer is YES!

The Question is Do You Feel Lucky?

It's all sports and cars in the Hillsborough Concours' SEVEN WAYS TO WIN raffle.

Read 'em and weep:

• 2009 LX150 Vespa
  Valued at $4399
  Courtesy of Veracom Automotive Group
  
  
• 49ers VIP Experience
  4 Training Camp VIP passes,
  4 pre-game sideline passes,
  4 home game tickets, parking pass and more.
  Valued at $1,200
  Courtesy of 49ers Foundation
  
  
• Audi Sportscar Experience @ Infineon
  This Audi TTS One-Day Program offers fundamental exercises,
  followed by a half day on the track in.
  Valued at $2690
  Courtesy of Audi Sportscar Experience
  
  
• Toyota Save Mart 350
  4 tickets to The Toyota Save Mart 350 at Infineon raceway.
  Valued at $560.00
  Courtesy of Northern California Toyota Dealership
  
  
• SF Giants Baseball package
  Sunday 8-30-09 vs Colorado Rockies
  4 Club level seats with parking
  Courtesy of Hoffman/Lewis Advertising
  
  
• JATO Aviation
  1 hour in a Cirrus SR20 aircraft
  Valued at $285
  Courtesy of JATO Aviation
  
  
• JATO Aviation
  1 hour in a Cessna 182 aircraft
  Valued at $285
  Courtesy of JATO Aviation
  
  

Tickets are $20 each, with a book of six for $100. Purchase your tickets at the following locations:

• Veracom
• Automotive Group
• Kerns Fine Jewelry in Burlingame
• Pacific Athletic Club
• HSF Office
• Trio Hair Salon
• Neo Hair Salon
• Tickets to be sold at Molly Stones by HSF volunteers starting 4/24.

Rules
Please check one item per raffle ticket.
Tickets will be placed in separate prize drawing boxes.
Need not be present to win.

We reserve the right to select a raffle item for you if your ticket does not have a preference checked. Valid driver's license is prize winner's responsibility.

The Question is Do You Feel Lucky?

Savor the Exhiliration of the Audi Driving Experience!

YOU... THE TRACK... THE TRUTH...
Discover your potential behind the wheel. The Audi sportscar experience at the Audi Forum Sonoma is where you can drive the acclaimed Audi R8, and all of the Audi S Line models, around the twists, turns and undulations of Infineon Raceway. Find out first hand why, at the limit of performance, there is Truth in Engineering. Inquire promptly as opportunities are limited. Visit www.audidrivingexperience.com/ASE



The Audi Driving Experience is part of the Hillsborough Concours raffle. Be sure and enter, to win one of 5 fabulous one-of-a-kind prizes.

Savor the Exhiliration of the Audi Driving Experience!

The Tango as a Snow Plow

The Tango as a Snow Plow

Was that George Clooney's TANGO on El Camino?

Perhaps some of you folks have already seen George Clooney's electric Tango zipping along the streets of Hillsborough, Burlingame and San Mateo. Sadly, George is not IN IT, but his Tango will be on view at the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, May 3rd.

George's Tango is also up for sale, so come check it out. We did find a cell phone secreted away in the back (not George's) - but who knows what YOU might find.

Order tickets conveniently on our blog.

Was that George Clooney's TANGO on El Camino?

It's Easy Being Green at the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

Want to drive a more environmentally friendly car, but not sure what your options are? Now's your chance to see what is currently on the market, all in one place. Visit our expanded Special Exhibit of OVER 20 GREEN VEHICLES, including:

• Electric cars, including the high performance Tesla Roadster and the road hugging, ultra-narrow Tango
• New hybrids from local dealers, such as the Honda Insight, the Ford Fusion, the Toyota Highlander, and the Lexus RS
• Smart Car's high gas mileage mini Passion Coupe and Cabriolet
• Mercedes' new clean diesel GL 320 BlueTEC and ML 320 BlueTEC
• A Prius converted to a plug-in hybrid that can go over 100 mpg and a Jetta that runs on bio-diesel
• The Nueva's School's "GreastBeast," a Mercedes diesel converted by Nueva students to run on vegetable oil
• Electric cycles, including the Vectrix scooter, the GPR-S motorcycle, and Mission Motor's Mission One motorcycle
• Alternate Fuel Cars from the Past: a 1924 Stanley Steamer and a 1922 Detroit Electric Coupe

Of course, there will be a few more surprises. Hope to see you there!

Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance is Sunday, May 3, 2009, from 10-4 pm. Green Car Display is on the upper field between North and Crocker schools.

It's Easy Being Green at the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

CalCars: A Plug-In Hybrid in Every Garage?

Felix Kramer is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and lifelong environmentalist. Concentrating on innovative ideas, events and businesses in energy and technology, he builds ambitious and "first-ever" projects and companies. He's been a journalist, Congressional speech-writer, run an energy conservation non-profit, pioneered in desktop publishing and wrote the first book on that business. He became one of the first online marketers in 1994. In 1997 he started and in 2001 sold eConstructors, a small Internet company. In 2002 he founded the non-profit California Cars Initiative (www.CalCars.org) to put plug-in hybrid vehicles on the map by technology demonstrations, advocacy and buyers demand. In April 2006 he became the world's first non-technical consumer owner of a plug-in hybrid.

The first thing he did was put his converted Toyota Prius on a plane and fly it to Washington, DC. (He couldn't risk the car driving 6,000 miles round-trip, or spare the time it would spend being shipped.) At a Congressional hearing, he showed up with his short standard 120-volt cable, saying, "Most alternative fuel vehicles need a new fueling infrastructure or new technology. This is all I need to connect to today's power grid, which has plenty of night-time power for tens of millions of plug-in cars." Since then, driving around the Bay Area in a car with giant "100+MPG" signs on it, he says peoples' questions have evolved from "What's that?" to "If they're such a good idea, why aren't the carmakers building these?" to "I want one. How do I get one?" and now to "I've heard these are coming. When can I get one from a car dealer?"

Felix says, "I envision millions of plug-in cars, charged off-peak, providing distributed storage for a power grid fueled by increasingly renewable sources. Local travel will be electric, and low-carbon biofuels or larger batteries will provide range extension. This is a great way to significantly reduce both greenhouse gases and use of imported oil. Now the next step for CalCars is as challenging as anything we've done so far. We're proving it's possible to convert tens of millions of large gas-guzzling pickups, SUVs and vans to run partly or entirely on electricity. Because it takes so long for new vehicles to make up a significant percentage of the world's fleet, unless we do this, plug-in cars won't have an impact on climate change and energy security in the next 20 years."

CalCars will be part of our Green Car Exhibit, on Concours Day, Sunday, May 3rd.

CalCars: A Plug-In Hybrid in Every Garage?

The Greenlight Initiative

For over 100 years AAA has been helping people get where they’re going safely, reliably and efficiently. Today AAA continues to lead the way by supporting efforts to decrease fuel consumption and reduce the impact of automobiles on the environment. They call it the AAA Greenlight Initiative.

AAA invites you on to a new road - where cars run on cheaper fuel, where the air is cleaner, and the rewards of new freedom are enjoyed by all. AAA is ready to help you discover a more sustainable future.

Please visit AAA's Greenlight Initiative on the upper field of the Hillsborough Concours, which will include an educational display of various alternative fuel and car choices, as well as a Volkswagen Jetta TDI that runs on vegetable oil and biodiesel.

For more information on the Greenlight Initiative, please visit www.aaa.com/greenlight.

The Greenlight Initiative

Miss Lu Lu II - a 1956 Chris Craft

Miss Lu Lu II-1956 Chris-Craft 21’ Capri 250 HP 8 cylinder Chrysler Hemi; The Hein family, Hillsborough, California.


Miss Lu Lu II, named after the late Claire Hein (whose nickname was Lu Lu), is hull number 121 of 170. She is an original Tahoe boat built in the Chris Craft plant at Algonac Michigan. Chris-Craft shipped her to the Tahoe Boat Company, Truckee, California on February 1, 1956. Little is known about her past except that she was rescued from a gas station in the Santa Clara, California area. After undergone a keel up restoration at the hands of a series of master craftsmen, Miss Lu Lu II made her debut at the 2005 Tahoe Concours d’Elegance where she won a first in class and best of show under 23 feet. Miss Lu Lu II then went on to win Best of Show 22 feet and under at the 2006 Shriner’s Hospitals Concours d’Elegance and best of show restored at the Antique and Classic Boat Society 2006 International Boat Show.


Miss Lu Lu II will be on display on Concours Day, May 3, 2009 as part of our Boat Display, which showcases other forms of transportation that have beautiful lines and design integrity.

Miss Lu Lu II - a 1956 Chris Craft

It's Not Easy Being Green, Part 3

By Laurel B. Miranda

Knowing that his wife Lilli Rey wanted a “greener” lifestyle and looking to find her a special birthday present, Val Vaden researched various environmentally friendly car options on the Internet. He was impressed with the unique look of the electric Tango, as well as its "over-engineered" performance and safety features.

Unlike many electric cars that are based on sport car styling, the Tango is designed to be narrower than many of the wider motorcycles, allowing two Tangos to drive side-by-side on the freeway in the same lane. Like the Smart car, a Tango accommodates two passengers, but instead of sitting next to each other like in the Smart Fortwo, they sit one behind the other, more along the lines of an enclosed motorcycle.

While built to allow more cars on the freeway at once, do not be fooled…the Tango is not just a commuter car. It uses two electric motors to go zero to sixty in four seconds, putting it in the sports car performance category. Moreover, it uses many of the same safety innovations as race cars, including a stainless steel chassis with a chromium molybdenum roll cage.

But what finally sold Val on the Tango was its appearance on the cover of the Christmas Hammacher Schlemmer catalog in 2006. Val figured this meant the Tango would be ready for delivery in just a few weeks.

Val contacted Commuter Cars in Spokane, Washington and put down a deposit on the Tango. In terms of ordering the car, his only decisions were the type of battery and the color of the car (green – of course!). But as with other early adopters of green car technology, Val and Lilli would have to learn patience.

After two years on the wait list, the car has been shipped as a kit and is being assembled at Mechanically Speaking in Burlingame. To register her car with the DMV, Lilli is working with a firm that specializes in registering hand-built cars.

While Lilli anticipates having a lot of fun maneuvering around town and parking in her new car, she confesses to being a little bit nervous about receiving too much attention from crowds of onlookers. Lilli would probably do well to follow the advice of fellow early adopter Jon Mittelhauser and avoid driving the Tango to Fry’s Electronics, unless she has a lot of extra time on her hands to answer questions from the many admirers her car is sure to attract.

Come see Commuter Car's Tango at the 53rd Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, May 3rd.

It's Not Easy Being Green, Part 3

It's Not Easy Being Green, Part 2

Jon Mittelhauser
and his Tesla

By Laurel B. Miranda

After being on the wait list for over two and a half years, Jon Mittelhauser, one of the founders of Netscape Communications, has a new car in his garage…the highly touted Tesla Roadster.

Based on a Lotus chassis, the Roaster is an all-electric sports car that can accelerate from 0 – 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds and can travel over 240 miles on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack.

When Jon called the Tesla sales department in 2006 to put his name of the waitlist for one of the company’s first production cars—known as the “Signature 100 Series”—he had not even seen a Tesla Roadster in person; he had only read about it on the Internet.

Nonetheless, Jon’s years of patience paid off; he loves his new car, saying “It really opens your eyes to the future of automobiles. No gas-powered car can even come close to the feel provided by instant torque at any speed. It still amazes me that a car which is so much fun to drive can have zero emissions.”

The only thing that is not ideal for Jon about his new car is trying to squeeze his 6’3” frame into the Roadster. However, in Tesla’s defense, Jon would probably have similar issues with any high-performance sports car. Jon is actually pleased he fits as well as he does in the Tesla’s interior.

Because Teslas are still relatively rare, people stop Jon in public parking lots to ask him questions about his new Roadster. Blessed with unusual good humor, Jon generally enjoys talking with curious bystanders about his new car and the advantages he sees in electric versus gasoline-powered engines.

However, even Jon has his limits. He has decided that he can no longer drive the Tesla Roadster to Fry’s Electronics. The last time he was there, it took him over thirty minutes to extract himself from all the Silicon Valley engineers who crowded around him and his new car! Jon is lucky he knows his way around the Internet; it looks like he will have to make all his electronics purchases on-line for the foreseeable future, or at least drive a different car to Fry’s.

Come see the Tesla Roadster at the 53rd Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, May 3rd.

It's Not Easy Being Green, Part 2

It’s Not Easy Being Green, Part 1

By Laurel B. Miranda

Today’s car buyers are confronted with a dizzying array of environmentally-friendly or so-called “green” car choices, offered by a wide spectrum of car manufactures, ranging from start-up companies like Tesla Motors and Commuter Cars, to established house-hold names, like Toyota, Lexus and Ford.

As manufacturers scramble to get a toe-hold in the emerging green car market, consumers who want to be environmentally conscious have to make a lot of decisions. Should they buy a high-mileage gasoline-powered mini car, a gas and electric motor combination known as a “hybrid”, or should they select a car that doesn’t need gasoline at all? If they choose the latter, should they buy an electric, hydrogen or natural gas fueled vehicle?

With so many options available and concerns about what technology will become the industry standard, the average buyer who wants to “go green” may decide to wait until the winners and losers are more clearly defined over the next few years.

While many wait on the sidelines, however, there is a small group of car buyers who prefer to be in the game. These early adopters have often braved long waitlists and in many cases assumed hefty price tags to obtain their preferred vehicles. Nevertheless, these pioneers are driving their new green cars in 2009, before many of the established manufacturers have moved their green cars from concept into production.

This article, divided into three parts, will highlight the purchasing choices of three early adopters of green cars. Be sure to look for examples of their head-turning cars – the Smart Fortwo mini car, the sports car, and all-electric Tesla Roadster and Commuter Car’s electric Tango – as you visit the special displays on the upper field at the Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance this year.

European Styling Comes to the U.S. – Introducing the Smart Fortwo

After living in Europe where Smart cars have been available for over a decade, Wendy Klein knew she wanted to buy the compact Smart Fortwo when she returned to the United States.

As an instructor and owner of a yoga studio in San Mateo, Wendy is conscious about how her choices impact the environment. One of the things she liked about the Smart Fortwo is that it is considered one of the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered cars currently available in the United States, getting 33 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, better than many hybrids.

Wendy also liked the Smart car’s ability to maneuver and park in an urban environment. The Fortwo is less than nine feet long (three feet shorter than a Mini Cooper); consequently, two or three Smart cars can fit into a single curbside parking spot -- but check your local vehicle code first!

After being on a waitlist for over a year and a half, Wendy was thrilled to finally receive her new Fortwo. She describes it as a peppy little car, with handling reminiscent of the Volkswagen Rabbit she drove in an earlier era.

Wendy acknowledges that the Smart car would not be a good choice for a long trip; its suspension system is more suited for quick trips around town. However, Wendy argues that her Fortwo is ideal for the majority of her driving, from dropping off her child at school to quick trips to the market.

As she drives around Hillsborough and Burlingame, the Fortwo brings smiles to the faces of the people as she passes. Even the UPS driver stops to waive at her as she drives by with the car’s convertible top down.

Perhaps even more satisfying for Wendy, however, is a trip to the gas station, where she can fill her tank for a mere $12. Now that is something we could all get used to!

Come see the SmartForTwo at the 53rd Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, May 3rd.

It’s Not Easy Being Green, Part 1

StanCraft Torpedo Stern Runabout at Concours

Wildwood, owned by Bob Mullarkey, is a StanCraft torpedo stern runabout built in 1954 by Stan Young at Flathead Lake, Montana. It is 21'8” with twin cockpit configuration which can hold 6 people. This is the first of four boats built with the distinctive “fins”.

In 2002, Wildwood received the Manufactures Award from StanCraft at the ACBS International Boat Show at Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. It has received numerous awards at the Tahoe Concoers de Elegance from 2002 - 2007. Most recently we received a first place at the South Lake Tahoe Wooden Boat Show in 2008.

Wildwood will be on display on Concours Day, May 3, 2009 as part of our Boat Display, which showcases other forms of transportation that have beautiful lines and design integrity.

StanCraft Torpedo Stern Runabout at Concours

Chris Craft Silver Arrow - circa 1958

This circa 1959 Silver Arrow was Chris Craft's first attempt to fiberglass a wooden boat. Design-wise, it mirrors the 1959 Buick, especially the fender flares. The steering wheel is from a 1954 Plymouth and the dashboard is made from aluminum used by Frigidaire to make it's refrigerators. Only 92 of these were made and about 30 can now be accounted for.

Ralph and Bonnie Wallen bought the boat (#86 of just 92) in January of 2004 and spent the next 7 months researching how best to restore it. He spent another year doing the restoration work himself, save the upholstery, mechanics and paint. The boat is spruce, with gelcoat to the waterline and a 3/4inch mahogany bottom. The engine is a 283 hp Chevy engine. The color is original. Mr. Wallen went on to win Best Chris Craft in the August Lake Tahoe Wooden Boat Show. He also won the Best Chris Craft at the recent Coeur d'Alene International Antique and Classic Boat Show. Chris Craft's national owner's club is featuring Mr and Mrs Wallen and 'Quiver' in its next edition.

The skis you see in the photo are of the period, The boat was designed as a ski boat. The flag is in the spot where the ski tackle would go.

The Silver Arrow will be on display on Concours Day, May 3, 2009 as part of our Boat Display, which showcases other forms of transportation that have beautiful lines and design integrity.

Chris Craft Silver Arrow - circa 1958

Join the Tour d'Elegance on May 2nd

The ninth annual Tour d'Elegance on Saturday, May 2nd still has spaces remaining so if you want to be part of the fun, sign up now!

The route remains a secret only our organizers know for sure, but the Tour is always a source of conversation on Concours day. Expect a spectacular route, convivial conversation and a delectable luncheon in a private garden setting - the perfect prelude to our evening reception at the Candy Store, which is followed by the Big Event!

You don't have to be an entrant in Concours to drive the Tour.Please download FORM to register.

If you have any questions, please call us at 650.344.2272.

Join the Tour d'Elegance on May 2nd

1915 "Alternative Energy" Vehicle at Concours

This 1915 Stanley Steamer owned by Mr. Channell Wassen will be on display at the 53d Concours. It is an example of an original 'alternative energy' vehicle.

1915 "Alternative Energy" Vehicle at Concours

Is the Ultra-Narrow Tango the Future of American Cars?

by Commuter Cars CEO Rick Woodbury

I've heard that to innovate, you don't give people what they ask for, but
rather watch what they do.

What people do is drive cars with four empty seats, jamming up streets and parking spaces.

Small cars eliminate congestion and the strain on our resources, but not all small cars are created equal. A Mini-Cooper takes relatively the same space on the freeway as the largest SUVs because both use a full lane and have similar braking distances. Motorcycles can fit two-to-a-lane but are unsafe, offer no protection from the weather, and give little room to carry things.

Freeway Lanes
By federal standard, a freeway lane is 12-feet wide. A truck is 9' 4" from mirror to mirror, which leaves a clearance of 16" on either side. In order to double a freeway lane's capacity, the maximum width of a car needs to be 40" in order to have that same 16” clearance. The Tango is 39" wide.

We've driven two Tangos side-by-side in a single lane for over 40 miles at freeway speeds and it felt quite comfortable. A Booze Allen Hamilton / UC Berkeley study on a narrow car of nearly the same dimensions as the Tango found it would increase lane capacity from 2,000 cars per hour to 4,400 cars per hour.

Parking
The Tango can fit perpendicular to the curb in one-fourth of a standard parallel parking space. According to a diagram in a Booze Allen Hamilton / UC Berkeley study, by striping a parking lot for cars of the Tango's dimensions, parking capacity is increased by 350%.

According to the parking departments of San Francisco and Los Angeles, you can park as many Tangos, cars or motorcycles in a metered space as can fit, if the meter is paid.

Stability
For a car to be as narrow as the Tango requires one of two methods for stability. If tilted like a motorcycle it would have to have either manual or electronically controlled tilting. Both would be problematic. If the system failed in a turn it could be deadly.

The other simple solution is to ballast the car so that it has a safe rollover threshold - similar to a sailboat. By the time you put a couple thousand pounds of ballast in such a small car as the Tango, you have a weight that requires a lot of horsepower to move. Battery-electric is the answer.

Electric
The lead-acid batteries provide just enough weight in the Tango to achieve the same rollover threshold as a Porsche 911. As you may have seen in one of our videos, they also provide plenty of power. This is because, using the same kind of motors that pull 100-car freight trains in one gear from 0 to 90 mph, fit nicely in the space between the rear wheels leaving the rest of the bottom of the car for batteries. The two Tango motors actually produce more than twice the torque of a Dodge Viper V-10 engine.

Rollovers
In order to get the Tango to the mainstream, it will require overcoming the obvious objections - primarily rollover and safety. The Tango has achieved the static rollover threshold of a Porsche 911. Seeing videos of the Tango racing around corners and parked perpendicularly on a 30% grade with people trying but failing to push it over should eventually sink in and convince people that its looks are deceiving.

Even I, who know the rollover statistics, was trembling when I parked it on upper Stanyan St. in San Francisco. It's a 30% grade. After rocking it with my terrified stepsister inside, I was finally relieved of my fears. It just looked like it would fall over, but in actuality it's at least as stable as any other car.

Passenger Safety
For safety, we know that we must go to the extreme because everyone instinctively thinks that small cars are dangerous. The Tango has a full race car roll cage; in fact, there are actually four times more side protection bars in a Tango door than in the largest SUV. The four bars are also thicker and stronger than that single bar. Furthermore, they are attached by specially designed hinges to to be as strong as the cage in front, and have 1/2" steel pins in the rear to attach the doors to the rest of the cage. The cage is exactly the same as those in race cars that crash at over 200 mph and has an FIA certification. Race cars don't have air bags but do use a 4 or 5-point harness. The Tango has 4-point harnesses, as are used in pilot's seats of aircraft.

Driving Range
Range for an electric car is probably the next concern. Since the Tango is not trying to be a family car, the range is not such an issue. Again, according to transportation statistics, the average commute in the US is only 20 miles round trip. Even in Los Angeles, it's only 37 miles. So the average commuter would be well-served with lead-acid batteries which are inexpensive and have a low cost per mile when used within average commuting distances.

Charging
Charging, is another win for the Tango. For an average commute, one would just plug in the Tango every night like a cell phone. Service stations could install charging stations at a lower cost than adding a gasoline pump. And since the Tango's battery box is easily removable, a future plan could involve quick pack-swapping.

As of this printing, CEO Rick Woodbury will be on hand at the 53rd annual Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance on May 3, 2009, as part of our extensive Green Car Display and Showcase.
For info on the Tango, please visit CommuterCars.com.

Is the Ultra-Narrow Tango the Future of American Cars?

Concours Merchandise Available for a Limited Time

The official 2009 Concours merchandise offered here celebrates this year’s theme, the engineering innovations of German manufacturers in the Post-War period, and features the handsome 53rd annual Concours d’Elegance badge.

We invite you to support the Hillsborough Schools Foundation through the purchase of these commemorative items, available for pre-order until April 15, 2009. Limited quantities will be available on Concours Day, but to ensure the best selection, we invite you to download the Merchandise Form and pre-order your favorite items.

For a complete list of items, visit our merchandise page.

Concours Merchandise Available for a Limited Time

Concours Teams Up With 49er Foundation

Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance is pleased to announce our partnership with the 49ers Foundation to present the 53d annual Concours on the 3d of May, 2009.

The 49ers Foundation has pledged to use its substantial media resources to help increase visibility of and drive attendance to the Concours. The Foundation will provide cheerleaders to help sell these tickets, to bring players to the event to act as diplomats for the show, and to give Concours access to sponsors and donors to assist in underwriting the costs of producing the event.

In return, Concours has pledged to give 50% of our net revenues to the Foundation, which the Foundation will in turn donate to the 49er Academy. The Academy has a 10-year-strong track record of serving at-risk youth, giving them an opportunity to learn and thrive in a safe, academically rigorous environment.

Concours Teams Up With 49er Foundation

MFinity Wines is a Proud Sponsor of Concours

Winemaker Ron Mura, owner of MFinity Wines won Best of Show for his red wines at the 2006 San Francisco Bay Wine Competition.

Discover what the experts loved about Mura's wine and help raise money for Concours/HSF at the same time.

Mura uses traditional sake distillation techniques to create flavorful and textured wines that are lower in sulphites than other red wines, while preserving the heart-healthy benefits from polyphenols. Mura's whites are lush and bright and perfect for a picnic or dinner with special friends.

For more information visit the MFinity Wine website.

MFinity Wines is a Proud Sponsor of Concours