Something for Everyone.(News)

Byline: John F. Katz

Now in its 14th year, the Concours d'Elegance of the Eastern United States is still widely regarded as one of the finest exhibitions of collectible automobiles east of Meadow Brook Hall. On June 14, some 15,000 old-car enthusiasts gathered on the Mountaintop Campus of Lehigh University near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to celebrate several anniversaries as well as the glorious heritage of motorsports.

This year's theme was, and we quote, "Vroom, Vroom, Vroom: Race Cars of the Past.'' More than a dozen examples of auto-racing history brightened the festivities, ranging from a 1913 Zinn-Buick speedster to a 1977 Richard Petty Dodge, plus a pair of more recent NASCAR stockers.

Special circles recognized Ford and Buick, celebrating their centennials, and the semicentennial of Corvette, with a number of exceptional examples representing each marque. A flock of Fords from Model Ts to T-Birds did Dearborn justice, with a 1911 T touring car capturing the Anniversary Celebration Award.

Flint's finest included a dazzling '09 touring car, an original '64 Riviera and, our personal favorite, a curvy-sassy Fernandez & Darrin town car built on a '38 Limited chassis. The Buick's Century Award went to a 1939 Indy 500 pace car.

And let's not forget the Corvettes: With models from 1953 to 1990 on hand, the judges chose a 1965 Sting Ray roadster as best representative of the breed.

In fact, the judges handed out a lot of awards at Bethlehem, but that's the modus operandi here. There were no fewer than 36 specifically named prizes- including best open car, best closed car, best foreign car, best ...