2026 Newport Revisted: The Audrain’s Unwavering Prestige and My Judges’ Dilemma
The question hung in the crisp autumn air of Newport, Rhode Island, much like the ethereal fog that occasionally drifts in off the Atlantic: “What’s it going to take to get you out to the Audrain?” Donald Osborne, his voice resonating with the charm of a maestro conducting a symphony, directed his question towards me. The setting was a decidedly sophisticated affair – the Audrain Concours d’Elegance, an event that has firmly cemented itself as a fixture among America’s elite automotive gatherings in the storied landscape of Newport, a bastion of Gilded Age grandeur.
I found myself in a moment of reckoning, not in the hallowed halls of Newport, but thousands of miles away in Miami, participating in MODA. This was the brainchild of RM Sotheby’s, an auction house that decided to flex its considerable muscle in response to Hagerty’s Broad Arrow snatching a significant portion of their staff two years prior. Their objective was to directly challenge the esteemed Amelia Island, another world-class automotive event that Hagerty had strategically acquired. The organizers of Audrain had been extending invitations for me to join them since the event’s genesis in 2019. Glancing over at Osborne, I seized the moment and posed a question, almost as a dare: “Make me a judge?” His characteristic mega-watt smile lit up the room as he gestured my way, declaring, “You’re a judge. See you in Newport.”
Stepping into the Arena: First-Time Audrain Judgment
My inaugural attendance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the undisputed heavyweight champion of decadent, high-society car extravaganzas, left me feeling distinctly out of my depth. Back in those days, the era before the ubiquitous reign of social media, the concept of events like Pebble was entirely foreign to me. I hadn’t the faintest idea of the dress code, naively assuming the premier show on Sunday was simply an upgraded version of a local Cars and Coffee event. To my enduring embarrassment, I believe I showed up in shorts and a T-shirt. However, one thing did register: a friend of mine – none other than Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive journalist Dan Neil – was serving as an honorary judge. That certainly impressed me. At that point, a subtle, perhaps arrogant, thought whispered in the back of my mind: “Why not me?”
While the Audrain may not possess the decades of prestige that Pebble Beach commands, the discourse among industry insiders—talking with figures like Jay Leno, for example—suggests that the Audrain has surpassed its Californian predecessor. This sentiment was echoed during The Gathering, hosted at Doris Duke’s breathtaking Newport “summer cottage,” which serves as Audrain’s strategic answer to The Quail. Spike Feresten, a writer for the iconic TV show Seinfeld and the mastermind behind the immortal phrase “No soup for you!,” joined me for a live recording of the Spike’s Car Radio podcast, featuring Jay Leno as our special guest. Leno made a compelling point, noting that the Audrain Motor Week evokes memories of Pebble Beach from about 15 years ago. Leno, who possesses, to quote him directly, “a ridiculous house” in Newport, is a foundational element of the Audrain’s identity. The city has even formalized this connection, with a formal proclamation declaring October 2, 2025, as Jay Leno Day.
Navigating the Audrain: The Judges’ Quandary
So there I was, holding the distinguished title of judge during the grand Sunday exhibition. Seated at the judges’ breakfast, I was indulging in a comforting spread of coffee, eggs, and sausage when Phil Neff, the head judge, posed a question to the assembly: “Is there anyone here who hasn’t judged a concours?” In a room filled with what appeared to be automotive aristocracy, no one raised their hand – and to my embarrassment, neither did I. While I hadn’t previously judged at a fancy-schmancy Sunday-style event like the Audrain, I have, on numerous occasions, judged the hilariously irreverent parody show, Concours d’LeMons. I have judged it so many times that I have not only lost count but have also sworn a solemn vow to never participate again. Should I have raised my hand? Who really knows. But as the saying goes, it’s about cars, isn’t it? How difficult could it possibly be? Remember, my ego has never suffered a defeat. So, why not me?
Neff and his team assigned me a partner: Ray Evernham, the legendary NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief renowned for his historic victories, particularly during the Jeff Gordon era. Evernham and I established an immediate rapport, discovering our shared experience racing at Pikes Peak. Our primary responsibility was to award the Sporting Choice Award – essentially, to identify the most sporting automobile gracing the lawn that day. Seeking clarity, I approached Neff for clarification. Was he seeking cars that leaned more towards sports cars or actual race cars? “Yes,” he replied, a knowing smile gracing his features. This essentially meant that we were responsible for evaluating and judging every vehicle present that featured either two doors or no doors – a category encompassing well over 100 individual automobiles, all within a strict two-hour timeframe.
Sporting our official judging attire—the mandatory clipboards, No. 2 pencils, and navy blue blazers—Evernham and I swiftly formulated a strategy. As is standard procedure at all concours, the vehicles are meticulously organized into specific classes. Our plan was simple: we would examine each class, identify the one vehicle that truly ‘popped,’ and compile a list of our top four or five favorites. Crucially, our instructions explicitly forbade us from getting bogged down in the meticulous, often trivial, minutiae that plague modern car judging. Who seriously cares if the trunk lining doesn’t perfectly match the original specification? In fact, under no circumstances were we to even open the trunk.
The Limits of Judgment: Difficulty in the Details
There were two specific classes that swiftly highlighted the folly of my “Why not me?” fantasy. Class D consisted of Ford GT40 road cars, approximately six vehicles that appeared to be of identical, high-grade GT40 Mk1 homologation specifications. Truthfully, every single one looked equally magnificent, and without meticulously inspecting the carb-bolt alignment (which we were explicitly instructed not to do), I would have had no concept of how to select a winner. We simply couldn’t. Put another way, the judges assigned to Class D needed to be seasoned experts in the field to make such a difficult determination. The same level of expertise was required for Class A, the prewar Alfa Romeo division, which featured six breathtakingly exquisite 8Cs. I cannot for the life of me explain the rationale behind the car that won its class, although the burgundy beauty eventually triumphed and went on to win Best of Show – a decision that, perhaps strangely, felt entirely appropriate.
Despite the challenges, we managed to compile a short list of our favorites, though some sacrifices were unavoidable. I was captivated by a Lamborghini 3500 GTZ Zagato Coupe because I had never encountered one before (it turns out only two prototypes were ever manufactured, and the other is deliberately kept hidden from the public). However, I quickly realized that as novel and attention-grabbing as the Zagato Lamborghini was, it was not going to win the Sporting Choice Award. My co-judge, Evernham, was particularly enthusiastic about an exceptionally rare Allard JR that had competed in the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, it soon became apparent that Evernham actually owned three Allards, and we agreed to disqualify this one from our consideration. Nevertheless, it remained a remarkable machine. Fitted with a Jaguar C-Type body to meet the new Le Mans regulations while retaining its potent 5.3-liter Cadillac V-8 engine, it is the most successful of the seven Allard JRs ever built.
The Defining Judgment: 3rd Place Showdown
The most agonizing decision we had to make was for third place. The choice came down to two truly exceptional automobiles: a regal 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C Lago Figoni et Falaschi Teardrop Coupe and a sophisticated light green 1951 Cisitalia 202SC Pinin Farina Cabriolet. I confess a profound affection and obsession for postwar Alfas. I can’t precisely articulate why, but I just love them immensely. I suppose the primary draw is the Bakelite used throughout the switchgear. This particular 6C was finished in an attractive blue and possessed a compelling backstory, including the fact that its current owner had not driven it since 1973 until the day before the Concours d’Elegance, participating in the Audrain Tour d’Elegance.
However, we ultimately found the Cadillac more deserving of the Sporting Choice honors. It was one of only two such vehicles, custom-bodied in Pasadena, California, by the same craftsmen (Bonham & Schwartz) responsible for Clarke Gable’s Duesenberg; the candy-red Series 62 simply radiated presence. It possessed that unmistakable ‘wow factor,’ the intuitive understanding of excellence, that extra intangible quality that sets the truly exceptional apart. Although only one other example was ever made, this remains the sole survivor, as its sibling tragically burned in a fire. This vehicle was constructed for a wealthy Californian oil baron family, the Doheny clan, a family that coincidentally founded a tiny settlement that would eventually become the globally recognized city of Beverly Hills. We awarded the Cadillac our third-place
