2026 Newport Driving Dreams: Why I Became a Judge at the Audrain Concours
Donald Osborne, master of ceremonies, bowtie aficionado, and purveyor of fine automotive elegance, turned to me at a Modista gathering in Miami and posed a simple question: “What’s it going to take to get you out to the Audrain?” Having just watched RM Sotheby’s stage its own major event following a dramatic talent migration, I knew this was no ordinary invite. The Audrain Concours d’Elegance, a bastion of sophistication set in the historic playground of Newport, Rhode Island, had been wooing me since its 2019 inception.
Osborne and I had first connected at Modista, a rival event founded by RM Sotheby’s after a significant portion of their Broad Arrow team defected. The Audrain, clearly eager to build prestige, had been persistent. I looked at Osborne and blurted out, “Make me a judge?” He flashed that infectious smile, gestured toward me, and declared, “You’re a judge. See you in Newport.” And just like that, I was heading to Newport.
Into the Deep End: A Rookie Judge Emerges
My first experience with the Monterey Car Week ecosystem—the undisputed heavyweight of ultra-luxury car events—was years ago. Back then, long before social media saturated every facet of life, I was completely in the dark. I didn’t know what these gatherings were, who attended, or what the dress code entailed. Assuming it was just an elaborate “Cars and Coffee,” I arrived underdressed, probably in shorts and a polo shirt. What I did notice, however, was that Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive journalist Dan Neil was serving as an honorary judge. The thought instantly occurred to me: Why not me?
Let’s be clear: the Audrain isn’t Pebble Beach. Some critics, like Jay Leno, argue the Audrain surpasses Pebble. I heard this firsthand during The Gathering at Doris Duke’s Newport estate, Rough Point—Audrain’s alternative to The Quail. Spike Feresten (of Seinfeld fame) and I recorded a live episode of our Spike’s Car Radio podcast with Leno as our special guest. He commented that Audrain Motor Week reminded him of Pebble Beach from fifteen years prior. Leno, who owns a substantial property in Newport, is undeniably integral to Audrain. The city even declared October 2, 2025, as “Jay Leno Day” in recognition of his contributions.
But beyond the celebrity and atmosphere, there’s a genuine question of how one judges a concours.
Navigating the Judging Gauntlet: From Zero to Sixty
As I sat down at the judges’ breakfast on Sunday, sipping strong coffee and enjoying scrambled eggs, head judge Phil Neff asked a pointed question: “Is there anyone here who hasn’t judged a concours?” No hands went up, not even mine.
While I hadn’t judged a high-stakes event like the Audrain, I have presided over the Concours d’LeMons so many times I’ve lost count and sworn never to return. Should I have admitted my lack of experience? Who knows, but it’s just cars, right? How hard could it be? Remember, my ego is undefeated.
Neff and his team assigned me to partner with Ray Evernham, the legendary NASCAR crew chief who has won everything worth winning, often with Jeff Gordon. Evernham and I hit it off immediately, realizing we’d both raced at Pikes Peak. We were tasked with awarding the Sporting Choice Award, essentially recognizing the most sporting car on the lawn. I asked Neff for clarification: should we focus on sports cars or actual race cars? “Yes,” he replied with a grin. This meant we were responsible for evaluating and judging every car with two doors or no doors—well over 100 vehicles—all within a strict two-hour window.
Sporting our judge badges, clipboards, #2 pencils, and navy blazers, Evernham and I quickly established our approach. Like any concours, the cars are divided into classes. We decided to look at each class, identify one car that stood out, and jot down our top four or five favorites. Crucially, we were instructed not to get bogged down in the nitpicky minutiae that plagues modern car judging. Who cares if the trunk lining is the wrong color? In fact, don’t even open the trunk.
Still Not Simple: The Expert Level of Judging
Two of the classes immediately revealed the difficulty of my “Why not me?” fantasy. Class D featured Ford GT40 road cars, six examples that appeared almost identical in quality and specification. Without inspecting carb-bolt alignment (which we weren’t supposed to do), choosing a winner seemed impossible. The people judging Class D had to be subject matter experts. The same was true for Class A, the prewar Alfa Romeo division, comprising six stunning 8C models. I couldn’t even explain why the winning car earned its distinction, although the burgundy beauty did ultimately win Best of Show, a decision that somehow felt entirely logical.
Still, we managed to narrow down our list of favorites. There was a Lamborghini 3500 GTZ Zagato Coupe that astonished me because I’d never encountered it before. It turns out only two exist, and the other is intentionally kept hidden from the public. However, I realized that while the Zagato was novel and impressive, it wasn’t suited for the Sporting Choice Award.
Ray Evernham, meanwhile, was captivated by an exceptionally rare Allard JR that had competed in the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans. As it turned out, Evernham owns three Allards, so we naturally decided to keep that one off our list, despite its historical significance. This Allard, fitted with a Jaguar C-Type body to meet Le Mans regulations but powered by a 5.3-liter Cadillac V-8, remains the most successful of the seven built.
The Art of Selection: Awarding the Sporting Choice
The most difficult decision we faced was selecting the third-place finisher. It was a contest between a 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Touring Superleggera Coupe and a 1940 Cadillac Series 62 Bonham & Schwartz Convertible Victoria. I admit, I’m a sucker for postwar Alfas. I don’t know exactly what it is about them, but I just adore them. Perhaps it’s the Bakelite used on the switchgear. This particular 6C was painted in a handsome blue and boasted a compelling history, including the fact that its current owner hadn’t driven it since 1973 until he took it on the Audrain Tour d’Elegance the day before the concours.
However, we found the Cadillac more sporting. It was one of only two custom-bodied by Bonham & Schwartz in Pasadena, California—the same company that built Clark Gable’s Duesenberg. The candy-red Series 62 simply radiated “wow.” It possessed that indefinable spark, that extra special quality. One of two made, yes, but the only survivor as its sibling was destroyed in a fire. This car was built for the Doheny family, the influential California oil barons and founders of Beverly Hills. We awarded the car our third-place vote, or in Audrain parlance, Honorable Mention.
The Final Call: A Perfect Pair
For us, the Sporting Choice Award came down to two remarkable vehicles: an oligarchic 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C Lago Figoni et Falaschi Teardrop Coupe and a light green 1951 Cisitalia 202SC Pinin Farina Cabriolet. The Talbot “Goutte d’Eau” certainly had the provenance to win. In addition to being the only long-wheelbase T150 C ever built (15 standard-wheelbase versions were produced), this car holds a racing record that is unlikely to be broken: Built in 1938, it won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in 1948, making it the oldest car ever to win a Grand Prix. Imagine a ten-year-old car winning an F1 race today? That alone was almost enough to swing the decision.
Perhaps it was the Talbot-Lago’s massive sunroof, or its dark paint job, or the fact that the lengthening of the chassis made the normally tidy Figoni et Falaschi shape appear somewhat bloated. Or maybe, just maybe, the Cisitalia was simply superior. As co-judge Ray Evernham put it: “The Cisitalia just spoke to me. The combination of color, stance, and placement of chrome created a picture in my mind of driving it down a beautiful coastline wearing my vintage Wayfarers.”
Exactly. There’s a reason the Museum of Modern Art in New York includes a Cisitalia 202 (coupe) in its permanent collection: These little sports cars are spectacular. And on that day, in that color, with the top down, it was the car we kept returning to as we fantasized about cruising along the Newport coast. The 202SC simply captured our imagination the most, and we awarded it the Sporting Choice Award.
What This Means for You: The Power of Intent
What does my experience tell you, the car enthusiast?
Judging Requires Deep Expertise: You can’t
