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Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance™ Automotive Exhibition and Competition
Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance - 1955 Mercedes 300 SL
Wynn Las Vegas hosts the third annual Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance, 28-30 October, with Jay Leno serving as the grand marshal. By: Damien Connelly
ou’re driving a 1955 Mercedes 300
YSL along the Las Vegas Strip. Are you listening to music, singing out loud with a crazy-happy laugh and a huge smile on your face? I would be.
What songs would you be listening to? Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas” would have to be one of those songs. Others on your driving playlist might include: “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf; The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling;” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Dream On” by Aerosmith; “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers; The Weekend’s “Blinding Lights,” whose video was partially filmed on Downtown’s Fremont Street, and...
One thing is for sure – we would have enough songs on our driving playlists to cover the entire length of the old Highway 91 in that 300 SL; although if I could, I’d suggest we drive it in a 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra S/C – Caroll Shelby was an automotive genius, n’est-ce pas? Or maybe an S1 1963 Jaguar XKE (known as an E-type in the UK) as owned by none other than Jay Leno. Reputedly (and this will start an argument in pretty much any car enthusiast club in the world!), Enzo Ferrari stated at the 1961 Geneva Auto Show that the E-type was the most beautiful car in the world.
The automobile has been closely associated with the history of Las Vegas since...well, I’d place it as starting with the opening of El Rancho Vegas in 1941, which was on Highway 91 (now Interstate 15). One of my earliest cinema memories was from a rerun of Viva Las Vegas when Elvis Presley was in a 1961 Elva* Mk VI. That is an appropriate memory given the entertainer most associated with Las Vegas has a movie about them on
Exterior during the daytime. Photo: Barbara Kraft
current release: Elvis (2022) starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. * The McLaren Elva is designed in tribute to 1960s sports cars. Watch the video of the McLaren Elva in Monaco.
Event Schedule
Friday evening 28 October, the Gala Concours Dinner gives the green light to Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance festivities with live entertainment, tasting stations and curated cocktails at Wynn Las Vegas’ premier nightclub, XS. The evening will showcase the Helene Awards™, a ceremony exclusive to the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance that honors visionaries in the automotive industry. One such visionary was Caroll Shelby, who will posthumously be awarded an Helene Award. Shelby wasn’t just an automotive designer turned entrepreneur – he was also a racing driver, and was co-driver on the winning 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans team driving an Aston Martin DBR1**. ** The Aston Martin DBR22 is designed partially in homage to the DBR1. The DBR22 two-seater, opencockpit, concept car was introduced at the 2022 Monterey Car Week in California, and was displayed at the 71st Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance from 19 through 21 August...which apparently was a doozy of a show (with the Best of Show won by a Duesenberg).
Saturday 29th sees the Concours d’Elegance exhibition showcase a breathtaking collection of rare and unique automobiles from around the world. Exceptional collector cars will be on display and Jay Leno will be one of the ‘petrolheads’ in attendance. Ferrari F40 will be the marque highlighted at the 2022 Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance. From 2 p.m. judges will present Best of Show winners and standouts with Helene Award statuettes.
Saturday, October 29, will also see the Chairman’s VIP Tasting and the Concours Cookout. On Wynn Golf Club there will be fairway tasting tents allowing guests to experience a selection of the fine- and casual-dining options Wynn Las Vegas is known for.
The pièce de résistance might be on Sunday, 30 October: the Tour d’Elegance. Le Tour du Boulevard de Las Vegas offers perhaps the most memorable of the weekend’s experiences with a motorcade down the legendary Las Vegas Strip. Leno will be the grand marshal.
Brian Gullbrants, president of Wynn Las Vegas
“The Concours d’Elegance and its legendary display of design, craftsmanship and grandeur is precisely the type of elevated experience that our guests will thoroughly enjoy for years to come. Rare and priceless automobiles displayed upon the fairways of our Wynn Golf Club is a perfect match for this annual Wynn Las Vegas event.”
Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance
The Concours d’Elegance in the U.S. originated in 1950 when it was hosted at the renowned Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey, California. Concours d’Elegance
Wynn Golf Club, Hole 18. Photo: Brian Oar
Wynn Golf Club, Hole 5. Photo: Brian Oar
arrived in Las Vegas in 2019. Las Vegas’ dazzling architecture and reputation as the entertainment capital of the world offered the perfect vehicle (pardon my pun) to showcase the timeless beauty of exceptional automobiles. Located on the only golf course on the Las Vegas Strip, a property that dazzles and inspires beautiful vistas, and winner of more awards than I can recall, Wynn Las Vegas offers an excellent range of assets to host such a premium event, including the Wynn Golf Club.
Wynn Golf Club
Wynn Golf Club is the 129-acre championship golf course at Wynn Las Vegas. It will be on and around Wynn Golf Club that the 2022 Concours d’Elegance takes place. Noted by guests, locals and industry experts alike as offering an outstanding resort experience, Wynn Resorts is the recipient of more Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards than any other independent hotel company in the world. From lush greens to rushing streams, visitors to Wynn Golf Club may even forget they are in Las Vegas! The 18-hole championship course was redesigned in October 2019 after legendary course architect Tom Fazio revisited his original 2005 design, this time partnering with his son, Logan Fazio. Together they created a unique golf experience in the heart of Las Vegas.
Off the gold tees, Wynn Golf Club is a 6,272-yard, par-70 course designed to challenge golfers of all skill levels – play off the black tees and it is 6,722 yards. Highlights include a 486-yard par 4 (no. 16) and a par 5 (no. 11) that tops out at nearly 600 yards. The signature 18th hole has been transformed from a par 4 to a par 3, which can be stretched to 249 yards, culminating on the green framed by a 35-foot-tall-by-100-foot-wide waterfall.
Wynn Golf Club, Hole 12. Photo: Brian Oar
Aston Martin DBR22 open cockpit concept car
It was previously the Desert Inn Golf Club. With such a storied history, many of the 7,000-plus trees are more than 70 years old and over 60 feet tall. In fact, there’s one tree that, to me, looks a lot like the Eisenhower Tree that graced Augusta National. The Wynn golf course is designed with elevation changes and contains two marshland areas that are fed by natural groundwater; harking back to the historical formation of Las Vegas and, indeed, to the very meaning of those two words. Amid the course’s three lakes and meandering streams, players encounter water on 12 of the 18 holes. Amenities include: Callaway loaner clubs at no extra cost; fully stocked electric golf carts; PGA-member caddies; a large practice putting green; a netted, fullswing, warmup area; full-service locker rooms for men and women; and a pro shop offering the latest in luxury golf apparel and accessories.
Take a Gambol in Las Vegas
Formula 1® is a Chairman Sponsor of the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance. Formula 1 and the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced in March 2022 that the Las Vegas Grand Prix will join the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2023. The Las Vegas Grand Prix will happen in November 2023 – November looks like it is shaping up to become the ‘car month’ for a sojourn in Las Vegas. You can discover more about F1 in our article in our sister publication, Sports Betting Operator.
Las Vegas will be the backdrop for Formula 1’s third race in the U.S., emphasising the enthusiasm and excitement in Formula 1 as the sport continues to grow its global fan base. Founding Partners of the Las Vegas Grand Prix include Wynn Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts International and Presenting Partners include The Venetian Resort, Resorts World Las Vegas, and the MSG Sphere. In discussing the addition of Las Vegas to the global F1 Grand Prix schedule:
Greg Maffei, Liberty Media president and CEO
“Iconic Las Vegas and Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is the perfect marriage of speed and glamour...We could not be more excited to work with our local partners to create a marquee event.”
Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1
“Las Vegas is a destination known around the world for its excitement, hospitality, thrills, and of course, the famous Strip. There is no better place for Formula 1 to race than in the global entertainment capital of the world...
The Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance is an excellent addition to the gambolling attractions on offer in the city more famed for its gambling. As industry players know – and have known for many years – nowadays, there’s a lot more to Las Vegas than the casino floors. Viva Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance!
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