Regular readers might know I’m a tiny bit cynical, and it takes a lot to move me anymore. I used to love going to car shows and meets, and now I tend not to, because it doesn’t really matter what it is, I’ve probably seen it, and I’m only there because I have to be. When I first attended the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance a couple of years ago, I was floored, and it quickly became my favourite weekend on the calendar. I wasn’t able to attend the full weekend’s festivities for 2025, but I went out of my way to make the trek for the main event, and I’m so glad I did.
Canada often feels like a bit of an afterthought when it comes to the car world. Everything is US-centric, all the best events are in the US, all the best roads are in the US, all the best collections are in the US. The height of car shows is a Concours d’Elegance, a traditional, rigorously judged selection of the world’s finest vehicles, and up until fairly recently, I, like many others, thought they only happened in the US, in places like Amelia Island in Florida and Pebble Beach in California.
The Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance is held at a gorgeous golf resort just outside of Owen Sound, a few hours North of Toronto. 2025 was its eleventh year, and it has grown every year, with 125 cars exhibited this time ‘round. Display cars travelled from almost every province, as well as a dozen US states; this now serves as a highlight event for a sizeable chunk of the Northeastern US, as well as us. Oh, how the turn tables.
But, you may ask: who cares? It’s just a stuffy show with stuck-up judges in silly hats, and the cars are all esoteric one-offs that haven’t been relevant for a hundred years. Not so is the case, dear reader.
Yes, there is an element of traditional pomp and circumstance; it’s part of the fun. Elegance is the name of the event and it shows, and makes for a lovely day. But, it’s about the farthest thing from stuffy, everyone’s there to have a good time, all the judges I spoke to are down-to-Earth enthusiasts who love cars and are happy to talk shop, and for what it’s worth, a good chunk of them are relatively young, too.
To that end, the field of cars has diversified greatly as the event has grown, and it’s not all pre-war coach-built cars from bygone artisans like Duesenberg and Packard. Although I cannot stress enough, they are spectacular to behold, even if you’re not always sure what you’re looking at. You don’t have to know art to appreciate artistry.
A majority of the vehicles on display were vehicles you don’t have to be a hundred years old or a huge history buff to think are interesting. Bill Gates’s former Porsche 959 Komfort, the very car that spawned the US’s show-and-display exemption that allows exotics like it to be imported and registered for road use, was on hand and picked up an award.
There were more 80s and 90s-era exotics, like an exceedingly rare early Honda NSX-R, which was parked between an early Lamborghini Diablo, and an early Lamborghini Murcielago. These were parked across from a Chrysler Turbine Car, a jet-engined prototype from 1964 that was leased to the public in extremely limited numbers, before being recalled and scrapped. Only nine are left, and just three are still running.
On that note: this is not a collection of paperweights. All of these cars must be in good running condition. It’s a tradition to have to drive up onto a podium to receive any awards before moving on to the vaunted winner’s circle. The judges are more lenient on cars that were driven to the event, rather than transported in a trailer; one of the day’s winners was a 1929 Ford Model A that drove all the way from Michigan to be there.
Chevrolet had an array of their CERV Corvettes, experimental prototypes of extreme engineering, including a what appeared to be a production ready 650 horsepower, automatic mid-engine Corvette prototype from 1990; formerly a pipe dream, now a reality. There was also a whole category just for Corvettes, including a very charming, very original, unrestored C1 that captured a lot of attention.
Coachwerks Restorations from British Columbia entered four stunning examples of Mercedes-Benz’s finest in four categories, and picked up four awards, with two of them being best-in-class prizes. This may be one of the hardest flexes ever to occur on Canadian soil.
Another interesting standout, parked between an exceedingly rare Bentley and an even more rare Alpine, was a Volkswagen Golf Harlequin. It’s a beautifully preserved example of a so-90s-it-hurts multicolor special edition Golf, and it probably got the most attention of anything else on the lawn that day. It definitely carried a cutesy one of these things is not like the others vibe, but everyone loved it.
Speaking of which, the winner’s circle had an interloper. In and amongst a pair of Mercedes 300 SLs from the aforementioned Coachwerks Restorations, a beautiful 1932 Duesenberg Model J that took the Outstanding Pre-War prize, the best-in-show 1938 Steyr 220 Roadster, and more million-dollar stunners like the aforementioned Lamborghinis, laid a humble 1993 BMW 316i Touring, the winner of the new 30 Under 30 Category. If you’ve ever tried to justify that old BMWs aren’t just tired hoopties and actually have legitimate appeal, the presence of that car on this lawn is the best legitimization you could ask for.
The Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance is my favourite day on the calendar. It rises above the monotony and sameness of everything else, and is a memorable experience if for no other reason but for granting you a real brush with greatness, a glimpse of the absolute highest highs the car world has to offer. I wish I had more time to make a weekend of it, as the Friday parade of cars entering and the Saturday Cars and Coffee that takes over the town of Owen Sound are a top-tier treat on their own.
I could go on. It’s the best day, preceded by the best weekend. It’s not just another car show, nor is it a conciliation prize for us lowly Canucks. It is a highlight of the hobby that offers something for everyone, and draws more attention every year. You owe it to yourself to experience it next year.
