Jay Leno Headlines Boca Raton Concours D’Elegance’s 10th Anniversary
The 10th annual Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance presented by AutoNation and Mercedes-Benz, will be celebrating a decade of philanthropy February 19-21, 2016 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton. This year the Concours will feature the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Grand Classic® and showcase Packard as the marque, along with presenting two Automotive Lifetime Achievement Awards to event founders Rita & Rick Case of Rick Case Automotive Group and Steve Cannon, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance is proud to announce that renowned comedian, actor, television host and car collector Jay Leno will perform on Saturday, February 20th at the Gala Dinner & Show and will also appear as a celebrity judge on the showfield Sunday, February 21st for the main event at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.
Founded by Rita and Rick Case of Rick Case Automotive Group and under the direction of Event Chair James E. McDonnell, IV along with Honorary Chair Mike Jackson, the Boca Raton Concours benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. “The Concours team is comprised of a group of about 200 volunteers who dedicate their time to the planning and execution of the event,” says Brian Quail, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. “In 2015, the event attracted thousands of attendees and to date has raised millions for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, making the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance the fastest growing Concours in the nation, and the world’s largest for charity.”
According to Rick Case, founder of the Boca Raton Concours d’ Elegance and upcoming recipient of the Automotive Lifetime Achievement Award, “We are thrilled to celebrate such a tremendous milestone in the car enthusiast realm and in the philanthropic community as we set out to make automotive history yet again. Guests can expect lots of surprises, catching a glimpse of well-known national celebrities, even perhaps meet and talk personally with Jay Leno as he walks the showfield on Sunday.”
Friday kicks off the weekend of events with the duPont Registry™ Live Hangar Party presented by Ulysse Nardin at the Boca Raton Airport. The evening offers guests a chance to experience select gourmet tastings from more than 20 of South Florida’s finest restaurants and view exotic cars, custom motorcycles, extravagant boats, private jets, vintage aircrafts, luxury motor coaches, premier vendors, and more.
Saturday features a day filled with educational automotive seminars and in the evening the Gala Dinner Auction & Show at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Guests will enjoy a cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by a gourmet dinner and live auction. One-of-a-kind trips and experience packages, luxury jewelry, and more will be auctioned off throughout the evening. Guests will also enjoy the presentation of the Automotive Lifetime Achievement Awards to Boca Concours founders Rita & Rick Case of Rick Case Automotive Group and Steve Cannon, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA; and back by popular demand, a stellar performance by a legendary comedian, actor, television host and car collector extraordinaire Jay Leno.
The weekend of festivities conclude on Sunday with an Automobile & Motorcycle Exhibition, presented by Impala Asset Management. The event spans all eras on the showfield at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, including the CCCA Grand Classic®. Car and motorcycle fanatics from around the world will experience an automotive showcase like no other, featuring 200 of the finest collector cars and motorcycles from around the country.
An expert panel of judges, including Celebrity Judge Jay Leno, will select the finest vintage, antique, classic and exotic vehicles based on period, presentation and overall style for the Sunday Concours, This year Jay Leno will also select winners of the “Jay Leno Big Dog Garage” Awards for both car and motorcycle. Wayne Carini, host of Chasing Classic Cars, will serve as Grand Marshal; Executive Director of the CCCA, Jay Quail will serve as Chief Honorary Judge; and automotive historian, author, overall car enthusiast, collector, Dr. Paul Sable will serve again this year as Chief Judge. Bill Rothermel, automotive historian and freelance writer for various national and international automotive and club publications, will serve as Master of Ceremonies, announcing descriptions of the winning automobiles.
Once the show kicks off, guests are invited to walk through a series of amazing vendor tents including the 2016 Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance tent which will offer hats, T-shirts and commemorative Concours program magazines, posters and pins from previous years and for the 2016 event. Guests can also enjoy a selection of gourmet food, wine and cocktails from more than 30 of South Florida’s finest restaurants at the Concours d’Gourmet Pavilions.
“The Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance is setting trends,” said James E. McDonnell IV, chairman of the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance. “Each year we raise the bar higher and set a goal to bring even more exciting elements to the event and to raise money to support the 12,500 children who rely on the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.”
