An unrestored 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto Spider by Carrozzeria Touring has been crowned Best in Show at the 2025 Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance, underlining the event’s maturing identity as one that values authenticity, provenance and design elegance as much as flawless restoration.
Owned by Alex Macallister, the Alfa – affectionately known as the Rimoldi Alfa after its long-time British owner, an ice merchant of that name – represents everything that makes the Audrain distinct. Originally registered to the Alfa Romeo Works team in 1933, it competed in the Monte Carlo Rally two years later and has since taken part in the Mille Miglia and numerous vintage race meetings. Unrestored but wonderfully preserved, the Corto Spider carries its history in every panel and imperfection.
At Audrain, preservation cars are expected to compete alongside perfectly restored examples – there is no separate class. Authenticity, provenance, and design aesthetics carry equal weight, and a car’s story often counts as much as its condition. As one judge remarked, ‘A winning car at a Concours says much about the Concours itself.’
Among the other contenders were the 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Coupé, owned by David and Ginny Sydorick – winner of the Zagato Coachwork class and the very car shown at the 1961 Turin Motor Show; the 1960 Ferrari 250 SWB Pinin Farina Cabriolet Speciale, owned by Robert Davis, displayed on the coachbuilder’s stand at Geneva in 1960 and winner of the Ferrari class. Completing the quartet was William Parfet’s 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, a magnificent example of pre-war elegance and engineering muscle.
Each car would have made a worthy winner, but the judges’ choice of the Alfa spoke volumes. The 540K was majestic yet perhaps too conventional a pick; the Aston and Ferrari represented post-war glamour; but the Alfa – unpolished, sporting, utterly authentic – captured what the Audrain Concours has become: confident, cultured, and unafraid to celebrate imperfection when it tells a great story.
Now in its sixth year, the Audrain Concours has matured with astonishing speed. The quality and breadth of the entry was exceptional, but it was the atmosphere that lingered – relaxed, inclusive and genuinely good-natured. Some describe it as ‘the Pebble Beach of the East Coast’, yet that comparison misses the essence. The Audrain has forged its own identity – more intimate, less formal, and deeply connected to its host city.
Highlights across the week
The Concours is the grand finale to Audrain Motor Week, a celebration that fills Newport with events, seminars and elegant chaos.
At the Gathering at Rough Point, held on Friday at Doris Duke’s Gilded Age estate, cars were displayed across its rolling lawns overlooking the Atlantic. The weather – often capricious in recent years – was perfect. Guests enjoyed a convivial afternoon sampling sushi, clam chowder and lobster tacos from local restaurants, with G&Ts and regional wines flowing freely. Several manufacturers chose the occasion to reveal new models, lending a touch of modernity to the classic setting.
Meanwhile, Bonhams staged its auction at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, offering everything from a 1910 Stevens-Duryea to a 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. Only two lots failed to sell. The Bugatti achieved $5.2 million, right on estimate after spirited bidding, while a West Coast Choppers custom motorcycle surprised everyone by reaching $41,000 against an $8-12k guide. Although many cars sold below estimate, the energy in the room was unmistakable – and many buyers went home with a relative bargain.
Saturday morning brought the Tour d’Elegance, which closed Bellevue Avenue as participants drove into town. Spectators lined the street, owners chatted with onlookers, and the sense of accessibility – rare at such high-level gatherings – captured exactly why Audrain works.
That evening, the Gala Dinner embraced nostalgia with an American Bandstand theme. Donald Osborne and Jay Leno led a spirited charity auction supporting local causes including the Boys & Girls Club of Newport County, Edward King House Senior Centre, and the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Community Centre. With Jay Ward gamely impersonating Dick Clark, professional dancers and live 1950s-70s music kept the dancefloor full late into the night.
Visitors also flocked to the Audrain Automobile Museum, whose current exhibition Porsche in Motorsport – Rennsport showcases many of the marque’s greatest competition cars.
Yet the talk of the week wasn’t just the cars but the city itself. Newport’s hospitality is unmatched, but success has driven prices skyward – one long-time judge noted that hotel rooms that cost $170 in 2019 now command $750 a night.
Still, as the Alfa 8C glistened under late-afternoon sun, it was hard not to feel that Audrain had reached a point of maturity. This was a Concours confident enough to celebrate history rather than chase perfection – and a city ready to embrace its place at the heart of America’s motoring calendar.
For more info, see audrainconcours.com
