50 Shades of Greystone

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Bevery Hills CA, May 1 2016 - Spring arrives in Beverly Hills with a certainty on a particular Sunday each year. No, not Mother’s Day – but close. The Greystone Concours d’Elegance is the Sunday where the Hills of Beverly roar to life with the sounds of horses. Hundreds of horsepowers at a time, the star cars seem to know where to go by association - the Mansion. The Doheny Greystone Estate, to be proper.

They put up a parking lot – at a castle no less, and filled it with some of the finest cars you’ve never seen before. The organizers obviously have an A-plus list of automobile effectuanados they can call upon to provide a fresh supply of history and color to the hillside. It can take a lot of time to study 150 cars and motorcycles. If you focus on the goal, you can spend a few minutes loving each one of the cars. If you are forced to talk to all of the great people along the rows – well, you are going to have to miss something.

If you can get through the lot of beauty gauntlet to find your way down the stairs toward the house, another world unfolds. The trail of sponsors begins with hats, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Asombroso Fine Tequila and Stella Artois, a blockade of McLarens, more great refreshments and more cars and Stella Artois.

Stella Artois

McLaren Beverly Hills

You may have been drawn to the rich smell of lunch being served on multiple levels, and may have been forced to eat on multiple occasions. You may have had one of the Chloe's fruit ice bars, but then had to eat it too fast and got brain freeze because they don’t allow food on mansion tours.

The Doheny house is amazingly big and takes a long time to scout inside and out. If it takes a long time to just look at, imagine the human time it would take to design, build and maintain it. Now that it’s a landmark, all that’s left is to maintain it. That’s where the Concours event comes in – a fundraising event that provides well-earned dollars towards keeping the grounds open to the public.

After seven years, it seems the show runs like a post-war classic engine. It helps to have along the perennial hosts Donald Osborne and Dave Kunz, as well as founding support from a certain David Gooding’s auction company. Guest speakers this year also included Mike Brewer from Wheeler Dealers. This is an annual extravaganza that is easy to take in and something we can all get used to. Next event May 7 2017.

Jay Leno cruises into Greyston Mansion lot with his 1934 Duesenberg

Hand built Spyder "Clone" by Russ Rodriguez at www.fibersteel.com

Pictured below: 1949 Frazer Manhattan Convertible Sedan presented by Automobile Driving Museum; 1914 Petite Speciale presented by Petersen Automotive Museum; and 1957 Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mk II Fixed Head Coupe

by Randy Berg