A lot of classic car events claim to have a visitor parking lot filled with cars just as interesting as inside the show itself, but few events pull it off quite as deftly as the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. The annual event, which takes place every June in Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, Connecticut, brings together not only the best cars in the northeast, but also one the most zealous and diverse crowds of car enthusiasts that I have ever seen. And that means that the selection of cars in the parking lot is going to be just as eclectic.

Over the years I have seen everything from a Tatra 613 to a Rolls-Royce Camargue in the parking lot across the street from the show. It’s actually gotten to the point where people will tour the parking lot itself in small groups, taking photos of the cars inside the lot. One year, for example, I parked next to a curious-looking BMW 5-series police car with lots of antennas on the trunk, though I have no idea what local department calls itself the Polizia Stradale, or why they would be using an old 5er. So let’s take a few minutes hours to gawk at some other Greenwich Concours visitors’ cars.

From afar I first thought this was a Roewe 750, as that was the last Rover that I had been in, but then I remembered that Nanjing Automotive’s Roewe decided not to make station wagons based on the old Rover 75. Instead, this was something far awesomer, an MG ZT-T estate, which was in production from 2001 till 2005. There are a few of these in North America believe it or not, and a heavily modified ZT-T even set a record at Bonneville a decade ago using a Roush supercharged V8. By the way, Roewe also makes the saloon version of this car badged as an MG 7, so don’t listen to people at car shows who start moping about MG being dead, and make a bet with them for a hundred quid instead.

And yes, that was Herr Roy’s Polizia Stradale I was talking about, as he was taking a day off from serving as the Kapitan of zee AutobahnPolizeiVerfolgung! and working as a concours judge at Greenwich 2010.

This was a nice and original 1956 Bristol 405 sedan. I talked to the owner later and he said there are less than two dozen Bristols in the US and Canada (not counting the Arnolt-Bristol Bolides). No 412s have been brought in yet, and from the later cars there are just a few 411s and a Blenheim or two. Which is a shame, but they’re not plentiful in their native England either. The owner of this particular car showed it at Greenwich Concours in 2008. There have been others over the years at Greenwich: a 1969 410 Two-door Sedan was at Greenwich Concours in 2005 and 2006, in addition to a 401 and 409.

The late GAZ 21 Volga, which actually appeared in the show in 2011. This was the second year in a row that a GAZ appeared at Greenwich Concours, as there was a 1976 GAZ 24 that appeared there in 2010. That has to set some kind of obscure record somewhere, successive appearances by Russian cars at a US-based concours event. I’m certain no other concours event ever had two in successive years, or perhaps even more than one at all.

A pretty sharp Iso Grifo, which could have appeared in the event itself. (And it did, actually).

Jamie Kitman leaving the parking lot in his Triumph Herald 13/60 estate.

Large and in charge, this Bentley Continental SC is a pretty rare sight on our roads, and is a far more impressive sight than that Phaeton-based coupe that you can find at any suburban mall.

This, of course, is none other than the Aston Martin DB AR1 Zagato. You’re bound to see one of these any given year at Greenwich, and not even in the concours parking lot during the show, but in the Whole Foods parking lot too.

A 280GE G-wagen from the heyday of gray imports. This one is a regular visitor at the concours, and I have seen it here before back in 2007. With a color scheme like that, it could only have been brought it when it was new. A rather basic machine inside, I would think, and there are several later cabrios running around town as well.

These TLCs have been bringing some serious money at auctions within the last few years, and have been a popular platform for LS1 engine swaps.

A spectacular looking 190SL cabrio.

Why this wasn’t in the show itself I’ll never know, but it was great nevertheless to see this rare saloon.

A sharp Bavaria, and a car that you just don’t see anymore. One of my top ten favorites from the parking lot that year.

Event president Bruce Wennerstrom’s Bitter SC.

And below I have two years’ worth of Greenwich Concours parking lot cars for you to gawk at, so grab some popcorn.

 

 

 

 

Bon appetit!

 

[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Jay Ramey]