Dayton Concours d’Elegance

Words and photos by Jack Webster

It is fitting that this Concours is held in Dayton, Ohio every September. Afterall, Dayton is the
hometown of inventors, innovators, famous business leaders and much more. The Wright
Brothers built their airplanes in Dayton, Charles F. Kettering invented the automobile self-
starter here (along with the world’s first aerial drone – in World War I, no less), John Patterson
guided NCR to greatness with his Dayton designed and built cash registers and was known as
the father of modern sales methods. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Some British bling! TR3

The automobile has always been very important to the Dayton area, and General Motors for
many years was the largest employer in the area, with area plants making everything from
brakes to electronic systems, interior components, engines and even trucks.
The annual Dayton Concours got a new mission and new location in 2006 when Rick Grant,
noted car collector and racing patron (he was the guiding force behind our Porsche Fabcar IMSA
effort back in the 1980s which I was fortunate to be a part of), lead the effort to have the
Concours moved to Dayton’s Carillon Park. Proceeds from the car show were earmarked to
benefit Dayton History, the non-profit operators of Carillon Park and its priceless collection of
Dayton historical artifacts (including the 1909 Wright Flyer, the world’s first practical airplane).

Classic cars in a park setting

The Dayton Concours has named its “Best of Show” award after Rick, who passed away in 2022,
in tribute to his many contributions to both the show and the Dayton area over the years. If you
are ever in Dayton, in addition to visiting the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, you have
to make plans to see Carillon Park.
Importantly, this year also saw the introduction of the Skip Peterson Chairman’s Award, named
after Skip, who founded the Dayton Concours d’Elegance in 2004 and served as its chairman
until his death this year. I knew Skip well, as he was the Chief Photographer and Photo Editor
for the Dayton Daily News for 34 years. His passion was motorsports, and in particular the
Indianapolis 500 which he covered every year. I ran across Skip many times in my roles as a
racing Team Manager and later as a racing photojournalist myself. It is fitting that the
Chairman’s Award is named in his honor.

Wood artist Tony Sikorski and his handwork

So please enjoy some photos from the event, which was held in perfect weather on a perfect
September Sunday. 2025 co-chairs Dale Oakes of Euro Classics and Dave Schardt of Forgeline
Motorsports deserve all the credit for putting together a great event.
I look forward to attending for many years to come.