The Northville Councours d’Elegance at the Mill Race Historical Village, just north of downtown Northville, included a 1933 Packard Super 8 Club Sedan.
In just three years, the next generation of automotive enthusiasts in metro Detroit has reached the pinnacle of classic car shows by organizing and hosting the region’s only Concourse d’Elegance.
Since they were 15-year-old sophomores at Detroit Catholic Central High School in Novi, David Kibbey, Chase Ziegler, and Drew Lenhert were determined to see their native Northville — and, specifically, the Mill Race Historical Village located just north of the downtown district — host an annual Concours d’Elegance event.
On the elite scale as car events go, a Concours allows only the highest-end classic cars to
be featured and imposes tough standards on collectors who want their cars accepted. The event also requires considerable outdoor space within a resort or historical setting.
With Kibbey serving as chairman, Ziegler as chief brand officer, and Lenhert as chief media officer, in 2022 the trio managed to put on the first Northville Concours d’Elegance for a mere $700.
They’re now getting ready to host their third Concours, which is scheduled for July 12-14 at Mill Race Historical Village. The initial idea for a classic car show came from Kibbey’s own experience attending concours events around the country, and his determined belief that he and his friends could plan and organize a major show.
“I’ve been really blessed to travel around the country and judge at some amazing Concours events,” Kibbey says.
As the three began contacting people in the community, the idea — which initially started
The Northville Concours d’Elegance will include an array of classic cars, muscle cars, and sports cars. The lineup is mostly sourced from private owners who live in metro Detroit and Michigan.
with the thought of hosting a cars-and-coffee event — evolved into a full-scale concours. Kibbey’s familiarity with the people who manage the Mill Race Historical Village laid the groundwork for utilizing the location, and soon the first few sponsors were on board.
At the center of the idea, always, was an opportunity for young people to live out their love of high-end, classic automobiles.
“The first thing we wanted to emphasize was we’re young guys trying to get something started,” Kibbey says. “And there’s not a lot of options for young people who like automobiles. We wanted to get young people together from around the country to come and see a beautiful car show, and have the opportunity to have unparalleled access that they wouldn’t have anywhere else.
“And then, also, (we wanted to) drop the velvet rope and get that kind of young person who otherwise can’t walk up and check out a Ferrari or a Porsche or a Mercedes or a classic vehicle of some kind.”
The three founders emphasize, however, that they don’t want the Northville Concours d’Elegance to be seen as overly elitist. There’s a selection process and some tough criteria for the 85 cars that will be on display, but not so tough that it’s impossible to be chosen.
One of the key calls Kibbey made early on was to Ken Lingenfelter, owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering in Brighton and a collector of more than 300 classic cars. Lingenfelter recalled a previous concours in Northville that had been successful for several years, and he wanted to help the young men who were looking to breathe new life into the idea.
“Car enthusiasts kind of cling together,” Lingenfelter says. “We’re a club of people that really enjoy cars. There are people who look at my collection and probably think I need psychiatric help. They really don’t get it. But most of the people we’ve had on the board for the (previous) Concours were really into this. So it’s really fun for me to watch someone like David.”
While the current Northville Concours has no formal board, like the previous event, Lingenfelter was happy to provide guidance and support to Kibbey, Ziegler, and Lenhert. And he likes the results he’s seen.
“I don’t think there are as many cars, but they’ve picked a good venue and they’ve done a really good job putting it together and getting attendance,” Lingenfelter says. “Northville is a great place to do it. There are a lot of car fanatics, and the effort they’ve put into the shows has generated great attendance.”
Much of the attraction, of course, is the cars themselves. Previous years featured cars such
as a 1957 Polo White Corvette, as well as a 330 GTC Ferrari and, perhaps most iconically, the Black Ghost. A mysterious black 1970 Dodge Challenger that was said to have ruled Detroit’s racing streets during its era, the Black Ghost is listed with the Library of Congress as a vehicle of historic significance.
“It’s definitely an important one because its backstory is based in the city of Detroit,” Kibbey says.
Although the cars have been known to come from around the country, the organizers especially appreciate when they can display cars from local collectors.
“We had cars out of the Larry Smith collection, which is in Pontiac,” Kibbey says. “And Larry Smith is kind of one of the godfathers, one of the behind-the-scenes guys. He has a beautiful collection.”
The three founders are joined by Patrick Rizzo, a teenager who serves as chief judge. And they all know their roles. Lenhert deals with media. Ziegler oversees branding. Kibbey takes the lead on community outreach and the connections needed with the larger automotive industry.
While they’ve broken through most of the barriers one might expect them to face because of their ages, it hasn’t been without challenges. Kibbey says the group faced some very determined opposition in their first year from people who simply didn’t like the idea that this new group would bring forth a new Concours event for Northville.
“There was a lot of proving ourselves, and we had some people who didn’t want us to do
what we’re doing, and made it very clear that they didn’t want us to do what we’re doing, and tried to fight us extremely hard,” Kibbey says.
“Going into last year, specifically, even after we’d done the first year of the event, it was still there. So it’s not been without a struggle. But I think we’re finally getting to the point where people recognize it as something, now that it’s (in its) third year.”
Tickets for this year’s event are $20 per person, while VIP admission ($75) includes early
admission and a curated breakfast and lunch.
Kibbey also emphasizes that young people 18 and under get in for free. And he thinks the current generation of car enthusiasts should applaud that move.
“If classic car owners don’t create this love and passion in the next generation, then some day when they pass on, there’s not going to be someone who wants to buy the car,” he says.
