Exotic car fans enjoyed the view at the
Concours D’ Elegance. Kurtis Boggs/The Coastal Star
By Rich Pollack
Steve Constantine is a car guy through and through.
“I’ve been a car guy ever since I was old enough to know about cars,” says Constantine, of Boca Raton, who has owned everything from a Ferrari Daytona to a Maserati GranTurismo and about half a dozen other exotic cars.
So it was not surprising to see Constantine among the thousand people who turned out for the Boca Raton Concours D’ Elegance duPont Registry Live Hangar Party at the Boca Raton Executive Airport late last month.
Part of a three-day fundraising event that included a black-tie gala and a classic car show, the hangar party offered visitors a chance to see a collection of exotic cars unlike anything else in South Florida.
“It’s fun to see all that’s out there all in one place,” Constantine said.
For exotic car lovers, the gathering was a dream come true, with everything from Aston Martins to McLarens and Lamborghinis.
Honoring the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movies, the show also featured some of the cars used in the films, including a 1966 model driven by Timothy Dalton in 1987’s The Living Daylight.
The Shelby 50th Anniversary Tour, which included several of the original cars created by designer Carroll Shelby, also attracted a lot of attention.
For those interested in seeing one-of-a-kind exotics, the hangar party featured 18 cars from the private collection of exotic enthusiast Michael Fux, each built exclusively for him.
While most of the cars on display had a price tag far outside the reach of the average driver, the hangar party also featured a few of the newer smaller cars perfect for driving up and down State Road A1A.
On a display of its own was the first Fiat 500 Abarth delivered to the United States. Scheduled to arrive in showrooms next month, the Abarth is the hottest of the Fiat 500s to come to the U.S. and most certainly the fastest, with a 160-horsepower engine.
“It’s fast and fun to drive and its only about $23,000,” says Rick Case, founder and producer of the Boca Raton Concours D’ Elegance. The popular festival, which concluded with a classic car show on the golf course of the Boca Raton Resort and Club, is “a show on the rise,” says Mark Gessler, president of the Historic Vehicle Association, who was in town as a judge for the classic car competition. Ú
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