2007 Lake Tahoe
Concours d'Elegance

On Saturday August 11th, 2007 some members of the club attended the 35th annual Lake Tahoe Concours d'Elegance.  This event is one of the premier events for wooden boat enthusiasts.  There were over one-hundred classic cruisers that date from the early 1920's.  The world famous Thunderbird, "The Queen of The Lake" was the showpiece.  She belonged to the late George Wittel.  She measured in at 55' long and cost an incredible $87,500 in 1939!  In 1963 casino magnate Bill Harrah purchased her and undertook a major refit including twin 1,000hp Allison Aircraft engines capable of propelling her across the lake at an amazing 60mph, and the famous steel top flying bridge.  The United States Post Office has introduced a commemorative stamp featuring four of the boats including the Thunderbird.  Our Jaguar Club was invited to park our beautiful autos at a premier spot where we got tons of exposure!  The boats were the highlight of the show however with some of the most breathtaking wooden boats in the world.  There was even a V-12 Jaguar powered boat named "The Nine Lives",  what a beauty.  Other famous boats included the Hornet, a 1930 Chris Craft Upswept Triple Cockpit with a V-12 Packard motor and aircraft aluminum deck raced on Lake Tahoe from 1935-1953, the Dispatch, a 1931 Gar Wood Triple Cockpit Runabout equipped with a 425hp V-12.  Members attending were Alex and Philis Evans in their 2004 XJR Convertible, Don Johnson in his 1970 XKE, Paul and Jo Pettirutti and their four month old puppy Harley in their 1987 XJS V-12 Coupe, Mike and Kathy in their 1967 Mark II "Willow", and their good friends Reid and Sally Brecke in Mike and Kathy's 1996 XJ6.  We had a great time and the weather was fantastic.  We strolled through the boats and met later under the tents for some lunch.  We have been invited by the Chair of the event, Mr. Kirk Pumphrey, to return next year.  Let's hope we can rally more involvement next time!

Notes and photos by Mike Glass.

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