Stephanie Dennis

Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press

Rare vintage cars will fill the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth for the 35th annual Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, July 28.

Northville will host a preview event the day before, featuring 30 pre-war rare vintage cars and other entertainment. This is the second year for the preview, said Lori M. Ward, AICP director of the Northville Downtown Development Authority.

“(Northville is) a great place to show off these cars like this. Northville is such a quaint town,” Ward said. “It’s got a lot of charm to it, and we take a lot of pride in history of community and just showing these vintage cars in that kind of a setting is a really good fit. Having these two things together makes a lot of sense and makes for a good event.”

Concours d’Elegance is a high-profile show of valuable vintage vehicles. The event was originally hosted at Meadow Brook Hall, but was relocated to Plymouth three years ago for more space and convenience to the exhibitors, said Executive Director Jim McCarter.

The main show features 300 cars from around the world, selected based on uniqueness. Owners will be onsite with information about their vehicles, as they participate in a competition by class, where cars are judged on varying criteria from unusualness to restoration, McCarter said.

A 1932 Ford V-8 Roadster and 1923 Kissel Brougham Sedan are among the 30 pre-war vehicles that will line up between Hutton and Center Streets in downtown Northville for the Concours d’Elegance Preview Event and Rare Car Exhibit the day before.

The Tom Allport Band will perform live to close the night. The preview was originally set up as entertainment for guests bringing their cars for Sunday, but the event is free and open to everyone, Ward said.

“We’re hoping it will bring people who are not as familiar with Northville into the community, so they can get acquainted with our restaurants and shopping to get an idea of who we are and spend some time here,” Ward said.

FYI: Northville’s Annual Concours d’Elegance Preview Event and Rare Car Exhibit takes place from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 27, between Hutton and Center Streets in downtown. Admission to the preview is free. Concours d’Elegance takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 28, at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth, and tickets are $25.