Concours of America relocates to other side of Detroit

The Concours of America at Meadow Brook is moving to the other side of the Detroit area.

The event is leaving the grounds of Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Mich., after more than 30 years. It's relocating to a former seminary in 2011, called the Inn at St. John's, in Plymouth, Mich. The cities are about 40 minutes apart in suburban Detroit.

The RM auction, held annually in conjunction with the concours, will also relocate next year. The concour changed its name this year from the Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance to the Concours d'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook.

The reason for the move is the extensive amount of hotel rooms at the Inn at St. John's, which also has 197 acres of lush grounds, banquet halls and meeting facilities.

“We have shared Detroit's passion for the automobile with friends from all over the world on the beautiful lawns of Meadow Brook Hall,” Concours chairman Peter Heydon said in a statement. “But as times have changed, the economics of producing an event such as ours necessitates the presence of an on-site hotel with conference facilities specifically designed for large events.”

The news was announced immediately after this year's concours at Meadow Brook. The castle-like mansion is where Matilda Dodge Wilson, the widow of auto pioneer John Dodge, once lived.

By Greg Migliore