Greystone Concours: Batman's mansion hosts a car show

When the city of Beverly Hills puts on a concours, it picks a good location.

The city owns the staid and stately Greystone Mansion, originally built in 1928 on a steep hillside above the city by oil tycoon Edward Doheney for his son, Ned. After the Doheneys left in 1955, it was used for any number of movie shoots--from Ghostbusters and the George Clooney Batman movie to Austin Powers Goldmember and the 1966 Zsa Zsa Gabor classic Picture Mommy Dead. Ownership of Greystone finally passed on to the city, which now keeps it open to the public daily.

With 18 acres of sprawling grounds and one of the most impressive residences you're likely to see anywhere, it was only a matter of time before someone chose it for a concours. The first event represented a nice start for the location. For attendees' $100 ticket price, they got to see 57 classic cars and almost as many classic motorcycles. The cars ranged from a Pebble-quality 1937 Delahaye and a number of beautiful Packards, Cadillacs, Bentleys and Rolls-Royces to a collection of 1932 hot rods, Thunderbirds and Corvettes. It was a diverse group aimed at pleasing a wide swath of enthusiasts.

Most of the cars were parked in the mansion's paved lot up the hill from the house, a setting which doesn't always show off a beautiful car to its best. But there was no flat lawn on the hilly estate, so asphalt it was. A small handful of cars were parked in the courtyard of the main house, which suited the gracious beasts perfectly. The motorcycles had their own terrace, hidden away from the rest of the crowd but well worth the search it took to find them. A Norton, a few Triumphs, a row of classic Harleys and a longer row of modern Ducati and other Italian bikes sat gleaming in cloistered elegance away from the crowds.

Inside the 55,000-square-foot house were vendors of every stripe, from artists selling paintings to some guy in the kitchen selling the most delicious balsamic vinegar we've ever tasted. We even got to chat a little with photographer Dave Friedman, on hand in the big house selling his works.

The crowd was limited. There was more room here than at Pebble, for instance, and at most of the Monterey events. And everyone got fed, a nice feature included in the $100 price of each ticket. Lines for the food were long, though we did see people who eventually got food so we know the waiting wasn't in vain. And the shuttle buses that ran up into the hills of Beverly from downtown were perfectly timed and easy to get on.

Next year the city will no doubt figure out a few more logistical things to make the event even better. But for a first time (there was a concours here in the 1980s, but we'll call this a first in modern times) the Greystone Mansion Concours was pretty well received. And a portion of the proceeds went to the Friends of Greystone Garage Restoration Fund. Though we never did find the garage. It might have been down at the bottom of the hill behind the fence and all the "No Trespassing" signs. Maybe next year.

By Mark Vaughn