REV UP THE AUDACITY
New luxury vehicles roll into town
So much for “one-and-done.”
When Craig Stowe launched his audaciously titled Luxury & Supercar Weekend less than two years after the Financial Crisis of 2008, there was no shortage of doubters. “Audacious” as austerity was the zeitgeist in the late-summer of 2010 when Stowe put on his ringmaster hat — his trademark fedora — to serve as ringmaster for that inaugural show at the Plaza of Nations, an ambitious event that showcased the best in luxury vehicles, food, jewelry and fashion the city had to offer.
“Some people said things like, ‘Well, we don’t need another show,’” Stowe recalls of the reaction by some in the Metro Vancouver car community to his vision of a local show with an international feel. “Also, back then ‘luxury’ was considered a bad word.”
Dealerships were skeptical too, but after the success of that first show, and the move to the manicured lawns of VanDusen Botanical Gardens for the second show, Stowe says “it became a much easier sell.”
That said, despite the fact that this morning millions of dollars worth of wheels are rolling onto the verdant grounds of VanDusen in preparation of this weekend’s eighth annual Luxury & Supercar Weekend, some naysayers still write the event’s obituary every year.
For Stowe, he doesn’t waste time or energy fretting about that. Instead, he continues to add elements — and drop some — to ensure that the paying public gets their money’s worth. That’s another thing about this event: where the vast majority of local car shows are free, this one is paid admission. And not cheap. Fifty bucks for a general admission ticket, and $125 for a VIP pass, which includes access to an area featuring food and spirits served pop-up restaurant-style by some of the city’s top chefs and eateries. What also sets his show apart, notes Stowe, is that attendees are actually buying new cars at the show, not just taking selfies of themselves with the supercars and luxury cars. Not surprisingly, that’s why he’s had such great support from the high-end dealers dotted along Burrard Street. It’s also why he’s been able to secure a number of Canadian premieres of rare cars over the years. This year is no exception, with showgoers being the first in Canada to see in the flesh a 2018 Pagani Huayra roadster (sticker price: $4.5 million), a Karma Revero ($200,000) and a 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom ($750,000). For Stowe, all three are exceptional bragging points, but for him the Rolls really makes the biggest statement, not just about the show but about Vancouver as a high-end car marketplace.
“(Rolls-Royce) spent a lot of time and money to get that car to the show, because they expect to sell it (in this market),” he says, noting that Rolls-Royce typically sells “two or three cars” at the show.
Getting back to how the show has evolved, the recent addition of a supercar auction in partnership with Adesa has brought an entirely new aspect to the twoday event.
“We’ve had great results with the supercar auction,” Stowe shares. “Sold 17 of 25 cars last year. This year we’re going to do another 25 cars, but next year we are going to do 100.”
He and his staff have also upped the concours collectible factor, in large part thanks to the knowledge and influence of global car experts Michael Moore and Nigel Matthews, who have served as show consultants for a number of years. To that end, there are 10 classes in the 2017 Canadian Concours d’Elegance, from muscle cars to British sports cars, from VW microbuses to Cadillacs of the ’50s.
One class that is new, and that Stowe specifically asked for, is Porsche 911s, pre-1997.
“Air-cooled Porsches are woven into the fabric of Vancouver in a lot of ways,” he explains. “Me being 55, that’s still the car I want to have. What is the new collectible for people my age? Not a ’57 Chevy. It’s the 911s, Corvettes, Mustangs.”
There’s also a concours class aimed at the near future: “People are feeling the Datsun Z cars are going to be the next big collector car.” (For more on that, see Alyn Edwards story on page C11).
What strikes you when attending this show — after the jawdropping display of vehicles, new and old — is how many couples, and even families are in attendance. Stowe credits the daily fashion shows, done in partnership with Oakridge Centre, and the pop-up jewelry stores, along with the fine food and beverages.
You would think the show founder would be consumed with this coming weekend’s details, but he credits a great staff with making sure everything runs like clockwork.
Besides, he’s already thinking of what to add next year.
On that subject, he says that he’s going on what he calls “the worldwide tour” of concours shows with a plan to turn the Sunday of the 2018 Luxury & Supercar Weekend into the concours day of the show. As it stands now, those putting their treasured vehicles in the concours categories must have their cars on show both days — and actually roll them in on the Friday before the show. Because of that, Stowe says it’s been difficult convincing some collectors to bring their A cars to the show.
“There’s a lot of different concours shows that take place around North America, so for us to get the real pristine cars, we need to have them loaded in on the Sunday morning, awards in the afternoon and then they drive them out,” he explains.
He also intends to begin pursuit of concept cars for upcoming shows.
So is he surprised that this weekend marks the eighth annual show, one that from all accounts gets better every year?
“To be honest, I’m not,” he says, noting that it was a luxury car show he attended in Miami before the economic meltdown that served as the template for the Luxury & Supercar Weekend. “When I saw it there I just knew it was perfect for Vancouver.
“For me, it’s about being reflective of Vancouver. (The show) is not Pebble Beach. It’s been about creating a show that is different every year.”