The 2026 Atlanta Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance at Lanier Islands Resort
Story by Terry Check
At Lanier Islands Resort, the 2026 Atlanta Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance transformed a lakeside Georgia retreat into a rolling museum of beauty, history, craftsmanship, and motion. Rare automobiles, honored marques, aviation excitement, philanthropy, Southern hospitality, and a growing sense of tradition came together for an inaugural celebration designed not only to captivate, but to connect and make a difference.
Lanier Islands Resort provided a sweeping lakefront setting for the inaugural concours. Courtesy of Atlanta Motoring Festival.
By midmorning, the lawns of Lanier Islands became a living gallery of motoring history. Chrome caught the Georgia sun. Leather interiors glowed softly. Polished coachwork reflected the lakefront light. Across the lawns, rare, iconic, and meticulously preserved vehicles stood as works of art — each one inviting guests to look closer, linger longer, and imagine the roads it once traveled.
There are car shows, and then there are occasions where the automobile becomes something more: sculpture, memory, movement, family history, engineering, theater, and romance. Held May 1–3, 2026, the Atlanta Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance belonged firmly in that second category. Set against more than 1,200 acres of lakeside Georgia beauty, the festival created a world where automobiles were not simply displayed; they were celebrated.
For Atlanta and the greater Southeast, this was the arrival of a new regional tradition — a concours with ambition, polish, personality, philanthropy, and a true sense of place.
The journey to Lanier Islands did not happen overnight. What began on a polo field in Alpharetta nearly ten years ago grew into something far greater than its founders might have imagined. From those humble beginnings, the dream expanded, gathered supporters, and ultimately arrived as the Atlanta Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance.
That history gives the event its emotional foundation. This was not simply a weekend placed on a calendar. It was the result of years of belief, planning, relationships, and persistence. The inaugural concours at Lanier Islands represented the next chapter in a story already rich with passion and community support.
A concours d’elegance is not simply about clean paint and polished wheels. It is a judged celebration of authenticity, historical importance, rarity, design, preservation, and presentation. At its best, a concours treats the automobile as art — and the owner as a steward of history.
Beyond the beauty of the automobiles, philanthropy stood at the heart of the weekend. Every moment of the event supported the life-changing mission of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, helping bring hope, healing, and happiness to children and families in need. Hosted by the Peach State Drive for Good Foundation, the event connected automotive culture with charitable giving and public engagement.
The 2026 Honored Marque was Rolls-Royce and Bentley, two names that have long defined the highest ideals of luxury motoring. Their presence gave the weekend a tone of old-world craftsmanship and quiet authority.
From coachbuilt masterpieces to stately grand touring automobiles, Rolls-Royce and Bentley reminded guests that true luxury is never loud. It is found in proportion, restraint, handwork, and detail — the gentle closing of a door, the glow of polished wood, the dignity of a radiator grille, and the knowledge that every element was considered.
These were not automobiles made merely to travel. They were automobiles made to arrive.
That spirit was perfectly captured by the 2026 Best of Show Concours d’Elegance winner: the 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Brougham de Ville, chassis 61RF, with coachwork by Binder of Paris.
Now part of the Ron Green Bodacious Boats and Cars Collection, the car was originally commissioned for Jessie Woolworth Donahue, heiress to the Woolworth department store legacy. It is the kind of automobile that does not merely appear at a concours; it commands the field with quiet confidence.
The Phantom I’s beauty lies in its formality. Its Brougham de Ville configuration, with an open driver’s compartment and enclosed rear cabin, speaks to a vanished age of travel, status, ceremony, and personal style. The conservative dark trim, Grebel headlights, jewel-like carriage lamps, broadcloth upholstery, and parquet woodwork evoke a time when an automobile could serve as both transportation and personal architecture.
This Rolls-Royce was not designed for speed or spectacle alone. It was designed for presence. It was designed for arrival.
Best of Show: the 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Brougham de Ville, with coachwork by Binder of Paris. Photo courtesy of the Ron Green Collection.
If the Rolls-Royce represented elegance, the Best of Show Concours du Sport winner represented exhilaration.
James Strickland’s 1961 Jaguar E-Type, serial number 006, brought an entirely different energy to the lawn. As the sixth production E-Type ever built, and widely recognized as one of the oldest surviving examples, the Jaguar carried the electricity of a turning point in automotive design.
When the E-Type debuted at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, it stunned the world. Its long bonnet, flowing fenders, covered headlamps, and athletic stance made it one of the most beautiful sports cars ever created. With early-production details including flat-floor architecture, welded bonnet louvers, and outside bonnet latches, this particular E-Type is a treasure for historians and collectors.
On the concours field, the Jaguar stood as a reminder that elegance can also be fierce.
James Strickland’s early-production 1961 Jaguar E-Type, Concours du Sport winner. David Weaver Photography.
Among the featured highlights was the Cofer Collection, affectionately known as the “Stable of Thoroughbreds.”
Founded in 1951 by the late Gene Cofer, the collection began with a 1926 Buick and grew into one of the Southeast’s most respected assemblies of American automobiles. What began as one man’s passion became a multi-generational legacy shared by family, caretakers, curators, and enthusiasts.
Its philosophy remains deeply human: “If you can’t enjoy them, why have them?”
That sentiment separates a living collection from a static museum. These cars are not only protected; they are loved, driven, shared, and remembered. The Cofer Collection’s shining star, the 1935 Fernandez & Darrin-bodied SJ Duesenberg once owned by Madeline Astor, connected the Atlanta event to the grandest chapters of American motoring. To see such a car in Georgia, surrounded by enthusiasts and families, was to feel history become accessible.
Fernandez & Darrin-bodied SJ Duesenberg once owned by Madeline Astor. Courtesy of the Cofer Collection.
The 1934 Chrysler Airflow Imperial Sedan was one of the most revolutionary automobiles of its era, introducing aerodynamic engineering principles decades ahead of its competitors. Developed with input from aviation pioneer Orville Wright, the Airflow featured a streamlined body design, integrated waterfall grille, and headlights mounted within the fenders. Its innovative engineering included moving the 323 cubic-inch Straight Eight engine forward over the front axle, improving weight distribution, ride quality, and passenger comfort. With a 128-inch wheelbase and 130 horsepower, the Imperial Airflow combined luxury with advanced technology rarely seen in the 1930s.
Initially controversial for its futuristic styling, many of the Airflow’s innovations were later adopted throughout the automotive industry. This exceptional example, owned by George Keller, was honored as Best in Class – Pre-War Classics 1915 to 1945, recognizing its historical significance, rarity, and outstanding preservation as one of America’s most influential classic automobiles.
George Keller with the 1934 Chrysler Airflow Imperial Sedan, Best in Class — Pre-War Classics 1915 to 1945. David Weaver Photography.
For Masquerade Magazine, the beauty of the weekend was not only found in the automobiles, but in the people who brought them to life — the collectors, curators, judges, volunteers, sponsors, and guests who understood that a great car is never only a machine. It is a memory preserved in metal.
On the field, owners became storytellers. Some spoke of restorations that took years. Others described family memories, rare parts, long searches, and the quiet responsibility of preserving something that may never be built again.
Collectors, guests, and enthusiasts gathered among an eclectic field of classic and performance automobiles.
Philip Carroll described that sense of place and connection as central to the festival’s identity. “The show is built with people who are here, grassroots,” he said. “That’s what’s going to make it special — the Southern hospitality of Atlanta.”
The festival also expanded beyond automobiles. On Saturday, the Full Throttle Formation Flight Team added drama to the skies above Lanier Islands Resort, flying in a seven-airplane group formation that turned the concours field into a stage for both wheels and wings.
The Full Throttle Formation Team is recognized as America’s largest civilian precision airshow team. Based in Peachtree City, Georgia, the team performs in Van’s RV experimental aircraft, thrilling audiences with close formations, smoke trails, high-energy maneuvers, and carefully choreographed aerial displays. Against the backdrop of rare automobiles and lakefront elegance, their performance gave the weekend a cinematic sense of movement and excitement.
The sight of seven aircraft sweeping across the Georgia sky above a field of historic automobiles created one of the weekend’s most memorable moments. It linked two worlds that have always shared a common language — engineering, speed, design, beauty, and the human desire to push motion into art.
The Full Throttle Formation Flight Team brought wheels and wings together over Lanier Islands Resort.
At the center of that effort were Philip Carroll, Founder and Co-Chairman, and Aaron Spaulding, Co-Chairman, whose leadership helped carry the event from its earlier beginnings into the inaugural Atlanta Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance at Lanier Islands Resort. Their work was supported by key leaders and contributors including Pualani Carroll, Todd Duncan, and Carl Fox, along with a distinguished board of directors composed of Atlanta business and civic voices.
Carroll sees the festival as more than an automotive gathering. “Atlanta is deserving of a lifestyle event, a luxury event, and we know it can sustain it,” he said.
Their leadership gave the festival credibility and momentum, helping transform a passion for automobiles into an organized, philanthropic, destination-level event. A successful concours requires more than beautiful cars. It requires judging standards, hospitality, sponsorship, community relationships, and a network of people who believe in the mission of preserving and celebrating motoring history.
Philip Carroll, Founder and Co-Chairman, speaking during the festival weekend.
The 2026 Atlanta Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance was hosted by the Peach State Drive for Good Foundation. Lanier Islands Resort provided the host setting, while Legacy Lodge at Lanier Islands helped give the weekend its hospitality character. Together, the organization and venue created a destination experience that felt both refined and welcoming.
Key partners, participants, and supporters connected with the 2026 festival included the Peach State Drive for Good Foundation, Lanier Islands Resort, Legacy Lodge at Lanier Islands, The Cofer Collection, Ron Green Bodacious Boats and Cars Collection, James Strickland Collection, Full Throttle Formation Flight Team, Atlanta Jaguar Society, and the event judges, volunteers, sponsors, collectors, and guests who made the weekend possible.
By the end of the weekend, the 2026 Atlanta Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance had made a persuasive case for its future.
With the resort relationship continuing into 2027, organizers see the inaugural year as the foundation for an even more refined and expansive festival experience. In the years ahead, the event has the opportunity to become not merely a gathering of exceptional automobiles, but a signature Southern celebration of design, philanthropy, aviation, fashion, hospitality, and community.
Long after the trophies were awarded and the last engines turned toward home, something remained on the lawns of Lanier Islands: the feeling that Atlanta had not simply hosted a concours. It had begun a tradition. And like every great automobile story, the best miles may still be ahead.
The Atlanta Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance looks toward an expanded return in 2027.
Grundy Insurance — Collector car insurance for classic, antique, and specialty vehicles.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta — Specialized pediatric care
Jim Ellis Maserati — Modern Italian luxury and performance motoring.
Savoy Automobile Museum — Automotive history, design, preservation, and education.
Top-End Motors — Specialty performance, luxury, and enthusiast vehicles.
Margaritaville at Lanier Islands — Resort hospitality, lakefront energy, and relaxed Southern charm.
Lands’ End Business — Branded apparel and professional event outfitting.
INOX Design — Design, presentation, and creative detail.
Watch Your Wrist — Luxury watches, craftsmanship, precision, and personal style.
Atlanta Jaguar Society — Enthusiast support for one of motoring’s most beloved marques.
Atlanta Auto Restoration — Preservation, authenticity, and restoration of classic automobiles.
American Biker Lawyer — Legal support for the motorcycle and motoring community.
Capo Exotic Towing — Specialty transport for exotic, collector, and high-value vehicles.
Porcshe Atlanta Perimeter — Modern German luxury and performance motoring.
Web Partners — Designs effective digital marketing solutions for Atlanta-area businesses.
South Atlanta Auto Storage — Offers secure vehicle storage throughout Atlanta.
Heroic Motorcars — Showcases distinctive collector vehicles for Atlanta-area automotive enthusiasts.
The Baldwin Group — Delivers trusted insurance guidance for Atlanta-area clients.
Fly My Ride — Provides premium vehicle transport services across Atlanta.
Nautical Boat Club — Offers convenient boating experiences for Atlanta-area members.
Masquerade Magazine’s Elegance In Motion is presented in PDF format.
Download PDF format
