Where’s the youth? It’s behind the Northville Concours d’Elegance

Who heads up the ever-growing Northville Concours d’Elegance? A bunch of teenagers and 20-somethings–and they’re looking to change the way people do concours.

David Kibbey, chairman of the Michigan-based concours, didn’t grow up with a concours-going, car-collecting family. But he did attend the Concours of America before it eventually transformed into the Detroit Concours d’Elegance. At age 9, David was smitten with the classic car scene and took a bold step that would change the trajectory of his life.

“I really wanted to meet Wayne Carini,” David says. “So, I went up to the Hagerty booth and I ended up talking with Matt Orendac, who at the time was their vice president of marketing. He pulled out his phone and called Wayne. Wayne didn’t answer, but I got offered the opportunity to try the youth judging program.”

As David grew older, he grew more involved in the classic car world. In 2021, he was helping put on a cars and coffee on the streets of Northville. David wanted to change the date of it from May to April.

The town refused, so David sought a private venue. The date then moved to July, and it transformed into the first Northville Concours in 2021.

Admittedly, David’s not sure how it morphed into a concours, but it did. David brought in a couple of his good friends–Drew Lehnert and Chase Ziegler–to get the concours started. “We had a budget of $700,” David remembers. “We had $500 from Hagerty and $200 from a local tailor, and my grandparents from both sides supported us.”

From the get-go, David wanted to get the youth involved in the Northville Concours, especially in judging. “We have a group of 15 mentors from around the country, from all different backgrounds,” he says. “We pair them up with young people who are interested in judging.” David understands the value of a good mentor, as Ed Welburn, former GM VP of Global Design, often shares his wisdom with David and his team.

Then comes the actual show. “We wanted to get rid of the idea of having ropes around the cars,” David says. “We wanted young people to get up close and experience the vehicle’s inner workings–and maybe even sit in the car, if the owner lets them. We didn’t want there to be any barriers.”

David spoke about his quest to break down barriers to attract youth at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Not all embraced his philosophy. “There was a gentleman in the audience that came up to me after and said, ‘Well, what if I just spent $50,000 on the paint job on my car?’” David remembers. “I thought about it and I was polite and kind and walked away. After I thought about it some more, there’s not going to be somebody to buy that car in 20 years. That value is nonexistent if we don’t continue this passion.”

While some of the world’s finest concours carry an air of gravitas, and with good reason, David looks to make the Northville Concours more welcoming to the younger crowd. “It’s very casual,” David says. “We’ve upheld the same concours standards … [but] got rid of a lot of the stuffiness.”

David and his friends started the Northville Concours with a clear mission, and the industry has seemingly embraced it as a whole, too. “The hobby has changed a lot since first hosting this event,” David says. “When I initially began this concours … we had to push young people to look at the car hobby a bit differently. Since I’ve been doing this, I don’t think that’s how I look at it anymore. There are so many [young] people who really want it. We just have to guide them a little bit. That guiding can be that there’s a little kid next door and you show them your car one day.

“I always remember when I was youth judging at the Concours of America, and there was a gentleman not willing to show his car to the youth judges. That could really have a detrimental effect. We as an industry need to look at how we can be as inclusive to young people as possible.”

In other words, we all say we want the next generation involved, but are we truly welcoming them? David Kibbey and his team at the Northville Concours seem to be doing just that.

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