Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance to Benefit Local Children’s Hospital

Cool Cars for Kids will again present its annual Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum on June 23-24, the nonprofit organization announced.

Held in support of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the family-friendly event will celebrate the Porsche marque and has been dubbed “Porsche-delphia,” organizers said, and will include a preview gala on June 23 and a concours on June 24.

The concours will showcase a collection of significant Porsches and an assembly of American and European classic and historic automobiles and race cars, the organization said, plus a panel discussion among the figures from Porsche’s racing and corporate history.

Featured will be the 1970 Porsche 917 that is on display at the Simeone Automotive Foundation Museum. The “Hippie” Porsche is not remembered for its racing record – it never won a race – but for its distinctive “psychedelic” green, blue and white paint scheme, one of the very first racing sports cars to have more than a single color, the museum said. Nicknamed the “Hippie” 917, it competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1970 where it set the lap record and came in second. The next year, repainted in the Gulf team blue and orange, it sat on the pole before retiring after 12 hours. It still holds the quickest lap time for the original Le Mans course, historians said.

Cool Cars for Kids is a nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that brings together families of children with genetic conditions and classic car enthusiasts, the organization said. Funds raised by the organization support local and national charities – including The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – to deliver care and support to children and families who struggle with the medical complexities associated with rare diagnoses.

By A.J. Hecht

A.J. Hecht is the managing editor of THE SHOP and host of the In Gear with THE SHOP podcast. Have an idea, a tip, or a question you’d like to see answered? Contact A.J. at ahecht@cahabamedia.com.