Lalique trophy is presented to the “Best In Show” at the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach!
For at least 10 years, the Best in Show award at the amazing Concours d’Elegance has been a Lalique Trophy, presented by the Elegant Set, a quiet Carmel, California store associated with noted Lalique personality Nicholas Dawes. The actual trophy is a Lalique Crystal “Trophee” figure mounted on a custom base. Crystal Lalique Paperweights Chrysis and Tete De Aigle are also presented as class prizes. Of course, with the Rene Lalique Hood Ornaments gracing the front ends of so many of the finest motor cars of yesteryear in attendance, it’s only fitting that Lalique is in the forefront when awards are presented.
The Elegant Set has perhaps the largest inventory of Rene Lalique items in stock and on display of any gallery in the United States. It has been established for 25 years, and is a center of R Lalique activity during the Concours. A quick review of their current inventory reveals 24 different R Lalique Car Mascot models including for example a rare R Lalique Pintade Hood Ornament, and a host of other items ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands.
The day before the Concours, on Saturday the 15th, the Elegant Set hosts an R Lalique event, the most important feature of which is champagne and hors d’oeuvres from noon on! But it’s also a chance to see a good amount of R Lalique items in one place, and to meet and talk to Nick Dawes, who fields questions from all comers about R Lalique for most of the day Saturday, in between sips of champagne of course!
The Elegant Set is a private enterprise, but their involvement with the Concours and the exposure they provide for the works of the great Rene Lalique during this important motoring event spreads benefits far beyond Carmel that touch many R Lalique collectors worldwide. And The Elegant Set is so discreet they don’t even have a real address! Heck, they’re so discreet we don’t even have photos to go along with this post! So if this is the first you’ve heard of them, now you know why! But if you want to stop by, they are located at the corner of 7th and San Carlos in Carmel. And you can reach the Elegant Set’s Ken Derrick, also known in certain circles as “The Lalique Trophy Presenter”, at 800 497 4994 for further information.
If you call, the big question you might ask Ken our behalf is this: Why are they waiting until noon to start the champagne flowing?
And here is a link to our previous post concerning other R Lalique Car Mascot related events surrounding the Concours d’Elegance.
Speaking of Rene Lalique Car Mascots: The Lalique Hood Ornament Vitesse, again in opalescent glass, along with a small group of Lalique Mascots is coming up for sale on August 14th, at the annual Bonhams Sale of “Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia” at the Quail Lodge Resort in Carmel, California. The sale is scheduled to coincide with the 
In addition to the Vitesse, Bonhams has assembled a small group of mascots, several of which are hard to find. Notable among these is the Cinq Cheveaux with amethyst tint, which has graced the 
The sale today of several Rene Lalique glass items at Arthur Johnson and Sons in Nottingham (in the Hood, for those readers of our pre-auction report on this 
Apparently everyone agreed the Vitesse was a real “cracker”, it was just a difference of inflection that encouraged or put-off particular bidders. The premium inclusive sale price of 17,400 Brit Pounds, was against a conservative pre-sale estimate of only 5000 to 8000 Pounds.
The auction house also reported to us that prospective buyers were mentioning RLalique.com when inquiring, and we can only hope that the winning bidder remembered to tell them the same! This sale is a perfect example of the benefit of telling auction houses when you inquire about lots, that you saw the item on RLaique.com. The more customers tell them, the more likely they are to make sure we get their sale information. It’s a win-win-win-win for you to know about more upcoming items, for the auction house to have more bidders, for the consignor to realize more proceeds, and for the entire R Lalique community, to have more successful sale results.
The Arthur Johnson and Sons Auction House in Nottingham are offering a few nice looking Rene Lalique Glass items at their sale on August 8th. An opalescent R Lalique Car Mascot Vitesse is the Lalique headliner, but two other R Lalique designed lots are also in the sale; the reasonably rare Rene Lalique Vase Montargis, and the attractive and sizable R Lalique Coupe Plate Calypso in opalescent glass. The 8 inch Montargis sports an estimate of 700 to 1050 British Pounds, and the 38 cm Calypso 900 to 1350 pounds. The Vitesse is estimated at 5000 to 8000 pounds, which seems pretty reasonable barring any “issues” of note.
A couple hours north of London in the heart of the East Midlands, and pretty close to the center of all of England, Nottingham is rich in history. And yes, they still elect a Sheriff there. His title, if you can believe it, is Sheriff of Nottingham! Coincidentally this is the same title as the historical bad guy and adversary of Robin Hood, whose folklore fame has continued to grow since medieval times. Mr. Hood, is shown here in the hood (both literally and figuratively) in a memorial statue in Nottingham. The only thing we don’t know about all the hood stuff, is if his arrow is pointing toward the location of the hood ornament. 🙂 A bit rough, but it all ties together pretty well. And of course, there is the totally unsubstantiated rumor, which we just started, that Rene Lalique used Robin Hood as the sentimental model for the Lalique Car Mascot Archers! Seriously, notice the resemblance?
And if you are going to make the trip to try and snag the Vitesse, take some time to stop by the circa 1550’s Wollaton Hall and it’s famous deer park (probably no deer hunting there by commoners; where is Robin when you need him?). The Hall, shown in the photo here, is the site of numerous events each year, and has a rich history all its own which is a bit long for this post. But you can find more info at the 
In July 1966, the 
Basically the former heartland of the industrial Midwest during the salad days of U.S. manufacturing! A lot of money was made here and stayed here in the form of public projects by wealthy people and companies. The Gilmores established a foundation that owns the museum and carries on, despite the passing of both Gilmores several decades ago.
So, what does the Gilmore Car Museum have? Where to begin, hmmm. Let’s start with the Blue Moon Diner, a real 1941 diner, picked up in toto from Meridian Connecticut, and moved here to the Michigan countryside! And yes, they serve pecan pie and frozen custard. Over 200 autos, from a 1948 “Waltz Blue” Tucker (number 47 out of a total production of only 51), to a Dusenberg! There’s a re-created 1930’s Shell gas station (including memorabilia from a Shell station just 3 miles from the Gilmore that closed during WWII), a small town train station, nine antique Michigan barns, and three miles of paved roads, as well as a huge collection of vintage pedal cars and miniatures. You may see their authentic London Double Decker bus tooling around the property when you visit, and it’s rumored (though not advertised) that a ride in a cool old vehicle might be had from time to time!
The museum is important in many other respects. For example, The Pierce-Arrow Society (the Roadshow video linked below features a Pierce-Arrow with the Rene Lalique Car Mascot Archers) established its museum at The Gilmore. As a result there are a wide array of Pierce-Arrows on display, one of the coolest of which is a 1912 motorcycle. Note that the entire museum grew out of a gift from Mrs. to Mr. Gilmore of a Pierce-Arrow project car needing renovation. Also, the Tucker Historical Collection and Library, a project of the Tucker Automobile Club of America (the “Car of the Future”) is at the Gilmore. Heck, they even have a Chrysler Turbine Car!
Rene Lalique Car Mascot Leads Solid Lalique Auction Results: At the March 26, 2009 Sale of 20th Century Decorative Art and Design held at the Rockefeller Center Sales Rooms of Christies New York, the three Rene Lalique items offered did quite well. Top Lalique lot was the great Rene Lalique Car Mascot Tete De Paon in turquois glass, making a premium inclusive $40,000 US Dollars, outpacing the pre-sale estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. The 1914 presentation glass and metal Lalique Chalice Ville De Paris sold for a premium inclusive total of $15,000 against an $8000 to $10,000 estimate, and the rare R Lalique Glass Veilleuse Electric Perfume Burner Raisins, sold for $7500 all in, against a $5000 to $7000 estimate. Another solid performance for R Lalique at Christies, and another in a string of solid worldwide results for high quality R Lalique at auction.
Bonhams Quail Lodge Sale in Carmel on August 15th, held to coincide with the big car show held each year, had several Rene Lalique mascots in it. Here are the results including buyer’s premium: