Jack and Helen have been named the Grand Marshals of the 2007 Concours d’Elegance Las Vegas. This is only fitting due to their extensive knowledge of cars and magnificent car collection of over 250 automobiles, The Nethercutt Collection. Jack is both chairman of the board and president of The Nethercutt Collection, along with being chairman of the board and president of Merle Norman Cosmetics. Jack and Helen have worked tirelessly to preserve and protect the collection’s long-term future. In the past two years alone The Nethercutt Collection has been able to partake in numerous automotive events resulting in over ten “best in show” awards and numerous “first class” awards from around the United States.
www.nethercuttcollection.org
Ken Gross Chief Judge
An automobile and motorcycle enthusiast since he was twelve, Ken Gross served as Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum, in Los Angeles, for five years.
Ken has served as a Judge and Chief Class Judge at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for the last eighteen years. He has been Jurist for the North American Car of the Year, since the award’s inception; he was Chief Judge for the Concours on Rodeo; and he’s served as a Senior Judge at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. For ten years, Ken chaired the Selection Committee for the Meguiar's' Award, honoring the Collector Car Hobby's Person of the Year.
A noted free-lance journalist, Ken has been Playboy's auto editor for 23 years. He is the automotive writer for Hemispheres, United Airlines' monthly magazine, a regular contributor to the Robb Report and Sports Car Market, and a columnist for edmunds.com, Meguiar’s carcrazycentral.com and Old Cars Weekly.
An avid hot rodder, Ken writes frequently for The Rodder's Journal, Hot Rod Magazine, Street Rodder Magazine, and Hop Up. His articles have appeared in New York Magazine, Automobile Quarterly, Automobile Magazine, Road & Track, AutoWeek, forbes.com, Fortune, and many others.
His most recent book, “Milestone Hot Rods,” was published by CarTech in April, 2005. Ken’s next book, “Art of the Hot Rod,” for Motorbooks International, will be published early next year. Previously, he wrote the Illustrated BMW Buyer’s Guide and Ferrari 250GT SWB, The definitive road-race car.
An enthusiastic car collector, Gross has owned several vintage V-8 Fords, five Morgans, two Ferraris – a 275 GTB and a 246 Dino GTS, and a Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2. His 1932 Ford highboy roadster was chosen as one of the top 75 ’32 Fords of all time for the “Deuce 75th Anniversary.” He also owns a 1939 Ford convertible coupe with an early Chrysler hemi V-8, and a 1940 Ford coupe. Ken's motorcycle collection has included several Triumphs, two Vincents, three Ducatis, a BSA Gold Star and a Velocette Venom.
F.Edward Lucas II, Emcee & Car Expert Concours d’Elegance Las Vegas
Mr. Ed Lucas has a list of antique and collector car credentials totaling over four pages and has been deemed the “Voice of the Concours,” which makes him the ideal person to be the Concours d’Elegance Las Vegas emcee and dignitary for the 2007 event.
Ed has spent 20 years as master of ceremonies, color commentator and announcer at national collector car shows, concours and important vehicle auctions around the country. Some of the concours events he has been involved with include the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, the Chicago International Concours d’Elegance, The Concours on Rodeo and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
Ed is also the author of 20 articles on collector cars, primarily the Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg. He was the director and chief judge in the Classic Car Club of America and is also the recipient of the National Automotive Historian Award, sponsored by General Motors, and the Spirit of Goodwill Award from the Kruse Auction Company.
Ed has worked with many VIPs at various collector car events including several race car drivers such as Dan Gurney, Sir Sterling Moss, Bobby Unser and Phil Hill, along with celebrities like Jay Leno, Paul Newman, George Barris, Wayne Newton, Alec Baldwin and Tony Curtis. Automotive leaders Ed has had the pleasure of working with include Lee Iaccoca, Bob Lutz, Edsel Ford II, Gordon Buehrig and William Mitchell. Lastly, Ed has worked with several sports figures, including Scotty Bowman and Reggie Jackson, along with dignitaries such as Zora Arkus-Duntov, Andy Granatelli, Carroll Shelby, Chip Foose, Boyd Coddington and David E. Davis.
Ed’s interest in automobiles began at an early age. When he was only 14 years old Ed restored his first car which was a 1931 Chevrolet. The next three cars that he owned and restored include a 1932 Desoto Roadster, a 1934 Buick Roadster and a 1935 Auburn Speedster.
Ed spent 17 years in worldwide automotive customer relations with TRW, Inc. Automotive Supply Group and is a graduate of Michigan State University and Stanford University in a variety of studies.
George Barris Honorary Judge
George Barris, world renowned Hollywood car Kustomizer™, has been named as a dignitary for the 2007 Concours d’Elegance Las Vegas. For over 60 years George has been creating custom cars for film, television, advertising and automotive enthusiasts. George has created such cars as the Batmobile from the Batman TV show, the Munster Koach from the Munsters TV show and numerous Hollywood star cars including the Dukes of Hazzard “General Lee,” Starsky and Hutch’s Grand Torino. In 2006 George received the “Life Achievement Award” from the Friars of Beverly Hills honoring his contributions to Hollywood’s automobile culture.
