Concours D’Elegance, DW3 Photography, Steven Pham, Ian Williamson, Tony Tarantino, Kimball Studios
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
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A Golden Jubilee
Berkley One Classics Celebrates 50 Years.
Best in Show
The top Concours d’Elegance events worth traveling for now.
A Lobby Legend
How one local fire truck became a Fortune 500 icon.
aBerkley One Classics Celebrates 50 Years
Golden
When W. R. Berkley Corporation acquired Tri-State Mutual Insurance Company in 1974, it marked an auspicious season for the collector automobile space. The team soon began providing insurance on antique cars, spending much of their time traveling for vintage car shows or hosting their own in Luverne, Minnesota.
Jubilee
“The early days of Berkley One Classics depended upon our being out among the public,” says Amber Walgrave, Berkley One Classics Underwriter. “We didn’t do much advertising back in the 70s and 80s—the majority of it was word of mouth.”
As Tri-State expanded into new territories with agricultural and commercial insurance offerings, the collector vehicle program expanded with them—and into places where market needs presented themselves. The company became associated with three Berkley Companies over the years—Continental Western Group in 2000, Berkley Program Specialists in 2015, and Berkley One in 2017, and each association caused the team to follow a thoughtful approach to growth. “We always first ask, ‘Where does it make sense to go next?’ and in that, we consider the simultaneous development of offerings by other Berkley
Companies, and how Classics can be a part of those decisions,” says Shelley Fey, Berkley One Classics Branch Team Leader.
National Classics Leader Tim Dadik credits much of the company’s momentum to the early team’s passion for automobiles—and for people. “It’s always been about relationships and our being able to pick up the phone and have a conversation with someone about their car— and people love talking about their cars,” he says. “From the beginning, we’ve had a team in place that is truly invested in learning about how a vehicle was acquired, its process of restoration, its provenance,
and how it has remained in the family across generations. It all blossoms from there.”
Today, insurance for collector vehicles is provided by Berkley One Classics in 28 states—with more being added in 2025 and beyond. “As we grow, we will continue to connect with those who are passionate about the collector car space, be it field experts or those who own a consignment shop or repair facility,” says Dadik. “When we surround ourselves with great people in the hobby, it makes us better as an organization.”
Dadik speaks from experience, noting the integral role community involvement has played for Classics since its inception. “Whether it’s a car show, charity fundraiser, concours, or museum event, the independent agents we work with are out there, front and center, meeting individuals who share strongly in this interest,” he says. Those interactions have resulted in longtime relationships over the years—ones with auto enthusiasts like A.J. Dufendach of Grand Rapids’ Garage Kept Motors, or Darrel Burnett of Green Bay’s The Automobile Gallery. And then, there are the founders of Under the Hood— the popular, national podcast dedicated to car appreciation and care.
Some cars have excited the Classics team over the years— from vehicles gracing history books (such as the 1915 Big Brown Luverne and 1909 Luverne Thirty, the last two Luverne Automobile Company cars known to still exist) and those on the big screen (various makes and models from hit TV series Breaking Bad).
“We get to see all of these collections and styles, and to learn about each of them,” says Fey. “It keeps the work fun and interesting. “
That ongoing education and exposure has helped equip the team to better understand how collector vehicles are valued, too—like when Customer Support Specialist
Julie Nekali helped a client with their 1956 Porsche. “I discovered that his vehicle was more than $100,000 undervalued, and helped him get it insured to value,” she says. In the process and through the photos the client sent to Nekali, she was happily surprised to learn that he not only garaged the vehicle— he stored it inside his house.
It’s those moments of connection that continue to propel Nekali and team in their development of client relationships—and that make for some of the most memorable stories. “A wife was walking down the street and saw a car that looked like the one her husband had when they were dating—when they learned it was the very same vehicle, they bought it back. Walgrave notes the joy the Classics team feels when clients send the team photos of their children or grandchildren. “We hear these stories because we get to know our customers—we listen to them.” Also, often independent agents know clients by voice when they call.
The depth of these relationships, many of which have been decades in the making, affords agents the chance to be a part of those family stories and legacy-making. “When a family member passes on, the vehicle might be passed on to a child or grandchild. When the vehicle stays with the next generation— it really does become a family experience,” notes Nekali. Walgrave recalls an example of this from her own career. “I was working with a client, and when he passed away, his son inherited the car—now, he’s restoring it in honor of his father.”
As the Classics team looks back on 50 years, they’re reminded more than ever of the meaning cars can hold for us all. “It’s one of the biggest beauties of the hobby, the ways cars can bring back all of these memories— memories of a parent, a first car, a first relationship,” says Dadik. “There are so many emotional connections to cars—they’re far beyond metal.”
“Cars are one of those exceptional things—they’re a wonderful part of our history—our industrial history, our design history. They embody so much of what is America.”
— William R. Berkley
Photos: Brett Dubin, W. R. Berkley Corporation
A LOBBY LEGEND
How one local fire truck became a Fortune 500 icon.
William R. Berkley, Executive Chairman of the Board of W. R. Berkley Corporation—the company he started with a $2,500 investment and grew into one of the nation’s largest commercial lines property and casualty insurance providers— recalls a time when Berkley had its own firemark: small, metal signage that clients displayed by their front door to indicate to fire companies that their home was protected against fire damage. “Fire companies and insurance companies were closely related,” he says. So, when W. R. Berkley Corporation bought Tri-State Mutual Insurance Company in 1974 and built a team in Luverne, Minnesota, it was a fitting surprise when they discovered a bonus with the acquisition awaiting them: an original 1923 Luverne Fire Engine.
Photos: Casey Wilson
It would be just one of the coincidences surrounding the fire engine’s presence. Brothers Fenton and Ed Leicher founded Luverne Automobile Company in 1903, which evolved into Luverne Fire Apparatus when the company sought to specialize in an increasingly saturated market. Its creative origins are not unlike those of W. R. Berkley Corporation—and Mr. Berkley’s founding vision. “I believe in the American Dream—that someone who starts an enterprise could find a way and a path forward,” he says, referencing the company’s early stages. “As I learned about insurance, I realized we had the opportunity to do things in a focused and specialized way.”
A commitment to excellence drove both companies. Tanya Light, Fenton Leicher’s greatgranddaughter, experienced this firsthand at both enterprises (Light worked with the Berkley team for 20 years). Growing up with Luverne firetrucks—and receiving her first driving lessons on one—Light notes that while the company was small, attention to detail reigned supreme. “The philosophy was always, ‘If you build them well, they will sell themselves,’” she says. “The production was low, and it was all hand-built—quality was everything.”
Mr. Berkley still remembers the first time he saw the 1923 fire engine on an early visit to Luverne. “It brought back the beauty, talent, and art of what fire engines were.”
In 2007, after years of showing the fire engine in several local parades, the Luverne team received a call from Mr. Berkley. That conversation would mark the beginning of a longer voyage for the vintage vehicle—one that would carry it through a restoration and across the country to the lobby of W. R. Berkley Corporation headquarters in Greenwich, Connecticut. “We’re a young company, but we have old roots,” says Mr. Berkley. “There’s nothing that ties us to the community and the insurance business like a firetruck.”
Facility Maintenance Engineer Michael Rofshus and then Regional Manager Curt Bloemendaal played key roles in the efforts. “We knew how much the surrounding community loved the truck—we really liked the idea of the project,” says Bloemendaal. Rofshus started making phone calls that morning, noting that the team worked with several specialists for the six-month project. “There wasn’t a piece of the truck that was left untouched.” The frame was sandblasted and repainted, a specialty shop in Sioux Falls rebuilt the engine, and G&H Radiator fashioned a new radiator. The team also went to great lengths to perfect the truck’s original aesthetic. “We did extensive research and made many phone calls,” says Rofshus. “We wanted to ensure period-correct details throughout, from the hoses and tire sizes to part brands and markings.”
Once the fire engine was complete, it was transported to Greenwich, where Rofshus backed it off the semi-truck and helped a team to move it indoors. “It was a tight fit—we had probably an inch on each side to work with—but once it was in there, it was a sight to behold.”
Before maneuvering the truck into the building, Rofshus met with Mr. Berkley, who joined him in the engine for a ride around the block. More than 15 years since the project, Rofshus looks back on the experience with appreciation. “It was really gratifying to be a part of the process—and fitting for us to bring to headquarters this historical piece of Luverne, where so much of W. R. Berkley Corporation began.”
Bloemendaal agrees. “It worked out very well— seeing it there after the restoration and the move. We were all really proud.”
The fire engine serves as a reminder of that foundation for Mr. Berkley, who, after growing W. R. Berkley Corporation to more than 60 insurance businesses nationwide since 1967, understands the necessity of evolution. It’s just a part of what he hopes visitors will see in the lobby addition—a reflection of the company’s dedication to protection, and in that, a symbol of the past, present, and future.
“We have a long-term view here; a recognition of how things have evolved, from one to the next, and how we’ve hoped to fill a niche in that history,” he says. “The fire engine is a connection with where we have been, and where we plan to go from here.”
A History of Innovation and Integrity
Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation has grown from a small investment management firm into one of the largest commercial lines property and casualty insurance providers in the United States.
Along the way, W. R. Berkley Corporation has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange, become a Fortune 500 company, joined the S&P 500, and seen gross written premiums exceed $10 billion.
Today, the Berkley brand comprises more than 60+ businesses worldwide and is divided into two segments: Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess. Led by Executive Chairman, founder, and largest shareholder, William. R. Berkley, and President and Chief Executive Officer, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., W. R. Berkley Corporation is well-positioned to respond to opportunities for future growth.
“Collecting is an exceptional hobby —not only because you gain perspective on something that was of consequence in the world, but you also save that heritage for other people to share and appreciate.”
— William R. Berkley
BEST IN
The Concours d’Elegance — translating to “competition of elegance”— originates in 17th-century France, when royalty would showcase their decorated, horse-drawn carriages through parks—a spectacle that evolved over time to feature automobiles and the chance to rank them across categories. Today, these competitions happen worldwide, gathering some of the most coveted and iconic creations in auto—and bringing with them plenty of ways to celebrate the collector space and craftsmanship of cars.
Photo: Patrick Darby
SHOW
The top Concours d’Elegance events worth traveling for now.
From an arts-driven weekend in Scottsdale to a design extravaganza across metro Detroit, here are some of the nation’s leading Concours d’Elegance events now.
Arizona Concours d’Elegance
(Scottsdale, Arizona) | January 19, 2025
Presented in partnership with Scottsdale Arts, this event will showcase more than 100 rare automobiles and motorcycles at the Scottsdale Civic Center. Under the theme “The Art of Automotive Engineering,” entrants will compete for awards in 16 classes, featuring impressive examples that include Duesenberg, Bugatti, Pierce-Arrow, Ferrari, and Jaguar. Original, restored, and period custom automotives span decades and will see two coveted Best of Show trophies:
one for pre-World War II and one for post-war. Awards extend to the audience, as well. As they’re designed to emulate a stylish garden party, the concours encourages period costumes for all attendees, with special honors for the most enjoyable outfit. The event’s philanthropic roots offer even more reason to celebrate in style: proceeds benefit local artists and art programs, and longtime partner Make-A-Wish® Arizona.
Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance
(Seabrook, Texas) | May 3-4, 2025
This annual concours brings together classic cars and vintage boats for a two-day, waterfront spectacle. The largest event of its kind, the competition features more than 60 boats and 200 vehicles, a world-class collection that includes antiques and pre-war cars, along with supercars, hot rods, and European makes
(plus boats like Chris-Crafts, Centuries, and Yellow Jackets). Plans are being made for the marques of 2025, and the weekend gets even more exciting with a visit from My Classic Car’s Dennis Gage, who plans to film an onsite episode for the long-running television show.
Photos: Keels & Wheels Concours
EyesOn Design at Ford House
(Metro Detroit, Michigan) | June 13-15, 2025
This event began in 1988 as a fundraiser for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO), an organization that was formed a few years earlier to serve the visually impaired. The connection between vision and the appreciation of automotive design remains central to the event today—it is the only car show in the country dedicated entirely to design. All vehicles are judged strictly on design by designers, a student panel, and “Visionaries,” blind individuals who judge a class of cars entirely by touch. Next year’s theme—
The Art of Design—will showcase the specialized artform of automobile design across the decades, connecting art styles with their automotive equivalent and featuring renderings and finished illustrations from the design process. Held across three days in Metro Detroit locations, the weekend will feature a gala, design symposium, and tours leading up to Sunday’s headlining car show and Champagne brunch. Both take place at the historic Edsel & Eleanor Ford Estate in Grosse Pointe Shores.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (Pebble Beach, California) | August 17, 2025
Since its origins in 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has helped to inspire and set the standard for concours events around the world. In its early days, the event broke European concours tradition by awarding Best of Show to a collector car rather than a new car. It’s one of the concours’ many notable firsts— others being its gatherings of iconic cars (including the three original Alfa Romeo BATs or all of the Ford GT40s that have raced), or its incorporation of a driving event into the judging process with the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance (when attendees
can witness these automobiles in their element, following the iconic 17-Mile Drive and Highway One). The 2025 competition will celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Formula 1, the centennials of Chrysler and Invicta, and the creations of designer Virgil Exner (with more details announced soon). When tickets are released later this fall, consider opting for one of the VIP packages for the full experience—and come showtime, plan to arrive before sunrise for Dawn Patrol, a chance to be among the first to see the cars pulling onto Pebble Beach Golf Links’ famed 18th fairway.
Photos: Kimball Studios / Pebble Beach
Concours d’Elegance
“America has been a star in the whole development of the automobile. To collect them is an opportunity to carry that star with you.”
— William R. Berkley
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We get it—your classic is special. You drive it differently. It’s valued differently. And honestly, it needs to be insured differently. That’s where the expertise of Berkley One Classics makes all the difference. Like you, we’re a bit obsessed with collector vehicles, and equally committed to delivering the best coverage and the highest level of personal service. Talk your your agent about insuring your collector vehicles with Berkley One and visit berkleyone.com/classics to request a quote.
