Shown here is the archer hood ornament from a 1934 Pierce Arrow, a vehicle that was displayed at Sunday's Greystone Mansion Concours d'Elegance.

Have you ever seen a Pierce Arrow in person? How about a Chrysler Thunderbolt? A Marmon Sixteen? Thanks to the City of Beverly Hills and The Friends of Greystone, I’ve now seen each of those up close, plus an amazing array of American and European vehicles from the pre- and post-war eras, some more than 100 years old.

The second annual Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance was held Sunday in Beverly Hills, California, and showcased more than 150 rare, vintage and unique cars and motorcycles on the grounds of the historic, 55-room, 18-acre mansion and city park. Proceeds from the event benefited the Friends of Greystone, an organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration and protection of the estate, which was completed in 1928.

Along with other attendees and exhibitors, I was shuttled up the hill to the beautiful mansion, setting for a number of films, television shows and music videos, including “The Social Network” and “Gilmore Girls.” The Concours took place in the estate’s main parking lot, with vehicles grouped together in Packard, Jaguar, Porsche, Ferrari, Pre-War American, Post-War American, American Sports, Post-War British, Pre-War European, Post-War European Touring, Post-War European Sports and Motorcycle classes.

I made my way through the American vehicle sections, taking in all the details cars from the 1903 through 1968 had to offer. There were swan hood ornaments, reversible bench seats, golf club compartments, checkered upholstery and cotton-candy paint jobs.

Though he didn’t enter into the competition, Jay Leno did drive a Duesenberg Beverly Murphy sedan to the event. The vehicle has been featured on “Jay Leno’s Garage,” which you can see here.

Not to be outdone by their vehicles, some owners dressed for the occasion with one Pre-War European entrant dressed in a period vest-and-short-pants outfit. The owner of a white-and-shocking-pink Thunderbird came in a white suit, accented with a pink shirt.

The mansion hosted seminars and a variety of vendors. Attendees gathered around the estate’s many fountains and courtyards to enjoy food and drink, and take in the beautiful city views on the bright, cloudless May afternoon while a jazz combo played.

Awards were presented at the end of the day in 11 car and three motorcycle categories. The winning vehicles included:

Packard – 1929 Dual Cowl Phaeton owned by Dana & Lianne Graham
Pre-War American – 1937 Cord 812 Sportsman owned by Tony Vincent
Post-War American – 1957 Dual Ghia owned by Irwin Thaler
American Sports – 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra owned by Ron Busuttil
Heritage Gallery Outstanding “Mascot” – 1934 Pierce Arrow Coupe owned by Gordon Wangers
Meguiar’s Outstanding Paint Presentation – 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II owned by Peter Hoffman
People’s Choice – 1930 Cadillac 452A V-16 Roadster owned by Fred Lax
FIVA Preservation Award – 1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by Murphy owned by Adrien Labi

The third annual Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance will be held on May 6, 2012.

To see pictures of the winning vehicles, as well as other standouts in the American classes, click through the gallery below.

Tags: 2011 Events, Cadillacs, Car Shows, Chrysler, Continental, Cool Cars, Cord, Dual Ghia, Duesenberg, Editors Corner, Fairlane, Ford, Greystone Mansion, Lincoln, Mustangs, Packard, Pierce Arrow, Shelby Cobra, Thunderbirds, Thunderbolt, Town and Country, Woodies