Des Moines Concours d’Elegance celebrates 25 years

8/6/2025

Among a sea of monster trucks and oversized gray SUVs, classic and vintage cars certainly stand out. A 1957 Chevy may not have Apple Car Play, but it does have chrome tailfins, a spacious back seat and a turquoise colored frame. Yet, you rarely see these cruising along I-235.

If you want to see top-of-the line classic cars, attend the Des Moines Concours d’Elegance on Sept. 7 at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Now in its 25th year, the free event features more than 100 meticulously restored classic cars in 11 classes of vehicles, including exotics, muscle, pickup trucks and more. It includes family-friendly activities plus food trucks.

Organizers say it is not your average car show. Joseph Phillips, co-chair, explains.

“Car owners apply by submitting photos and the story behind the restoration,” he says.

Vintage cars originality dwindled when some models “borrow” parts from other models. The cars showcased at this show are as close to the original as possible. 

“The car story is a big part of the judging. If they bought it at a Mecum auction, they might not know the history,” he explains. “We had one who bought a car that had been burned, and they spent 15 years restoring it. It looked like it just came out of the factory.”

Each year, the event averages more than 20,000 attendees. On Sept. 6, a Concours Charity Gala kicks off the event at the Stine Barn. This year’s speaker is Donald Osborn, automotive historian, appraiser, author and co-host of “Jay Leno’s Garage.” Proceeds from entry fees and the charity gala benefit the Children’s Cancer Connection. Tickets are available at https://desmoinesconcours.com/gala. 

 

50 years of car renovations

Dean Bibler will be showing his renovated 1953 Pontiac Custom Catalina two-door hardtop at the event. The car had only 27,000 miles on when he bought it.

He has renovated 93 classic cars in the past 50 years. These cars are immaculate, factory-like and detailed. He takes pride in his workmanship, and several of his classic cars rarely appear outside his garage at car shows. 

“I don’t want the public touching them or having a guy drinking beer, leaning up against it,” he explains. 

Bibler became fascinated with how things worked when he took apart a broken clock and fixed it when he was 5 years old. He and his siblings played a game of “naming the car,” and he typically won by paying attention to a vehicle’s details. In 1958, he attended a car show with his parents and picked up brochures about the cars.

General Motors offered kids a chance to design cars with the winning design securing a scholarship up to $5,000. Bibler entered four times and won a college scholarship the fourth year.

He began restoring and selling cars as a teenager and had the chance to work for a Detroit automaker but declined. A local gas station owner taught him about restorations, and, throughout the years, he became an expert. 

Bibler quit restoring cars four years ago, citing difficulty finding expensive parts. Today, among his several cars, a 1957 Dodge is a favorite, along with a 1967 Datsun Roadster and a 1956 DeSoto Sportsman, which he drives about 15 miles in both the spring and fall. The rest of the time, cars sit. 

“I babysit them,” he says. “They live a life of luxury from 50-80 degrees.”

When Bibler restores a car, he listens to a selection of more than 4,000 songs. Restoration has taught him patience. 

“When you restore a car, you look at it one piece at a time. You concentrate on that dent only,” he reflects. 

He likes the uniqueness of his cars. As he pops the hood of his pink DeSoto, he says, “Look at the engine. There’s no grease. They have personalities. It’s not like the cars they build today.”