Stratus Media Group, Inc. Announces Alain Clenet to Attend SB Concours d'Elegance
(Santa Barbara, CA) — April 05, 2011 — The 25th Santa Barbara Concours d'Elegance is proud to have Alain Clenet, founder of Clenet Coachworks, once based in Santa Barbara, and designer of the famous Clenet — a late-70s type vehicle remastered and perfected into an individualized, high-end 30s-looking model — attend the event. In addition to the visionary automotive artist, the Concours will feature the 35th Anniversary reunion of the Clenet Cluster (www.Clenet.org) with over 20 cars in attendance. Stratus Media Group is thrilled to have such an elemental part of Santa Barbara history arrive at the Concours as we mark our silver Anniversary.
Alain Clenet, son of a successful Frenchman Ford dealer, came to America with a desire to build individualized tributes to American-built vehicles. He believed in beauty and business in a capitalist country and envisioned reviving the art of automobile coachbuilding like that done by famous names like Fleetwood, Fisher and Dietrich in the 1930s. In such fashion, he assured the reward for one's hard work is elegance; and for Clenet, that meant combining old world style with American mechanics, giving birth to the American dream car. His success in his Clenet series lead Fortune to dub his craftsmanship "Driven Art."
Alain Clenet's philosophy in car making is difficult to find anywhere in the world: "the point is not to make many cars, but to make one car very well. As a matter of business and a matter of personal desire, I want to make these cars the very best I can." His profound interest in quality and uniquity is unmatched to this day.
Although Clenet Coachworks was eventually shut down, the admiration for the automotive master of classic, elegant design and his artwork has survived. These antique beauties, few in number, remain as beloved collectors items and are a rare find in a public setting. These classic Clenets can be seen as marveled show pieces at Concours shows nationwide.
Santa Barbara is one lucky city to have been hand-picked by Alain Clenet himself as the central backdrop of beauty and elegance as he worked his magic on the customized, one-of-a-kind Clenets.