What is theCortile?

The Cortile is the ItalianCar Show, at The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix which will againmeet on July 23-24, 2011. In Italian "Cortile" translates intocourtyard which is an appropriate name for our display of fineItalian machina on the 18th fairway of the Bob O'Connor Golf Courseat Schenley Park. As you may know, The Pittsburgh Vintage GrandPrix is the only Vintage Race held on city streets in North Americaand includes some white knuckle off-camber turns brushing stonewalls in s-bends downhill. If you think that's a mouthful to readyou should see it in person!

Where is The Cortile?
TheCortile area not only has it's own private entrance, @ Gate G, soyou can bypass all of the inbound traffic, but is also the only carshow that boasts the glorious setting of our host ThePittsburgh Golf Club, which offers a cash bar.

Theentrance to the Cortile is on Northumberland Street, just below theSchenley Park Golf Course clubhouse at the corner of Forbes Avenueand Schenley Drive. The 2011 Show opens on Saturday and Sunday at9:30 AM and cars are displayed until 5:00 PM. Cortile and GrandPrix are held rain or shine.

You can get directions from Google Maps!

View TheCortile Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Map

What does it cost for me to participate?
Costfor 2011 $120 per car and includes lunch for two. We are working ona special area for our two wheeled machina. Additional lunches canbe purchased. A cash bar will also be available. There is no formaljudging in car show. Visit the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prixwebsite for more details of all the events. CLICK HERE To REGISTER ONLINENOW. for the car show.

Want to see a dashcard sample? CLICKHERE

What is the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix?

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association is a 501 (c) (3)non-profit organization with a mission to hold a world-classvintage automotive event for charity. It is the region's premiersummer event for hundreds of thousands of automotive enthusiasts inthat it combines charitable fundraising with car shows and vintagesports car racing on city streets. The 2011 Race Week runs fromJuly 15th through the 24th culminating with our 29th annual vintageraces and car shows at Schenley Park on the weekend of July23/24. Since 1983 this volunteer-driven event has raisedover $2.6 million for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh &Allegheny Valley School.
The Cortile overlooks the entire car show area with scenic views ofthe Pittsburgh skyline.

TheCortile

The Cortile is a hybrid car show. Hybrid inthe sense that it is one of the few car shows on race weekendmanaged by directly by the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand PrixAssociation. Many of the other shows are graciously managed bylocal car clubs.

How did the Cortile start?

In October of 2007 Dan Delbianco and Bob Speer had lunch withBernie Martin and the subject of Italian cars, and thelack of them at the PVGP, came up. The Italianmanufacturer's and coachbuilders had some of the richest history ofautomotive design and performance engineering. There seemed to betwo key problems:

1. There where no Italian Car dealers in the Western PAregion
2. There where no active Italian Car clubs to manage a carshow

By the end of that lunch it was decided to roll the dice and seeif we could attract some Italian gems to Pittsburgh for the GrandPrix by creating an "All Italian" Marque of the Year. As Bernietells it, Bob and Dan looked at him and said "Great Idea!You're in charge"

So,in 2008, at the 26th running of The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix,"All Italian Cars" were featured as the "Marque of the Year" Therewas an overwhelming response! But there was still no local car cluband no local dealers to manage an all Italian car show.

During the course of the show there where manydiscussions about why more Italian car owners didn't participate.Some of the main reasons given was that the location of the Italiancar event turned into a swamp if it rained as well as many visitorsto the PVGP, not realizing the rarity of some of the cars in frontof them wanted to "hop in" because there where only a few Italiancars that showed up.

By the end of the 2008 event the discussion was flowing. Severalpeople made the journey across the park to look at a section of thegolf course that was completely vacant near the #8 & #17 greenof the Bob O'Conner Golf Course at Schenley Park.  It was decidedto create an All Italian event every year. In 2009 the PVGPintroduced "The Cortile": a very unique, opulent area befitting thegorgeous Italian gems that participate. The Cortile is a PVGP runevent and not a club event which makes it rather unique from manyof the other car shows that occur over the Grand Prix weekend.

Saturday: Car Show, Lunch, Art Shows, OperaSingers.

Sunday: Car Show, Racing and Wine and Cheese @ Turn 9 in ourPrivate Viewing area in the cool picturesque setting of theWestinghouse Fountain