Meet Me at the Bridge

By Jordan Staggs | Photography courtesy of The Bridge

How did a longtime Wall Street executive, a branding and events expert, and a Manhattan attorney join together to create one of the world’s most exclusive luxury car shows?

“Serendipity probably puts it best,” says Jeffrey Einhorn, the lawyer. He is also a member of the Former Glory Racing Team of Connecticut, chief of judges at the Americana Manhasset Concours D’Elegance, and cofounder of CarParkNYC. He teamed up with former racer Robert “Bob” Rubin, whose mechanic father instilled a deep love of automobiles in him from a young age before he entered the world of investments and stock options, and marketing guru Shamin Abas, whose eponymous agency specializes in highly curated, exclusive events that have been lauded worldwide.

How did a longtime Wall Street executive, a branding and events expert, and a Manhattan attorney join together to create one of the world’s most exclusive luxury car shows?

“We had each been pondering how we could make an event combining the racing history of Bridgehampton and the raw beauty of the area work,” Einhorn continues.

Rubin’s private golf club, The Bridge, was the natural choice of venue for such an endeavor. Its tees and greens lay on the “hallowed grounds” of the Bridgehampton Race Circuit, a disused racecourse that saw some of the best vehicles and drivers of the mid-1900s make the rounds.

“I always intended to establish a concourse at The Bridge, having participated myself several years at Pebble Beach,” Rubin says.

Abas adds, “I had come to know Bob after he graciously allowed me to arrange a very special anniversary event for my longtime client Ferrari North America at the club back in 2014, and he and I started talking about bringing to life the idea of paying homage to the racing history of the hallowed grounds. Not long after we started exploring the concept, I met Jeff at Pebble Beach and, through our conversation that day, discovered he was the missing link! We quite quickly came together as partners, and the rest is history.”

The course was known for being challenging, with a hairpin turn and downhill slopes. The official circuit hosted races from its inception in 1957 until 1999, though the area was also known for unofficial road races from 1949 to 1953. “The iconic bridge is, of course, still there,” Rubin says. “The name derives not only as a shortening of ‘Bridgehampton’ but also because the bridge itself marks the beginning of what was widely considered the hairiest turn in North American racing: the blind, downhill, off-camber combo turns 1 and 2. A section of the original track is still there today.”

Einhorn adds, “We always seek to highlight vehicles that raced on track, and while most of the track cannot be utilized now, we have all of our show cars enter in the main straight and drive under the Chevron Bridge, as they would have done in period. I head the curation of the vehicles for the event, focusing on cars that did or could have raced at The Bridge. While we run the gamut with rally sports and sporting vehicles, the bulk is extremely limited-production vehicles—from one-off coach-built Ferraris to new McLaren supercars. We have a three-year wait between shows for the return of individual vehicles to keep things fresh.” While he says it’s difficult to choose favorites, Einhorn admits the McLaren F1 and the recently restored Ferrari 250 GTO are at the top of his list.

Since its inception in 2016, Rubin says, “The Bridge has quickly grown from a small private event with a few dozen vehicles belonging to friends of ‘the family’ to a high point on the annual vintage car calendar.” Petrolicious called it “the Pebble Beach of the East,” while Vanity Fair lauded it as “America’s most over-the-top classic car exhibition.”

“I’m proud to have seen the event grow from a twinkle in the eyes of three dreamers to one of the mainstays on the world stage,” Einhorn shares. “It’s something new and different—instead of a focus on judging, we are primarily concerned with the experiences of our guests and exhibitors.”

The invitation-only fête takes place each September for members of The Bridge and their guests, brand partners’ guests, exhibition car owners, and specially invited collectors from around the world. “The event is by invitation only so that we can ensure the environment is charged with the energy that comes from gathering passionate collectors and enthusiasts together to take delight in the extraordinary exhibition of cars we showcase each year,” Abas explains.

The Bridge’s impressive lineup of sponsors for 2022 includes Richard Mille, Ferrari North America, Bentley, Lamborghini, NetJets, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Zegna, Sherry-Lehmann, Giorgio Armani, Technogym, Compass, Bonhams, Czinger, Lucid, McLaren, Bugatti, Aston Martin, Pagani, De Tomaso, Glickenhaus, Polestar, Canoo, United Sodas of America, and Nicholas Brawer. Outside of its automotive partners, each category or vertical is owned exclusively, ensuring brands enjoy a relaxed, non-competitive environment. Each partnership is tailored to meet the brand’s specific desires and objectives.

The event is by invitation only so that we can ensure the environment is charged with the energy that comes from gathering passionate collectors and enthusiasts together to take delight in the extraordinary exhibition of cars we showcase each year,

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the annual event benefit the Bridge Golf Foundation (BGF), based in Harlem, New York, which operates an intensive, year-round, multi-year golf and education program for young men of color. The foundation helps participants close gaps in achievement, learning, and opportunity to prepare them for college and the workforce. “Each year, young men in the BGF get to interact with the exhibition’s invited guests, promote the program, and enjoy themselves,” Rubin shares.

In only six years, the event has become a world-renowned celebration of postwar performance automobiles. Although the main exhibition is invite-only, the team has widened The Bridge’s offerings so the public can experience a piece of it this September near Bridgehampton, New York. Bridgehampton Cars and Coffee, a complimentary, family-friendly public car show at the Bridgehampton Museum, will take place Sunday, September 18, 2022. “We typically see fifty or so cars from Saturday’s exhibition here, driven down by owners, together with hundreds of other cars,” Einhorn says. Jazz music and food from local purveyors will round out the experience.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the annual event benefit the Bridge Golf Foundation (BGF), based in Harlem, New York, which operates an intensive, year-round, multi-year golf and education program for young men of color

“This year, we also plan to launch an additional event on Sunday of exhibition weekend to take place at Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton,” Abas reveals. “The Bridge at Topping Rose House will be a ticketed event featuring some incredible cars and brunch designed by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. More to come on this soon!”

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Autophiles can visit TheBridgeHamptons.com to learn more or follow @thebridge.hamptons on Instagram to see more photos and videos from past events.