Bombardier and Flexjet celebrate Learjet 50th anniversary

                       
A full scale mock-up of the new Learjet 85 (pictured) will appear in the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance this Sunday on father’s day. It will the first ever full-scale aircraft mock-up to ever appear on the famous street.

The Rodeo Drive Committee – in conjunction with the City of Beverly Hills – has selected “THE JET AGE” as the 2013 theme to honour this milestone.

“We are excited to join Flexjet and Bombardier to honor Learjet’s golden anniversary,” says Concours chairman Bruce Meyer. “The Jet Age marked a time when carmakers from post World War II through the arrival of the super sonic Concorde in the ‘70s redesigned their automobiles to highlight the most extreme designs reflecting streamlining and speed! We will display a thrilling exhibit reflecting these often outrageous designs.”

The annual Father’s Day tradition features a wide variety of vintage and racing cars and motorcycles lining Rodeo Drive north from Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica Boulevard on Sunday, June 16.

As the 2013 featured brand, Bombardier Aerospace and Flexjet will together present the Learjet 85 aircraft full-scale mock-up as the centerpiece of the 200 block of Rodeo Drive.

“Fifty years ago, the first Learjet aircraft took flight thanks to the innovative and adventurous spirit of Bill Lear, who invented the business jet category,” said Deanna White, president, Flexjet. ” “Flexjet is proud to further his legacy by offering fractional shares on the Learjet 85 aircraft, defining a new benchmark in the evolution of private aviation.”

The 300 block of Rodeo Drive will feature cars inspired by the Jet Age, with smooth aero-dynamic shapes from the 1950s and 60s.

On the 400 block of Rodeo Drive, the event will once again showcase “The Best of the Best” with pre-1975 classic cars of any brand considered by the show’s curators.

“We are thrilled to honour Bombardier’s Learjet and Flexjet as the featured brand at this year’s Concours,” said Jim Jahant, president of the Rodeo Drive Committee. “It will be the first time we have a full-size aircraft cabin mock-up parked on Rodeo Drive, so the 2013 Concours d’Elegance will be historic for Beverly Hills and a must-see for residents and visitors alike.”

The Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance is produced by the Rodeo Drive Committee in association with the City of Beverly Hills.

Photograph: Jason Tinacci