Mr. David Berndt started driving in the mid-60’s and found himself soon immersed in the great muscle and pony cars era. Mr. Berndt’s love of automobiles has continued to this day.
A retired Certified Gemologist/Appraiser, originally from Harrisburg, PA. Mr. Berndt has
judged events as an accredited Judge with AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) including the prestigious Hershey Fall Meet where he was a judge for the Class “Prestige Vehicles.”
His interest in Rolls-Royce and Bentley led him to a volunteer position at the Rolls-Royce Owners Club (RROC) headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1974. After inventorying the Rolls-Royce Foundation Library, he became the first Managing Director for the non-profit arm of RROC. He was also the Store Manager for RROC and was responsible for purchasing and cataloging all retail products for the Club. At that time, he became a licensee of Rolls-Royce Motors to market limited-edition products.
Fast forwarding to Florida, Mr. Berndt became involved in organizing, judging, and assisting in the production of various automotive events in the Orlando area. These events included: the Lake Dora Classic – Mount Dora, Fl, the Winter Park Concours d’Elegance and the Gasparilla Concours d’Elegance. He was an early partner in Festivals of Speed, St. Petersburg, and Orlando.
Currently Mr. Berndt serves as the President of the Bentley Drivers Club of North America. He is Past Chairman for the Florida Region and a past National Director of RROC. He maintains his memberships with AACA, LCOC, RROC, BDC.
On a personal note, Mr. Berndt’s 1996 Springfield Silver Spur was just awarded the AACA National Award, called the “Foo Dog Trophy” for the Best Rolls-Royce at an AACA meet for 2022. His all-time favorite cars include the 1964 GTO, 1967 AC Cobra.
Mr. David Berndt stated. “I look forward to assembling a fine group of qualified Concours Judges for the 2024 Gasparilla Concours d’Elegance. If you have Concours judging experience and would like to join in on the fun, you can reach me at dcberndt@aol.com”
