Arizona Concours d'Elegance co-organizer Mike Mullan dies

Mike Mullan, whose tireless efforts helped create and sustain the Arizona Concours d’Elegance, died June 8 after a short illness.

A fourth-generation Phoenix native and a consummate car guy, he was 71 years old, according to a press release.

Mullan was among a small band of volunteers who first gathered in 2013 with the goal of staging a world-class collector car show and competition in the style of the greatest concours events, such as Pebble Beach in California, Goodwood in England and Villa d’Este in Italy.

A hands-on organizer who led and served in many Arizona classic car shows, rallies and tours over the years, Mullan managed garage operations for the Arizona Concours, ushering millions of dollars’ worth of rare and vintage automobiles into storage and then safely onto the lawns of the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix and, in recent years, the Scottsdale Civic Center.

Mullan was a well-known presence in the Arizona collector car community, mainly centered on Jaguar automobiles and other British brands. He was an active member of the Jaguar Club of Central Arizona, as well as several other local clubs. He will be deeply missed by his many friends in the local car community.

A celebration-of-life service for Mullan was held privately.