Margaret Dunning, the car-loving centenarian who became something of a celebrity and earned the nickname \u201cBelle of the Concours\u201d after showing her 1930 Packard in the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d\u2019Elegance, has died.<\/span><\/p>\n Dunning, of Plymouth, Mich., would have celebrated her 105th birthday next month. She died after being injured in a fall while participating in the ELK Charity Challenge, a fundraiser in California that benefits three children\u2019s charities. Earlier in the week, Dunning visited Jay Leno\u2019s extensive car collection, and Leno changed his plans so that he could be there to greet her.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo matter how many great people you cross paths with, Margaret was one of those extraordinary individuals you meet once in a lifetime,\u201d said automotive writer Michel Lamoureux, who became friends with Dunning several years ago. \u201cOne of the most meaningful things she ever told me was that it\u2019s important to savor life in real time \u2013 to enjoy what you do while you\u2019re at it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dunning was born June 26, 1910, just a few miles from Henry Ford\u2019s Detroit-area home. Her parents, Charles and Bessie Dunning, told her that Ford would sometimes stop by their farm house to visit, and he once rocked her to sleep. Dunning\u2019s connection to the automotive legend may have been an omen. She said she was a \u201ctomboy\u201d as a kid and served as a \u201ctool chaser\u201d for her car-loving father, who taught her to drive at the age of 8. Dunning earned a driver\u2019s license at 12, and she continued to drive well past her 100th birthday.<\/span><\/p>\n (<\/span>Margaret Dunning: 94 years behind the wheel and counting.<\/a><\/strong>)<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes, I\u2019ve driven my share, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Dunning said during a recent interview. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my favorite things to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her favorite car to drive was the cream-colored 1930 Packard 740 Custom Eight Roadster that she purchased in 1949.\u00a0\u201cI love third gear; the car just sings,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve never used it as my everyday driver, but I do like to get it out at least once a month. They were made to be driven, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n A successful businesswoman and philanthropist, Dunning helped create the Plymouth Historical Museum. Pam Yockey, museum board president, said Dunning will be missed here and abroad. \u201cMargaret was truly caring, down to earth, unpretentious and giving of her time,\u201d Yockey told hometownlife.com. \u201cShe has counted among her friends celebrities, rajas and us. How privileged we have been.” (<\/span>Museum Power<\/a><\/strong>)<\/span><\/p>\n Dunning had an energetic personality and a keen sense of humor, which made her a popular guest at classic car events across the county. Once asked the secret to her longevity, she said, \u201cI never got married.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to her prized Packard, Dunning owned a 1931 Model A, \u201966 Cadillac DeVille and \u201975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. Daniel Clements, son-in-law of Dunning\u2019s best friend, Rachel Churches, maintained her cars and also accompanied her on trips although he joked that Dunning really didn\u2019t need his help. \u201cShe\u2019s the Energizer bunny,\u201d he said. (<\/span>It’s a family affair – and then some!<\/a><\/strong>)<\/span><\/p>\n Dunning was both charming and modest. In fact, after being featured in the New York Times and then honored at Pebble Beach \u2013 where she chatted with the likes of Leno, Sir Stirling Moss, Henry Ford III, Edsel Ford II and Arvind Singh Mewar, the Maharana of Udaipur (India) \u2013 she said: \u201cA lot of people want to talk to me, but I don\u2019t know why everyone is making a fuss. I just love cars like everybody else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n