Amelia Island, Florida - The 12th Annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance attracted 18,000 visitors to The Ritz-Carlton on March 11th to walk among and admire more than 250 of the most spectacular automobiles in the world. Having gained a reputation as slightly more relaxed and accessible to the average auto admirer than the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the array of automotive artistry is no less dazzling.
Rather than focus on a particular marque, as has been the tradition for the first eleven years, founder and chairman Bill Warner chose this year to feature "Great Road Races" and shine the spotlight on vehicles that raced in the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Carrera Panamericana, and in a break from tradition, the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy - a motorcycle race, which brought some two-wheeled classics onto to grass.
In addition to those classic racers, eleven cars piloted by two-time World Endurance Champion Derek Bell were displayed and Bell was there to serve as Honorary Chairman.
Joining Bell was an all star line up of drivers from the "Great Road Races," Brian Redman, Vic Elford, Sir Stirling Moss, Hershel McGriff, John Surtees and John Fitch. They were featured in a seminar held the day before the concours hosted by veteran automotive journalist Chris Economaki.
Another way this event sets itself apart is that it gives awards in two Best of Show categories-Concours de Sport for the best race car and Concours d'Elegance for all other classics. As Bill Warner saw it, a Ford GT-40 and a Duesenberg SSJ are both beautiful in their own right, "why not celebrate both?"
1953 Ferrari 375 MM Vignale Spyder
1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS
The winner of the 2007 Concours d'Elegance was the stunning 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS from the collection of the late Jack Nethercutt. The shapely streamlined teardrop body from the French company Figoni et Falaschi is often described as rolling sculpture and helped redefine car design in the 1930s.
I don't know how you top this but Bill Warner seems to outdo himself every year.
For more information about the Amelia Island Councours d'Elegance, go to http://www.ameliaconcours.org/
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