Events
Lucky 13 At Amelia Island
By Jonathan A. Stein
Jacksonville collector, auto journalist and all-around car guy Bill Warner first held the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 1996. In the eleven years that followed, the event evolved from just one of many fledgling concours to a truly great international celebration of the motorcar, rivaling the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the Louis Vuitton-sponsored concours in Paris and at the Hurlingham Club in England. From the onset, what set Amelia Island apart was the emphasis on competition cars and motor sports giants who are honored each year.
The 13th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance held on March 9, 2008, was big, bold and spectacular. Well over 300 cars filled the greens at the lovely Golf Club of Amelia Island adjoining the opulent Ritz-Carlton.
Amelia Island attracts cars, entrants and judges from all over. And, thanks to Warner's willingness to embrace most genres, from brass to muscle and everything in between, the variety of cars is amazing. Those incredible cars were divided into a whopping 37 classes with special features celebrating 100 years of the Ford Model T and the Thomas Flier's 1908 Peking-to-Paris victory. Also featured were the cars raced by honorary chairman Parnelli Jones and the Trans Am series, in which Jones loomed so large. Another unusual feature was the inclusion of two classes of MGs, a marque which rarely figures into a major concours.
At the end of the day, the top prizes were the Ritz Carlton Best in Show Concours d'Elegance award that went to Sam and Emily Mann's sublimely elegant 1935 Model J Duesenberg, once owned by Clark Gable. The other Best in Show award, this one for the Concours de Sport, was bestowed upon the 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport entered by Scuderia N.E. Although the Best in Show awards were chosen by the judges, the people weren't without a voice, and they gave the DuPont Registry's People's Choice award to Jack Rich's truly outrageous 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III "Vutotal."
After the top awards ended the day, people filed out and began waiting in line for the shuttles to carry them back to their cars. Expressions such as "fantastic" and "the best ever," could be heard in every direction. Considering the unquestionable success of the 13th annual Concours, Bill Warner and co-chair Tom Cotter will have an incredibly tough act to follow.