The 20th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance was recently held on the 10th and 18th fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island, Florida. Described as a “beauty pageant for rare and elegant cars”, the event is a competition of automotive excellence and more. This year drew crowds nearing 30,000 people with more than 325 vehicles for them to see.
The contest is considered one of the nation’s most elite classical motoring events where each entry is rated for authenticity, function, style and quality of restoration – so you can imagine the specimens that rolled up on the green. Quite the dream for any automotive technician! Here are some of this year’s most notable cars that were showcased:
Sir Stirling Moss’ Championship Collection
Still considered the world’s first true professional racing driver, Sir Stirling Moss was Amelia’s first honoree in 1996 and boasts quite the impressive track record:
- 16 World Championship Formula 1 victories
- 16 non-Championship Formula 1 victories 1954-1961
- 12 World Sports Car Championship Victories 1953-1961
- Winner, 1954 12 Hours of Sebring
- Winner, 1955 Mille Miglia
- Scored the first World Championship Formula 1 victories for Vanwall (with Tony Brooks) Cooper and Lotus
Sir Stirling was invited back as the event’s 20th annual honoree and brought along with him his stunning collection of championship racers as highlights of the show. These included the Mercedes-Benz W196, W196 R and W196 S; Maserati 250F, 300S and 450S; Aston Martin DBR1; Porsche RS-60; Jaguar C- and D-Type; Ferrari 250 GTO, 250 GT Speciale ‘Sperimantale’, 250 TRi/61 and 290 MM.
1930 Cord L29 Brooks Steven Speedster
A 1930 Cord L29 Brooks Stevens Speedster with Woodlites, owned by Ed Schoenthaler, was awarded the Best of Show at the Concours d’Elegance this year.
Those looking to pursue a career in auto can appreciate the style and intricate detail on this classic, especially considering that Brooks Stevens rings in as one of the greats in automotive design. From the slightly lowered cowl and narrowed body to the vee’d windshield and two-toned paint, this sleek roadster was ahead of its time and has been beautifully maintained by Schoenthaler.
1995 Ferrari 512 M
As well as the concours, the weekend-long event features a classic car auction with several lots. One of the most desired cars among collectors was Ferrari’s final revision of the Testarossa, the 512 M.
If you’re looking to enroll in an automotive course, you’ll be interested to know that the 512 M was the last Ferrari to be produced with a mid-engine V-12. The above model went for a cool $410,000 at the RM/Sotheby auction on Saturday.
2016 Lamborghini Aventador Superveloce
Lamborghini chose last weekend’s event to unveil its 2016 Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce on North American soil. Four years after the debut of the original Aventador, Lamborghini has created a lighter and more powerful model. This thing is certainly a monster! Twelve cylinders, 740 horsepower and a top speed of 217 mph is what makes this model a Superveloce. The car goes on sale this summer and although prices haven’t been released yet, experts say to easily expect a price tag that exceeds $500,000.
Here’s a video tour of 2014’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance:
