Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance facts for kids
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is a famous car show that also raises money for charity. It happens every year in March at The Ritz-Carlton hotel on Amelia Island, Florida. It is known as one of the top car shows in the United States, along with events in Pebble Beach, California, and Meadow Brook, Michigan.
The name concours d'elegance is French for "a competition of elegance." You can think of it as a beauty pageant for rare and special cars. Each car is carefully checked by judges who are experts on different types of vehicles.
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How Cars Are Judged
Judges rate each car on several things:
- Authenticity: How original is the car? Does it have the correct parts it was built with?
- Function: Does everything on the car work properly?
- History: What is the car's story? Who owned it before?
- Style: How beautiful and elegant is the car's design?
- Restoration Quality: If the car was restored, how well was the work done?
A perfect score is 100 points. Even a tiny mistake means points are taken off. Cars are grouped into classes based on their type, brand (also called a marque), or the time period they were made. The judges pick first, second, and third place for each class. From all the first-place winners, one car is chosen for the grand prize: "Best of Show."
How It All Started
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance was founded in 1996 by Bill Warner. He was a car collector and a writer for Road & Track magazine. He and other car fans in Florida wanted a major car show in their state, similar to the famous one at Pebble Beach.
Warner chose to raise money for Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, a charity that had helped his family. The first show was held on April 6, 1996. It featured 163 cars and had about 2,200 visitors.
The event grew very popular. By 1999, there were 205 cars and 8,500 visitors. The show raised $268,000 for charity that year. In 2021, the event was purchased by Hagerty, a company that specializes in classic car insurance.
What Happens at the Show?
The Amelia Island Concours is more than just a car show. The weekend is filled with many activities. There are golf tournaments, car auctions, and art shows. There are also special dinners and chances to get autographs from famous people in the car world.
Each year, the event honors a special person from motorsports and features a specific car brand or theme. The main event is the "Field of Dreams," where all the cars are displayed for judging.
Getting a Car into the Show
Not just any car can be in the show. Owners must apply, and only a select group of cars are invited. Usually, cars must have been built before 1974. It is a great honor to be chosen.
Many collectors spend years and a lot of money buying and restoring a car, hoping to get an invitation. Once a car has been in the show, it cannot be entered again for five years. This rule keeps the show fresh and exciting each year.
Most owners show their cars because they are proud of them and want to share their beauty with others. The event brings together people who love cars, history, and design. Because of the amazing cars and beautiful location, the Amelia Island Concours is considered one of the best car shows in the world.
Raising Money for a Good Cause
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is run by a non-profit foundation that was created in 2000. It manages the work of over 300 volunteers who help make the event happen.
The main goal of the event is to support charities. Since it began, the show has raised millions of dollars. Most of the money goes to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida. Other charities also receive funds, including the Spina Bifida Association of Florida and the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society. By 2021, the foundation had donated over $3.5 million to these important causes.
See also
- Concours d'Elegance
