Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance facts for kids
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is a super cool car show held every year in Amelia Island, Florida. It takes place during the second weekend of March at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island. This event is known as one of the best car shows in the United States. It's often compared to other famous shows like Pebble Beach in California.
A concours d'elegance (say "kon-koor duh el-uh-gons") is a French term. It means "a competition of elegance." Think of it like a beauty pageant, but for rare and fancy cars! Expert judges carefully look at each car. They check how real it is, how well it works, its past, its style, and how perfectly it has been fixed up. Cars can get a score of up to 100 points. Even tiny flaws can make them lose points. Cars are grouped into classes based on their type, brand, or age.
Judges pick first, second, and third place winners for each group. Then, they choose one "Best of Show" car from all the first-place winners. Special guest judges, often people famous in the car or racing world, also give out their own awards. These awards celebrate amazing cars that stand out.
Contents
History of the Car Show
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance started in 1996. A businessman and car collector named Bill Warner created it. He was a photographer and writer for Road & Track magazine. Other car fans in Florida wanted a classic car show like the one at Pebble Beach in California. So, they asked Bill to start one.
Bill Warner chose Community Hospice of Northeast Florida as the main charity for the event. This group had helped his parents and his wife. The very first show was on April 6, 1996. It featured 163 cars, and about 2,200 people came to see them.
By 1999, the show was much bigger. About 8,500 people attended, and 205 cars were on display. The event raised $268,000 for Community Hospice. The New York Times even wrote a full-page story about it. They said the Amelia Island event was one of the best car shows, just like Pebble Beach. In 2021, the event was bought by Hagerty, a company known for classic car insurance.
What Happens at the Event?
Each year, the Amelia Island Concours celebrates a special person from the world of motorsports. It also highlights a specific car brand or theme. The main event is the "Field of Dreams," where all the amazing cars are shown and judged.
Many other fun activities happen during the weekend. These can include:
- Golf tournaments
- Car auctions
- Art and fashion shows
- Dinners with special guests
- Silent auctions for cool car items
- Charity raffles
- Autograph sessions with famous drivers
The top awards are "Best of Show Concours d'Elegance" and "Best of Show Concours de Sport." There are also many other awards given by companies and for different car classes. One popular award is the "People's Choice," where visitors vote for their favorite car.
How Cars Are Chosen
Car owners must apply to enter their vehicles. Usually, cars made after 1974 cannot enter. Only cars that are invited can participate. Many collectors spend years and a lot of money buying and fixing up a car. They hope their car will be chosen for the show.
Once a car has been in the Concours, it usually cannot enter again for five years. There are a few exceptions:
- If the car gets a new owner.
- If the car has been fully restored again.
- If the featured car brand is rare, the organizers might invite cars that have been in the show before. This helps make sure there are enough examples of that brand.
Most car owners display their cars because they want others to see their beautiful projects. The weekend is often seen as a fun social gathering for car lovers. The organizers try to invite cars from different time periods. This way, everyone can find cars they love. Many of the cars at the show are worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars! This makes the Amelia Island Concours one of the most important car shows in the world.
| Year | Honoree | Marque/theme | Attendance | Best in Show Concours d'Elegance | Best in Show Concours de Sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Jacky Ickx | Coachbuilt Volkswagens, Dragsters and Funny Cars, Porsche 962 race cars, Jaguar XK120s, Head of State Cars, Ferrari 250 GT SWB, and Cars of Rock Stars | 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn-Kurier | 1957 Ferrari 335 S | |
| 2018 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Cars of Martini Racing; Cars of ‘Big Daddy’ Ed Roth; the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari Daytona; IMSA Grand Touring Prototypes; Jaguar E-Type; the 70th anniversary of N.A.R.T; Pre-War MGs | 1929 Duesenberg J/SJ convertible | 1963 Ferrari 250/275P | |
| 2017 | Al Unser Jr. | Jaguar D-Type; Chevrolet Camaro, Mercedes-Benz Gullwings The Cars of the Movies | 1935 Duesenberg SJ 582 | 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Lungo Spider | |
| 2016 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | Trophy Cars | 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Town Car | 1952 Pegaso Z-102 BS 2.5 Cupula Coupe | |
| 2015 | Stirling Moss | Stutz, Cars of the Cowboys, Speedsters, Orphan Concepts, Horseless Carriages, Forgotten Fiberglass | 32,000 | 1930 Cord L-29 Speedster | 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spider |
| 2014 | Jochen Mass | Offenhauser-powered cars; American Underslung; Selections from Zagato | 29,000 | 1937 Horch 853 | 1958 Scarab Mark II Sport Racer |
| 2013 | Sam Posey | Porsche 911, Corvette Sting Ray, Ford GT40, Cars of Harry Miller, Ducati Motorcycles | 25,000 | 1936 Duesenberg SJN | 1968 Ford GT40 |
| 2012 | Vic Elford | Ferrari GTO; Shelby Cobra; Custom Coachwork Cadillacs | 23,000 | 1962 Ferrari 330 LM | 1938 Bugatti Type 57 |
| 2011 | Bobby Rahal | Duesenberg; Allard; Kurtis | 15,000 | 1933 Duesenberg SJN Arlington Torpedo Sedan | 1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster (Mormon Meteor) |
| 2010 | Richard Petty | 40th anniversary of Porsche's inaugural victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona & Le Mans; the last Cuban Grand Prix | 18,000 | 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster | 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 |
| 2009 | David Hobbs | Bohman & Schwartz | 15,000 | 1931 Voisin C20 Demi-Berline | 1923 Miller Special 122 Supercharged |
| 2008 | Parnelli Jones | 100th Anniversary of GM, Model T, New York-to-Paris "Great Race" of 1908 | 20,000 | 1935 Duesenberg J Roadster | 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport |
| 2007 | Derek Bell | Discontinued road races: Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Carrera Panamericana, Isle of Man TT motorcycle race | 18,000 | 1937 Talbot-Lago T-150 CSS | 1953 Ferrari 375 MM |
| 2006 | Johnny Rutherford | Stanley Steamer | 18,000 | 1931 DuPont Model H Sport Phaeton | 1961 Ferrari 250 TRI/61 |
| 2005 | Bobby Allison | Alfa Romeo & 50th Anniversary of Chevy small block V8 |
18,000 | 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Dubos | 1953 Porsche 550 Coupe |
| 2004 | Bobby Unser | 100th Anniversary of Rolls-Royce | 18,000 | 1934 Voisin C-15 | Award did not exist until 2005. |
| 2003 | Jim Hall | 50th Anniversary of Corvette and 100th Anniversary of Buick |
Rain | 1958 Dual-Ghia Chrysler-powered | |
| 2002 | Dan Gurney | 100th Anniversary of Cadillac | 14,000 | 1937 Delage D8 120SS Aerodynamic Coupe | |
| 2001 | John Surtees | 100th Anniversary of Pierce-Arrow | 11,000 | 1937 Hispano Suiza Dubonnet | |
| 2000 | Brian Redman | Mercer | 8,500 | 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 | |
| 1999 | Carroll Shelby | 100th Anniversary of Packard | 7,200 | 1938 Delage D8 120 | |
| 1998 | Hurley Haywood | 50th Anniversary of Porsche | 6,500 | 1932 Lincoln KB Dual Cowl Phaeton | |
| 1997 | Phil Hill | 50th Anniversary of Ferrari | 3,500 | 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster | |
| 1996 | Sir Stirling Moss | Mercedes-Benz | 2,200 | 1938 Talbot-Lago 150SS Figoni & Falaschi |
Helping Others: Charitable Contributions
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is not just about cool cars. It's also about helping people! In 2000, a non-profit group called the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Foundation was created. This group helps organize the event with over 300 volunteers.
The money raised from the event goes to charity. A lot of the money goes to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida. By 2008, over $1.5 million had been given to this group. The goal is to raise at least $100,000 for them every year. Other charities also get help, like the Spina Bifida Association of Florida, Shop with Cops, and the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society. Since 1996, the foundation has given over $3.5 million to these good causes.
See Also
- Concours d'Elegance
