Duesenberg, Alfa Romeo take Amelia Island honors
The 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ-582 and 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider won the Best In Show honors on Saturday at the 22nd annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. In…
The 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ-582 and 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider won the Best In Show honors on Saturday at the 22nd annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. In spite of a schedule change due to inclement weather, the event, which typically occurs on a Sunday, still drew a large crowd throughout the weekend.
The competition drew more than 300 cars and motorcycles into 41 classes from 11 different countries to the 10th and 18th Fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island.
The Best in Show Concours d'Elegance Trophy was presented to Terry Adderley for his 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ-582. The Model J was produced in Indianapolis from 1929 until 1937 and each of the chassis sold received custom coachwork built to the whims of the owner. Five Torpedo Phaetons were built to Gordon Buehrig's design, with this car being one of the last two Torpedo Phaetons, which were built by the A. J. Walker Company to the Gordon Buehrig design specifications.
The 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider from the Dano Davis Collection took home the Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy. Approximately 32 of the 2.9 chassis were made and it is believed only 12 are Touring Spiders, seven of which are the long chassis like this car. This car's known history starts in February 1949, when it was raced in Sao Paulo by amateur driver Mario Tavares Leite who had the car imported from Italy to Brazil. Mario won races with the car in 1949 and 1950, after which the car disappeared. Later, it had a Corvette engine installed and the chassis was modified. It is believed that the car traveled to Brazil from Argentina in the mid to late 1950s without the touring body and with the Corvette V-8 only to be reunited with the original Touring coachwork some four decades later.
Additional highlights on the field included the "Movie Cars" class with nine of the most famed vehicles to cross the big screen. The class included James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 from "Goldfinger," Elvis Presley's Corvette Stingray showcased in "Clambake," the 1958 Chevrolet Impala from "American Graffiti," the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow two-door sedan and Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Alloy Nart Spyder from "Thomas Crown Affair" and the 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible from "Rain Man," among others.
Chevrolet celebrated the Camaro's Golden Anniversary with some of the most notable vehicles throughout the model's 50-year history. The Camaro class was led by Camaro Number One, the gold 1967 coupe VIN number 10001, which was joined by the 1968 and 1969 Yenko Camaros, a 1969 Indy 500 RS/SS Pace Car, a 1973 Baldwin Motion Camaro and a COPO Camaro.
Taking center stage at this year's Concours was King Edward VIII's unique Cadillac limousine, also known as the "Duchess." Bringing with it a rich history, the "Duchess" was known for betraying royal tradition, as King Edward VIII forewent driving the customary Daimler and instead drove this Cadillac, all for the love an American girl.
Another historical gem, Elvis Presley's 507 Roadster, was the highlight of the "BMW 501-507" class. The car was delivered to him in 1958 during his service in the U.S. Army while stationed in Germany. Along the way, female fans from across the country kissed the white Roadster and wrote amorous messages in scarlet lipstick, leading Presley to have the 507 painted lipstick red.
Headlining the "Jaguar D-Type" class were two surviving Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-Types, marking the 60th anniversary of its third consecutive and final victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
