Variety is the spice of life for Amelia Island
By Rich Luckin va-ri-e-ty: The quality or state of having different forms or types (Webster’s New Ideal Dictionary). Well, that really sums up my experience, along with 32,000 other people,…
By Rich Luckin
va-ri-e-ty: The quality or state of having different forms or types (Webster’s New Ideal Dictionary).
Well, that really sums up my experience, along with 32,000 other people, at the 21st annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance held at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, Florida. Pick a name and most likely that car would be represented. The competition drew 320 cars and motorcycles from 10 different countries. Broken down into 43 classes, they were exhibited on the 10th and 18th Fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island. The striking yellow 1952 Pegaso Z-102, owned by Evert Louwman from The Hague, Netherlands, took home the prestigious Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy. The highly coveted Best in Show Concours d’Elegance Trophy was presented to Helen and Jack Nethercutt from Sylmar, California, for their 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Town Car from the Nethercutt Collection.
“I’ve been very pleased with the judges’ decisions for the 2016 Amelia Island Concours winners,” said Bill Warner, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. For Cord fans there were 15 to feast your eyes on. In addition, pre-war Packards were well represented. The list goes on to include Cadillacs, Buicks, Auburns, Marmons, Duesenbergs and Rolls-Royces.
I’ve never seen so many Porsches in one place and Pegasos were in abundance as well. Row after row of automobiles, some of which you’ve heard of but never seen, certainly created a WOW factor. Racing fans would not be disappointed with the great selection of both vintage and new models.
While the Sunday event was worth the trip, Saturday proved to be fascinating as well with the Cars & Coffee at the Concours, presented by Heacock Classic Insurance. Over 250 cars from the local Jacksonville area graced the fairways.
During the weekend event, automakersMercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, Automobili, Lamborghini, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Maserati, McLaren, Porsche and Tesla showcased their latest offerings. I’ve only listed a small portion of the makes and models that came to Amelia Island for the weekend.
Like I said before, “variety” is the key word for Amelia Island. So next year, March 10-12, 2017, bring your camera, walking shoes and be prepared to feast your eyes on works of art.
“The Amelia continues to be more than just a Concours each year,”Warner said. “It’s a celebration of the automobile and great racers, designers and engineers of the industry.”
