In photos: The best looking classics at Amelia Island Concours

Dan Proudfoot

Globe and Mail Update

Published March 17, 2015

The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is characterized by a carnival-like appeal compared with other resolutely formal automotive beauty contests, and that's due to Bill Warner's enthusiasm for the oddball, for the ultra-elegant and, ultimately, for the racing cars. (Scroll down for full gallery) Warner, founder and chairman of the annual event in northeast Florida, consistently comes up with something no other concours would dream of doing. As a result, Amelia continues to grow in stature and attendance, from 163 cars and 2,200 paying customers in 1996, to 325 cars and an estimated 30,000 spectators at the 20th edition this past weekend. For example, the "Obscure and Stylish Orphan Concept Car" class celebrated name plates that have been consigned to oblivion: Pontiac, recently departed from the GM lineup, in 1963 anticipated a powerful future with its X-400 concept. A 1954 Mercury XM-800 that played a bit role with Lauren Bacall in the movie Woman's World. The 1954 Hudson Italia, a contradiction in terms, paired a clunky Detroit chassis with a body formed of voluptuous Italian curves. On the weekend, a 1930 Cord L29 Brooks Stevens Speedster was selected as best-of-show/concours de elegance, while a 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spider earned best-of-show/concours de sport. In the RM Sotheby's auction, a Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Cabriolet scored the highest bid of the weekend: $6.38-million. The 'condo-find' Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona owned by Torontonian Patrick Sinn (and featured in Globe Drive in December) sold for $770,000. That winning bid topped the estimated value of $650,000-to-$750,000. At the Gooding & Company auction, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 crossed the blocks at $3.3-million. And at the Bonhams auction, a 1930 Cord Model L-29 Town Car sold for $1.76-million. The "Cars of the Cowboys" class, featuring Roy Rogers's Pontiac by Nudie Cohn, and the 'Steer Car' Chrysler of Leo Carillo (Pancho, in The Cisco Kid), was inspired by Warner's childhood encounter with Lash LaRue and his Muntz Jet. The Carillo 1948 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible featured an interior with six-shooters as gear-shift and door handles. LaRue starred in western movies made in the 1940s and 1050s. "The new class is entirely my fault," Warner said. "When I was a kid I met Lash LaRue. While all the other kids who had seen his cowboy movies were getting his autograph, I was ogling his car. "He asked me if I knew what kind of car it was and when I told him, Muntz Jet, he rewarded me with a ride! That's something you never forget!" Stirling Moss, now Sir Stirling Moss, returned as guest of honour 20 years after headlining the inaugural Amelia concours - and many of the cars the British legend raced were on hand to bask in his presence. The winner of the 1961 Player's 200 at Mosport near Toronto, Moss appeared with the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR and a W196, cars in which he cemented his legend in 1955 by dominating the world sports car championship and gaining his first win in Formula One. A Maserati 250SI that Moss raced in 1956 was spruced up at Engineered Automotive in Concord, Ont., for an unnamed owner before being shipped to Amelia for auction. As of press time, it had not been sold. In an esoteric gesture, Amelia honored Chrysler's Town and Country as the last American car that employed wood structurally, rather than cosmetically. Larry Titchner, of Toronto, appeared with his 1948 Town and Country convertible. The Brumos by-invitation-only museum in Jacksonville, Fla., is a ready source of fabulous Porsches. Warner being Warner, he decided to feature a model that some purists don't consider a true Porsche - the 914 sold in Europe with a Porsche-VW badge. (The Volkswagen portion was removed for North American consumption.) "It was fashionable with some self-proclaimed Porsche purists to consider the 914 an ugly duckling," Warner said. Pure Warner.

Latest in

Interact with The Globe