It was bound to happen, the epic weekend of the Amelia Island Concours has entered a new era. What began three decades ago as a Sunday afternoon gathering of gearheads has evolved into a week of automotive overload that rivals Pebble Beach.
For full journalistic disclosure, I attended the first Amelia Island Concours D'Elegance when I was in 5th grade. Since then, I have been a part of the action by any means possible. Things I have wittnessed include all 5 of the original Grand Sport Corvettes in the same room for the first time in history, and a cheerful conversation between the Snake and the Mongoose.
On Monday, autoevolution was invited to sit in on this year’s media briefing, and it was great to have Chip Ganassi describe his ideal weekend. Now with the stewardship of Hagerty Insurance, cars are already arriving by land, sea, and air. From my tiny apartment overlooking the Amelia Island Golf Club, I will offer you a synopsis of what to expect.
Photo: Hagerty Group, LLC
If you have the means, plan to get here by Tuesday, March 1st. Hotel rooms are decently priced, but this tiny island doesn’t have room for your car, so plan for ride shares. Wake up Wednesday to enjoy the island, you will see everything from Auto Union to ZZ Top driving around, especially parked downtown Fernandina Beach.
All the big car auctions are here, so its neat to watch them come together in real time. This island is built upon fresh seafood, so please make sure your shrimp are local to keep our economy rolling. The show field is located between the Ritz Carlton hotel and Summer Beach resort, so bring a few chairs and watch amazing cars roll by.
RM Sotheby’s preview opens at 10 AM on Thursday. Here you can inspect the Miura or 288 GTO you’ve been contemplating. Meanwhile, the Porsche fans will enjoy the preparation for the Werks Reunion that will take place at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation. Here you will see everything from original Gmund 356 (pre-A), to the Whittington Brothers’ winning supercars.
Photo: Hagerty Group, LLC
Porsche is capping the evening by their annual “Winemaker’s Dinner: A Celebration of Dreamers”. Here you will see celebrities like Hurley Haywood amongst the most prized cars of the Brumos Collection. Drink responsibly, because the Porsche Driving Experience leaves the hotel at 7AM sharp on Friday morning.
Everyone is invited, so I will be the black CTS-V tagging along for a trip to the Brumos museum in Jacksonville. If you don’t want to go that far, Reliable Carriers is hosting a cruise from the hotel to downtown Fernandina Beach, a round trip of only 3 miles. Here you can partake of Florida’s breakfast favorites like Shrimp & Grits, or smoked lox if you are from the North.
After breakfast, all the big automakers will be offering test drives. Expect to see reliable examples from Jaguar-Land Rover, Infiniti, Cadillac, Porsche, and everyone else, so get registered ASAP. The other auctions like Russo & Steele, Gooding, and Bonham’s will have eye candy along with high-dollar memorabilia up for grabs.
New for this year, NASCAR legend Ray Evernham will host a panel discussion of famous drivers in the “36 Hours of Florida”. Speakers include Mr. Ganassi, Geoff Brabham, Scott Pruett, and Bobby Rahal. It is likely sold out, but it is easy to listen to from the back of the banquet hall.
Rest up Friday night, as Saturday will be host to a new layout. The early show is “Cars & Community” presented by Griot’s Garage. It is open to all makes and models, and your ticket will provide entry to all 4 of the day’s biggest events. Cars & Caffeine will allow the public to interact with incredible cars on the same golf course as the big show that will be held on Sunday.
Next to it will be RADwood, a celebration of all Rad, celebrating forgotten classics of the 80s. Next to it will be the annual Concours d’Lemons, a gathering of utterly unique, and somewhat cringe-inducing clunkers that shouldn’t be alive. A NASCAR reunion seminar hosted again by Ray Evernham will start at 10:30 am, so get there early because it's always standing room only!
The week culminates with “The Amelia” concours show that begins at dawn on Sunday morning. We will be there in full force covering it all for you, so stay with us for this unprecedented week of automotive excellence.
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