Pictorial: 25th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance

The 25th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance was held on March 8, 2020 on the fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island

Deremer Studios

The 25th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance was held on March 8, 2020 on the fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island

Deremer Studios

The 25th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance was held on March 8, 2020 on the fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island

Deremer Studios

The 2020 Best in Show Concours d’Elegance Trophy was given to a 1929 Duesenberg J-218 Limousine owned by the Lehrman Collection, Palm Beach, Florida. The car was built for Captain George Whittell Jr., who led one of the most hedonistic lifestyles imaginable.

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A 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder owned by Rob Kauffman of Charlotte, North Carolina took home the Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy. Despite its age, the car is still the most powerful circuit racing car ever made, setting a closed course speed record of 221.16 mph at Talladega Superspeedway in 1975.

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The Amelia Island always has an honoree, and it gathers a group of cars associated with the honoree. This year, the honoree was Roger Penske, and more than 30 Penske vehicles were assembled and displayed in four different classes. "Cars of Penske" comprised vehicles that Roger raced himself and three other classes representing this racing team era were added, being "Team Penske", "Team Penske Sunoco" and "Penske Indy Winners."

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Founded in 2013, "Cars & Coffee at the Concours" allows individuals with vintage, exotic, and collectible vehicles to gather on the show field on Saturday. Cars & Coffee at the Concours is free to spectators, but participants must submit an application with the fee for showing a car. The event generally fills up in December or early January. Unlike the concours that is limited to a select group of vehicles with unique historical significance specifically chosen to tell a thoughtfully-scripted story, Saturday’s Cars & Coffee at the Concours features a diverse group of vehicles that celebrate the automotive enthusiast's spirit.

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Founded in 2013, "Cars & Coffee at the Concours" allows individuals with vintage, exotic, and collectible vehicles to gather on the show field on Saturday. Cars & Coffee at the Concours is free to spectators, but participants must submit an application with the fee for showing a car. The event generally fills up in December or early January. Unlike the concours that is limited to a select group of vehicles with unique historical significance specifically chosen to tell a thoughtfully-scripted story, Saturday’s Cars & Coffee at the Concours features a diverse group of vehicles that celebrate the automotive enthusiast's spirit.

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The winner of the BMW Trophy for Engineering Excellence was this 1934 BMW 315/1 Sport owned by Dirk and Alexandra de Groen of Coral Gables, Florida

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Gooding & Company attracted the highest bid of the week when it knocked back $8,000,000 for this 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider. The official estimate of $9,000,000 to $11,000,000 was not negotiable, and the car went unsold.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The most valuable car sold during the Amelia Island round of auctions was this 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport Roadster which was estimated to fetch between $6,500,000 and $9,500,000, and sold for $7,100,000.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The New Atlas bang-per-buck award from the Amelia round of auctions goes to this 'Petersen Blower'. In the early 1990s Bob Petersen produced six cars like this using an amalgam of pre and post war Rolls-Royce and Bentley parts. Sturdy Rolls-Royce frames, not unlike the hallowed real Blower chassis provided a sound basis and a genuine '20s or '30s identity, into these he would shoe-horn Mark VI Bentley engines with superchargers and clothe them in well-constructed fabric bodies. Offered through Jack Barclay's famed showrooms in London, they sold at a fraction of the cost of the genuine article. This one sold for $246,400 - about 5 percent of the cost of the real deal, but no less exhilarating to drive.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The Amelia Concours’ Silver Anniversary field included a remarkably complete mid-engined Corvette reunion including the 1964 Corvette GS IIB, CERV I, CERV II, CERV III, Corvette XP-819. XP-895, XP-897 GT, Aerovette, and the Indy Corvette. They were all there to celebrate the arrival of the mid-engine C8 Corvette.

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Designed by the brilliant Vittorio Jano this car was originally ordered by Scuderia Ferrari when it was the official Alfa Romeo factory racing team. Few Tipo Bs have enjoyed the full life of this ex-Count Villapadierna P3 that went to Britain and in 1938 to America with new owner Frank Griswold. It was raced in the '39 Indy 500 by Lou Tomei placing 15th after qualifying 30th. Griswold then raced it to victory in the 1940 ARCA World's Fair Grand Prix on the 0.75 mile Flushing Meadows temporary circuit in the final event in ARCA's brief history. Los Angeles businessman Don Lee acquired the P3 in 1945 and technicians from Don Lee Broadcasting fitted it with a car-to-pit radio for Indy where it raced as the Don Lee Special in 1946 and then started 9th and placed 15th in the 1947 “500”. It ultimately returned to the UK where it won first prize in the 1998 Louis Vuitton Concours.

Deremer Studios

The 25th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance was held on March 8, 2020 on the fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island

Deremer Studios

Initially owned by customizer George Barris, this converted 1953 Lincoln Capri was even further modified by its second owner Jim Street in 1956. Powered by a 317 cubic-inch Lincoln V-8, it was a former SEMA show car with “pop up” doors, futuristic auto starter with remote control, voice command module, on-board television and a centrally mounted “Unitrol” lever that could steer, accelerate and brake all at once. Illuminated tires were specially made by Goodyear.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

Initially owned by customizer George Barris, this converted 1953 Lincoln Capri was even further modified by its second owner Jim Street in 1956. Powered by a 317 cubic-inch Lincoln V-8, it was a former SEMA show car with “pop up” doors, futuristic auto starter with remote control, voice command module, on-board television and a centrally mounted “Unitrol” lever that could steer, accelerate and brake all at once. Illuminated tires were specially made by Goodyear.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

Initially owned by customizer George Barris, this converted 1953 Lincoln Capri was even further modified by its second owner Jim Street in 1956. Powered by a 317 cubic-inch Lincoln V-8, it was a former SEMA show car with “pop up” doors, futuristic auto starter with remote control, voice command module, on-board television and a centrally mounted “Unitrol” lever that could steer, accelerate and brake all at once. Illuminated tires were specially made by Goodyear.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

Initially owned by customizer George Barris, this converted 1953 Lincoln Capri was even further modified by its second owner Jim Street in 1956. Powered by a 317 cubic-inch Lincoln V-8, it was a former SEMA show car with “pop up” doors, futuristic auto starter with remote control, voice command module, on-board television and a centrally mounted “Unitrol” lever that could steer, accelerate and brake all at once. Illuminated tires were specially made by Goodyear.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

Initially owned by customizer George Barris, this converted 1953 Lincoln Capri was even further modified by its second owner Jim Street in 1956. Powered by a 317 cubic-inch Lincoln V-8, it was a former SEMA show car with “pop up” doors, futuristic auto starter with remote control, voice command module, on-board television and a centrally mounted “Unitrol” lever that could steer, accelerate and brake all at once. Illuminated tires were specially made by Goodyear.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

Initially owned by customizer George Barris, this converted 1953 Lincoln Capri was even further modified by its second owner Jim Street in 1956. Powered by a 317 cubic-inch Lincoln V-8, it was a former SEMA show car with “pop up” doors, futuristic auto starter with remote control, voice command module, on-board television and a centrally mounted “Unitrol” lever that could steer, accelerate and brake all at once. Illuminated tires were specially made by Goodyear.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

This Ducati 125 may look pedestrian now, but this was the height of complexity and exclusivity when it was fielded by the Ducati factory during the 1959 Grand Prix Season. The rider that year was a young Englishman named Mike Hailwood, who won his first Grand Prix on this bike at the Ulster Grand Prix. It was then purchased in 1960 by Ecurie Sportive, the team owned by Hailwood's father, and raced by young Mike in the British 125 cc championship in the early 60s. The bike was sold to Cycle Magazine editor Phil Schilling in 1965 and remained in his care until his passing. It was then acquired by The Dillard Collection. It may only have one cylinder, but it has three gear-driven camshafts, desmodromic valve closing, a six-speed transmission and a magnesium chassis with twin leading shoe brakes.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

One of just 10 known survivors, the Majestic motorcycle was no misnomer, and was produced from 1929 to 1934. The Majestic was art deco in its purest form, with a sleek full-paneled body concealing a 350 cc engine and a hub-center steering mechanism. While the engineering of the Majestic might have been relatively conventional, what was unprecedented was the styling, the hallmark of the Majestic to this day. All the oily bits were fully enclosed under louvered panels with partially enclosed fenders covering the wheels at both ends. The rider was completely isolated from the grime and muck of the running gear and powertrain, perched upon a sprung saddle and controlling the machine via levers and bars that poke through the all-encompassing body. The machine is no more a motorcycle than it is a statement of what luxury driving was meant to be in an age of style that pushed the boundaries of design and functionality.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

One of just 10 known survivors, the Majestic motorcycle was no misnomer, and was produced from 1929 to 1934. The Majestic was art deco in its purest form, with a sleek full-paneled body concealing a 350 cc engine and a hub-center steering mechanism. While the engineering of the Majestic might have been relatively conventional, what was unprecedented was the styling, the hallmark of the Majestic to this day. All the oily bits were fully enclosed under louvered panels with partially enclosed fenders covering the wheels at both ends. The rider was completely isolated from the grime and muck of the running gear and powertrain, perched upon a sprung saddle and controlling the machine via levers and bars that poke through the all-encompassing body. The machine is no more a motorcycle than it is a statement of what luxury driving was meant to be in an age of style that pushed the boundaries of design and functionality.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The Taycan is Porsche’s new production electric vehicle and it was naturally on show at Amelia Island. The 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo starts at $150,900 and rises to $185,000 for the Turbo S. With a range of 463 km (287 miles), the Taycan can run a quarter in 10.8 seconds and has a top speed of 160 mph.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

Fashion magnate Ralph Lauren is the 102nd richest person in the world, and a dedicated automotive enthusiast, which makes a 250 GTO in the garage kind of mandatory. Lauren showed his 250 GTO at Amelia Island, along with a taster of its remarkable provenance: it made its competition debut in the 1962 Paris 1000 km and was raced to overall victory by brothers Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez at an average speed of 98.015 mph, a record that stood until 1968. Roger Penske raced it to victory in the five-lap Nassau Tourist Trophy “preliminary” and the 25-lap Nassau Tourist Trophy on December 2, 1962 leading a four-car GTO sweep. Penske raced it to take second place in the three-hour 1963 Daytona Continental behind the GTO of Pedro Rodriguez. Penske and Augie Pabst raced it to fourth overall and first in the three-liter GT class in the 1963 12 Hours of Sebring. Two months later Penske raced to yet another checkered flag in the Pensacola SCCA races. Ex-Ferrari factory F1 racer Richie Ginther took it to fifth overall in the 1963 LA Times GP at Riverside that fall and repeated the feat a year later in the 1964 Times GP at Riverside.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

Lotus used Amelia Island to showcase its limited production electric sports car, the Evija. The Evija is powered by a 70 kWh battery pack developed in conjunction with Williams Advanced Engineering, and the powertrain uses four motors each rated at 368 kW (493 hp), for a total output of 1,470 kW (1,970 hp) and 1,700 Nm (1,254 lb⋅ft) of torque.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

There were few faster cars in the world at the time than this 1937 Delahaye 135, and few more beautiful than this Figoni & Falaschi creation. Designed and built by Joseph Figoni for the 1936 Paris Auto Salon, it incorporated sweeping fully enveloped front and rear fenders, low mounted headlamps molded into the front fenders and dramatic body lines highlighted in bold contrasting colors. A sensation at the Paris Auto Salon, it generated enough demand to produce eleven cars. This is one of three original Torpedo Cabriolets and is one of only two extant. This Art Deco masterpiece is owned by Mark Hyman of St Louis.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

There were few faster cars in the world at the time than this 1937 Delahaye 135, and few more beautiful than this Figoni & Falaschi creation. Designed and built by Joseph Figoni for the 1936 Paris Auto Salon, it generated enough demand to produce eleven cars. This is one of three original Torpedo Cabriolets and is one of only two extant. This Art Deco masterpiece won the Heacock Classic Insurance Award for the Most Elegant French coachwork.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The 1951 LeSabre was General Motors' first post-war concept car. First shown in December 1950, the two-passenger convertible was unabashedly styled on the F-86 LeSabre jet fighter aircraft. Design elements include a "front-intake" nose cone, wraparound cockpit windshield, tall tail fins and a barrel-shaped trunk with glowing "afterburner" brake light. The chassis and driveline were provided by Buick Engineering. The 335 hp supercharged aluminum V-8 engine ran on both gasoline and methanol with two separate fuel tanks and two carburetors. A moisture sensor raised the convertible top if it began raining when the car was parked. From the General Motors Heritage Collection, the LeSabre won the HVA National Automotive Heritage Award for the most historically significant vehicle.

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The first car to be referred to as a "Silver Arrow", the 1934 Mercedes-Benz W25 went to its first race painted white, but an error had resulted in a 751-kg race car, when only a 750-kg race car would do. The result was that the mechanics spent the entire night removing the paint and stripping the bodywork back to the silver alloy underneath.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The Mercedes-Benz W125 of 1937 had a spectacular year, with Hermann Lang winning the Tripoli Grand Prix on debut, and Rudolf Caracciola winning three of the four Grands Prix that made up the European Championship to reverse the 1936 championship results on arch-rivals Auto Union.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The Mercedes-Benz W125 of 1937 had a spectacular year, with Hermann Lang winning the Tripoli Grand Prix on debut, and Rudolf Caracciola winning three of the four Grands Prix that made up the European Championship to reverse the 1936 championship results on arch-rivals Auto Union.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The Mercedes-Benz W125 of 1937 had a spectacular year, with Hermann Lang winning the Tripoli Grand Prix on debut, and team members winning four of the five Grands Prix that made up the European Championship to reverse the 1936 championship results on arch-rivals Auto Union. Rudolf Caracciola won the championship and can be seen in car 12 at the start of the 1937 German Grand Prix at Nurburgring, a race he eventually won.

Mercedes-Benz Media

The Mercedes-Benz W125 of 1937 had a spectacular year, with Hermann Lang winning the Tripoli Grand Prix on debut, and team members winning four of the five Grands Prix that made up the European Championship to reverse the 1936 championship results on arch-rivals Auto Union. Rudolf Caracciola won the championship and can be seen in car 12 at the start of the 1937 German Grand Prix at Nurburgring, a race he eventually won.

Mercedes-Benz Media

The Mercedes-Benz W196 is one of the most famous cars on the planet, with one of the 12 cars selling for US$31 million in 2013. The Silver Arrows returned to Grand Prix competition on July 4, 1954 in the French Grand Prix at Reims. The W196 R took pole, set the fastest lap and delivered Mercedes' first Formula 1 victory in the team's Formula 1 debut with a 1-2 finish, a full lap ahead of the competition. Led by the legendary World Champion Juan Fangio, Mercedes-Benz clinched the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 World Championships winning nine of 12 Grands Prix.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The Mercedes-Benz W196 is one of the most famous cars on the planet, with one of the 12 cars selling for US$31 million in 2013. The Silver Arrows returned to Grand Prix competition on July 4, 1954 in the French Grand Prix at Reims. The W196 R took pole, set the fastest lap and delivered Mercedes' first Formula 1 victory in the team's Formula 1 debut with a 1-2 finish, a full lap ahead of the competition. Led by the legendary World Champion Juan Fangio, Mercedes-Benz clinched the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 World Championships winning nine of 12 Grands Prix.

Mercedes-Benz Media

The Mercedes-Benz W196 is one of the most famous cars on the planet, with one of the 12 cars selling for US$31 million in 2013. The Silver Arrows returned to Grand Prix competition on July 4, 1954 in the French Grand Prix at Reims. The W196 R took pole, set the fastest lap and delivered Mercedes' first Formula 1 victory in the team's Formula 1 debut with a 1-2 finish, a full lap ahead of the competition. Led by the legendary World Champion Juan Fangio, Mercedes-Benz clinched the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 World Championships winning nine of 12 Grands Prix.

Mercedes-Benz Media

This futuristic, airplane-inspired two-seat retractable hardtop was the dream of Harry Birdsall in the 1950s. After acquiring a 1953 Series 62 Cadillac convertible that had been damaged by fire at a local dealership, Birdsall and his partner Joe Mascari commissioned Carrozzeria Rocco Motto to build their car. The chassis, drivetrain and drawings were shipped to Rocco Motto in Turin, Italy. It took 30 months to fabricate the hand-formed aluminum body and mount it to the 126-inch wheelbase chassis. The Cadillac is powered by the original 331 cubic inch 230 hp engine. All of the custom hardware pieces were fabricated in bronze and plated in 24 carat gold. An illuminated St. Christopher medal is built into the hub of the hand-made transparently rimmed steering wheel. The car features a unique retractable hard top. After Birdsall's death the car went to Mascari who later sold it. It passed through several owners and was damaged by Hurricane Andrew. It was then acquired by the Birdsall family and restored in 2014.

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This 1956 Nash Rambler Palm Beach Concept was styled by Pinin Farina. American Motors Corporation (AMC) was formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson Motor Car Co in May 1954, the largest corporate merger in US history to that time. Pinin Farina was hired as a consultant and this concept was produced in 1957 but never saw production. By the time the Palm Beach was completed, American Motors no longer had interest in adding a sports car to their lineup.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

This 1956 Nash Rambler Palm Beach Concept was styled by Pinin Farina. American Motors Corporation (AMC) was formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson Motor Car Co in May 1954, the largest corporate merger in US history to that time. Pinin Farina was hired as a consultant and this concept was produced in 1957 but never saw production. By the time the Palm Beach was completed, American Motors no longer had interest in adding a sports car to their lineup.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

The Craftsman Phil Hill Restorers Award for the restorer of the best new production car restoration went to Janousek Restorations for its work on the 1908 Packard Model 30 of Bill and Barbara Parfet of Hickory Corners, MI. This Model 30 has a 432 cubic inch 4-cylinder engine which produces 30 horsepower.

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One of the many Corvettes gathered for the Amelia Concours this year was this 1956 Corvette SR-2, which reputedly came into being when GM executives learned that Harley Earl's son was racing a Ferrari. Harley and son Jerome quickly made amends, with the Ferrari replaced by this car. The car was eventually raced successfully by the likes of Dr. Dick Thompson, John Fitch, Bud Gates and Jim Jeffords. Now owned by Irwin Kroiz of Ambler, PA, the car recently underwent a complete restoration returning the SR-2 to its original Harley & Jerome Earl specification.

Somer Hooker/New Atlas

Amelia Concours auction 2020

Deremer Studios

One of the most exciting premieres of the week was the first appearance of Mike Shackelton for RM-Sotheby's. Mike is a third-generation auctioneer and it showed. His concise, clear and razor-sharp communication is as good as we've seen and we expect Mike will become a fixture. That's RM-Sotheby's Alain Squindo at right.

Deremer Studios

Ambience in the Ritz-Carlton where RM-Sotheby's 22nd annual sale as the official auction house of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance was held.

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