In terms of automotive eye candy, it doesn’t get much better than Concours events. Last year, we took a lap of Monterey Car Week’s best vehicular showcases, including the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and were blown away by the breadth and quality of cars represented.
Pebble Beach isn’t America’s only Concours, however. At the opposite end of the country – Jacksonville, Florida – the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance has been dazzling attendees for over two decades. This past weekend, the 23rd annual display assembled more than 300 cars and motorcycles (within 35 classes) along the 10th and 18th fairways of Golf Club of Amelia Island.
Among a field of spectacular classics, judges singled out a 1929 Duesenberg J/SJ Convertible and 1963 Ferrari 250/275P and named them Best In Show.
- 1. 929 Duesenberg JS/J Convertible (Photo provided by DeremerStudios.com)
- 2. 1963 Ferrari 250/275 P (Photo provided by DeremerStudios.com)
The Duesenberg is owned by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio, and features Murphy roadster-style coachwork by Bohman & Schwartz of Pasadena, California. Updates include a lengthened hood, slotted fenders, and more contemporary bumpers. Before the car came into Yeaggy’s ownership, it was the property of Edward Beale McLean, who owned the Hope Diamond and whose family owned The Washington Post. Think that would show up on a CarFax report?
Taking the Best in Show Concours de Sport trophy was the 1963 Ferrari 250/275P, a centerpiece of the JSL Motorsports Collection in Redwood City, California. Stunning to behold, this car was a nightmare for its racing competition back in the day. In 1963, it won the ADAC Nurburgring 1,000 Kilometers under the stewardship of John Surtees and Willy Mairesse. The same year, Pedro Rodriguez won the Mont Tremblant within the NART class. A year later, Mike Parkes and Umberto Maglioli drove the car to victory at the Sebring 12 Hours endurance race.
“I could not be more pleased with the judges’ decisions for the 2018 Amelia Island Concours winners,” said Bill Warner, chairman and founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. “We are overjoyed to present the Duesenberg and Ferrari with these honors.”
The Concours also honored Emerson Fittipaldi, the only driver to win both the Formula 1 World Championship and the Indianapolis 500 twice. Fittipaldi brought some of the cars he had raced during his time in motorsports, including a 1970 Lotus 72/5, 1974 McLaren M23/5, 1974 Porsche 911 RSR IROC, and 1977 Chevrolet IROC Camaro Z28.
If you missed this past weekend’s hoopla, fear not — Pebble Beach Concours is rapidly approaching. Mark your calendars for August 26, 2018. And, if you’re an especially ambitious planner, the 2019 edition of Amelia Island will take place March 10, 2019.
