The 23rd annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance drew more than 300 cars and motorcycles into 35 classes on the 10th and 18th fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island on March 10.
The Best in Show Concours d'Elegance Trophy was presented to a 1929 Duesenberg J/SJ Convertible owned by Harry Yeaggy from Cincinnati. A 1963 Ferrari 250/275P from The JSL Motorsports Collection in Redwood City, California, took home the prestigious Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy.
"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. These cars are prime examples of automotive prestige, and we are proud to recognize them."
This year's Amelia Concours honored not only astounding vehicles but also Emerson Fittipaldi. Fittipaldi's race cars were among the 300-plus cars on display. The double Formula 1 World Champion and two-time Indy 500 winner displayed a number of the vehicles he raced, including a 1970 Lotus 72/5, 1974 McLaren M23/5, 1974 Porsche 911 RSR IROC and 1977 Chevrolet IROC Camaro Z28.
Making its international debut at this year's Concours was the sole Shelby Lonestar, created a half-century ago as a replacement for the 427 Shelby Cobra. Additional highlights on the field included a full class of the outrageous customs of "Big Daddy" Ed Roth.
Advancing in the power-driven age, a special class of electric horseless carriages also highlighted the renewed enthusiasm for the 120-year-old technology. To complement the 2018 electric car class, The Concours featured, as well, the newest electric and hybrid powered cars from the world's leading manufacturers.
In addition, IMSA GTP celebrated its GTP — Grand Touring Prototype — racers from the 1981 through the 1993 IMSA Championships, and the recently-discovered Ford Mustang Fastback from the 1968 movie “Bullitt” was featured in the Hagerty booth.
"With every passing year, the Amelia Island Concours continues to grow," Warner said. "It is magical to see the wide variety of vehicles that appear on the green each year. Their stories and history truly allow us to celebrate the automobile industry in a number of ways."
The 24th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance will be held March 8-10, 2019, on the fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. The show's Foundation has donated over $3.2 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. and other charities on Florida's First Coast since its inception in 1996.
