Although Amelia Islanders have been rising to foggy mornings lately, the sun came out Sunday, reflecting off gleaming chrome on vintage cars along the fairway at the Golf Club of Amelia and Ritz-Carlton hotel, for the 14th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
It was a dazzling day at the world-renowned classic auto event held on this Florida barrier island each March. 250 rare collector cars, called the “field of dreams,” made for a glamorous display along the lush green fairway by the seaside. It has been dubbed “The Pebble Beach of the East Coast,” referring to the other top classic auto event held on California's Monterey coast.
One of the featured highlights of the 2009 Amelia Concours d'Elegance were the automobiles of Bohman and Schwartz (Duesenbergs), said to be yesteryear favorites of Hollywood stars and starlets. An auto at the Amelia event had been previously owned by Clark Gable.
This year's honoree was champion racer, David Hobbs (a popular SPEED Channel commentator). Also celebrated at this event was the 50th anniversaries of F1 at Sebring and Indy Cars at Daytona.
The Amelia Concours weekend each year is a time when the Fernandina Municipal airport on Amelia Island is lined with private jets and the city's marina docks flanked with splendid yachts. Car enthusiasts come by air, by sea, or they just drive. But turn out they do, regardless of the mode of transportation. This year's Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance drew crowds estimated at 15,000. While some participants with vehicles in the event drove their classic autos to the island, many were transported in tractor trailers (precious cargo, indeed).
PHANTOM CORSAIR – ONE-OF-A-KIND IN THE WORLD
All eyes were on the 1938 Phantom Corsair, a one-of-a-kind futuristic automobile for its day, to say the least. This car appeared at the 1939 World's Fair, and touted a lot of speed for the time period. Its aerodynamic design with 190 horsepower helped push it to 115 miles per hour, very fast for the 1930s, especially considering its body size. The Phantom Corsair, body by Bohman & Schwartz, came out of the National Automobile Museum (The former Harrah Collection) of Reno Nevada for the Amelia Island show. The auto was called “the Flying Wombat” in the Hollywood film, “The Young at Heart” starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. The Phantom was actually designed by ketchup king, Rust Heinz, of the H.J. Heinz food empire. Heinz reportedly had plans to produce more Phantoms, but his sudden death ended those intentions. This Phantom is the only one existing in the world. (1938 Phantom Corsair pictured above at Amelia Island.)
Besides the main auto show on Sunday, a long roster of events take place throughout the weekend, including fine art shows, auctioning of some vintage vehicles by RM Auctions, driving events, seminars and gala receptions.
Car collectors from around the globe gather to bid on rare autos at the Amelia Island auction. One of the high-end autos, a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider (anticipated pre-auction to fetch between $2.4 and $2.9 million), reportedly did not sell at the high bid of $1,975,000 US dollars). In the current economic environment, even for this unique type of asset class -- vintage cars-- I guess it's what the market will bear. But a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe sold for $1,072,500 (and there were many other sales, too).
INTRIGUING AUTOMOBILE HISTORY
There was a lot of automobile history at this show, along with shared anecdotes and sentimental moments. One vintage vehicle was driven by a senior couple who had owned it 50 years. Apparently, it was the first time in half a century that they actually took it out for a road trip. A rare treat, no doubt, for all the motorists along their route. Imagine the smiles they brought to passersby along the roadways during their journey to Amelia Island. (Pictured, above at the ceremonial area of the Concours).
Besides the opportunity to see gems from rare, private collections and learn about some of the intriguing history behind these automobiles, the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is for a good cause. The Concours donates a portion of proceeds to several charities, including the Community Hospice of Northeast Florida. (Since its inception, the Amelia Island Concours has raised over $1.5 million for this organization, alone.)
A show highlight for some younger attendees was the presence of an MTV producer from the “Pimp My Ride” TV show, who had an entry on the fairway. “Pimp My Ride,” an internationally-acclaimed show, takes a car in bad condition and restores it.
Beau Boeckmann showcased Ed “Big Daddy” Roth's Orbitron, a space-age looking vehicle topped with a bubble (circa 1964), that he had restored. Boeckmann, President of Galphin Auto Sports, is a talented vehicle customizer, and was a scheduled featured speaker at “The Great Customizers” seminar held during the 2009 Amelia Concours event.
For someone who knows very little about cars, I really enjoyed myself at the Concours. So for true car enthusiasts who had the misfortune of missing this excellent Amelia Island event, you may wish to catch the other top automobile celebration – the Pebble Beach Concours in California – to be held this summer on August 16, 2009.
BEST IN SHOW WINNERS 2009, Amelia Island, Florida:
Congrats to the “Best in Show” Winners, Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance 2009!
Best in Show, Concours d'Elegance -- 1931 Voisin C20 Demi-Berline, The Munder Collection of West Palm Beach, Florida.
Best in Show, Concours de Sport -- 1923 Miller Special 122 Supercharged, A. Dano Davis, of Jacksonville, Florida.
As far as the vehicles in the show, it's an invitation-only event. The Amelia Concours Chairman, Bill Warner, invites vehicles that he feels “best exemplify the annual theme and class structure,” according to their web site. (Photos of the show winners as well as a photo gallery from this 2009 event should be online in the near future at the official Amelia Concours website. See more about this annual event held each March on Amelia Island at, http://www.ameliaislandconcours.com/. ) ___________
About the author: W.B. Lawson of Florida Fine Living Media, Inc., writes lifestyle, tourism, and real estate articles, published in Amelia Island Living eMagazine and also blogs on the social network AmeliaIslandLiving.NET, “Life in an island town…”. SUBSCRIBE TO AMELIA ISLAND RSS FEEDS.