It's the Amelia Island mega post!
Motorious is on the ground in Amelia Island, FL, the site of the famous Concours event, as well as several prestigious events that take place over the weekend. Over the recent years, it's not just about the car shows, or really the typical car shows, is what we should say. Amelia Island turns into a flight of car classes and types, in all kinds of conditions, from all walks of life.
See the start of the concours here.
The first stop in Amelia Island is the Werks Reunion Amelia Island.
Even though this is a Porsche event, the variety Amelia Island attracts is evident.
From Porsche Club of America: Porsche Club of America (PCA) welcomes all Porsche clubs, owners, and enthusiasts to be a part of Werks Reunion Amelia Island, the Friday preceding the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Membership in PCA is not required to participate in this celebration of Porsche automobiles. Expect to view a breathtaking array of Porsches from rare classics to current models and everything in between. Display your own cherished car in model-specific Porsche Corrals or enter the Porsche Judged Field and compete to win in more than 20 prize categories.
Werks Reunion was created by the Porsche Club of America as an event to celebrate both the Porsche marque as well as the camaraderie of being an enthusiast. This is not a contest of who has removed dust from the deepest crevices in their Porsche but rather a judged show that rewards a Porsche that has been lovingly maintained and presents itself well on the field. Our judges do not use Porsche Parade Concours score sheets but rather rank the cars according to certain attributes discussed prior to judging. For those who do not wish to have their cars judged, you may display in the model specific corrals or if the organizers see fit, on the judged field itself. There are no score sheets returned or protest committees. This is a casual gathering of Porsche enthusiasts focused on having fun rather than solely competition.
First stop down.
Saturday kicks off!
Saturday has a lot to offer enthusiasts at The Amelia. Recently renamed Cars & Community, the Saturday morning meets have been a big hit with Motorious readers in the past years. Local high school and college automotive programs were given free entry, as part of an effort to encourage the next generation of enthusiasts.
According to an official press release from Hagerty. "Saturday’s recently named Cars & Community program, a unique day of family friendly automotive fun, will include expanded Cars & Caffeine, Concours d’Lemons and RADwood displays and the event’s first-ever Kids Zone. This innovative approach provides an opportunity to expand notable donations to deep-rooted charities in the Jacksonville area.”
Over the past 26 years, proceeds given to charities that come from the Saturday Amelia event has totaled up to more than $4 million. “Our goal with The Amelia is to take everything about this first-class event and make it even bigger and better, and that includes the scope of its charitable work,” said McKeel Hagerty, chairman of The Amelia. “We are proud to continue working with our long-standing local partners - Spina Bifida of Jacksonville, Community Hospice & Palliative Care and Shop with Cops - and excited to expand the event’s outreach even further.”
In addition to the charitable donations, the economic impact to the area is significant. Even when people were hesitant to travel in 2021, its estimated that $26.4 million was spent at businesses in the area during the event, and 2022 is definitely attracting more people than we’ve seen in the past!
The Concours
With the cars perfectly staged, The Concours d’Elegance kicked off at 9:30am on Sunday morning. Even with a full day with the cars and motorcycles on display, it’s nearly impossible to see everything there is to be seen here. Welcoming show goers with donuts on the green, there are several breakout collections within the 225 historically significant vehicles that have descended on the small Florida island town.
Check out the Amelia weekend mega thread here.
This year’s honoree is Chip Ganassi, so we visited his collection first. Since 1990, Chip Ganassi has dominated the race world.
One of the Ford GTs calls the RK Motors Collection home.
The judges are already making their rounds as the decision on class winners and show winners is not one they take lightly.
While the classes have expanded quite a bit over the years and attracted more variety at the concours, the classics you love are out in full force.
There is so much automotive history on the lawn, it's impossible to capture the essance of what you're walking through when you walk the field.
While the classes have expanded quite a bit over the years and attracted more variety at the concours, the classics you love are out in full force.
There is so much automotive history on the lawn, it's impossible to capture the essence of what you're walking through when you walk the field.
The Amelia is more than an event, more than a gathering, and more than a car show. While earning Best in Class and Best in Show is on the minds of entrants, the concours is a celebration of the best of the automobile.
These cars represent great racers, designers, engineers, and evolution of the automobile.
Of course, not all vehicles are on four wheels. Some of them are on three!
And there's a motorcycle class that seems to grow each year.
Which car will be crowned the winner? We'll know very soon now. Follow our Facebook page for the winner annoucement, with full profiles of the winners coming this week. Follow @motorious_com on Instagram for a visual journey of the concours.
#TheAmelia #ConcoursdElegance #AmeliaConcoursIsland
