Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance - Bill Warner's 25th Exhibit of Elegance - Notes From Steve Purdy Shunpiker Productions

AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS – NOTES
Bill Warner’s 25th Exhibit of Elegance on the Atlantic Shore
March 2020
By Steve Purdy
Shunpiker Productions ©

Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
PRE-EVENT FUN

For the better part of the first week in March traffic is carefully controlled into the fancy circle drive in front of the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island hotel, not far north of Jacksonville, Florida. Special cars, colorful hotel guests, VIPs, celebrities and the Concours cognoscenti have the run of the place. We were there to mingle with them all and to experience this rare scene to bring it to you.

[Aside: By the way, I’ve been thinking: What if the Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts hired a genetic biologist to develop a special breed of colorful ducks to populate their ponds and other water features at Ritz properties around the world. They could be sort of a branding tool called, you guessed it, “Ritz Quackers.”]

Concours participants begin pouring in to the Ritz Thursday afternoon with a few private events and a lot of hub-bub. Special cars are strewn all about the property, and we see many familiar faces from the collector car community. Whenever I had a few moments between activities throughout the weekend I just stood at the rail of the Ritz convention area balcony overlooking the front of the hotel. There goes Corkey Coker or Wayne Carini checking in or Marc Reuss chatting with Ed Welburn while awaiting their rides. Or, Barry McGuire chatting with everyone in sight.

Exotic brands like McLaren, Porsche Aston Martin, Bentley, Mercedes and that ilk show off their cars offering ride-and-drives prospecting for customers from booths along the entrance to the Ritz. Hagerty offers ride-and-drives in some of their old cars as well, demonstrating the fun to be had driving the old stuff. Automotive art and other luxury goods venders court this sophisticated crowd of car lovers from rows of white tents, kiosks and any other space available. A guy selling ornate, highly polished telescopes plied his wares from under the overhang on the convention center balcony.

The Amelia Concours teams are led by high-energy Bill Warner, founder and chairman of the show, who in his younger days was a racing photographer and writer. Bill and his team produce and manage dozens of elements that go into an event this big and up-scale. Among the most popular are a variety of seminars on Friday and Saturday that easily fill the ballrooms at the Ritz. We’ve seen seminars on the business of collecting to the celebrity filled panel of original Cannonball Run runners. This year many focused on the Penske legend.

Roger Penske, celebrating five decades of racing and business success, is the 2020 Amelia Island Concours Honoree. This is a guy, we’re told, who seldom spends more than a few hours in one place and somehow agreed to spend three days being lauded and feted here at Amelia. He does not appear to be egocentric enough to enjoy so much praise. He spoke to a gathering of media people on Saturday and for a guy over 80-years-old he impressed with his vitality, acuity and integrity. The guy sure doesn’t smile much, though. I had a long lens on the camera and tried all through the interview to get a smiling image. He never gave me one.

RM/SOTHEBY AUCTION

Responsible for perhaps half the crowd on Friday and Saturday is the RM/Sotheby Auction The big ballroom facing the ocean provides the venue for the premier classic and collector auction, where hundreds of exceptional motorcars will cross the block looking for the long dollar. Sellers always hope for a couple bidders with deep pockets and huge egos to compete for their car. Judging from the results – nearly $36 million worth of cars changed hands – that may have happened more than once. Or, perhaps folks may be investing in collectibles as a hedge against impending economic doom. Fears of the invading virus are just getting started. The auction cars pose for inspection on the lawn between the ballroom and the ocean. The light tends to be ripe for a guy with a camera.

A pristine 1947 Cadillac glowed in the intermittent rain as I shot her details Friday morning. My eye was drawn to the budding little bullets on each side of the front bumper. Our car pals will know the big bullet-adorned front bumpers of 1950s Cadillacs referred to as “Dagmar” bumpers after the busty actress of the day known for her pointy bras. Well, these smaller, budding bullets, we think, could be called pre-adolescent Dagmar bumpers.

The people that go with these cars are as varied and colorful as the cars themselves. Case in point: Ken Lingenfelter a major collector of muscle cars, Corvettes and exotics, brought his Ferrari Enzo to see what it would bring, thinking it may be at its peak value. It sold for nearly $2.8 million. Ken opens his Michigan-based 200+car collection for charity events and is always good for an interesting interview with insights into the nuances of being a serious collector. He also brought a class-wining 1954 Corvair. (We’ll tell you that car’s story another time.)

RELIABLE’S ROAD TOUR

An eclectic field of three or four dozen old cars lined up around the entrance to the Ritz on cloudy Friday morning staging for the Reliable Carrier Amelia Road Tour. There we found our friend Jeff Lane who owns one of the most unusual car museums in the county just south of Nashville, TN. He brought a tiny Kleinschnittger roadster to tour along with the Duesenbergs, Bentleys, a Cobra, an Iso Rivolta, special Cadillacs and other big-dollar classics and sports cars. Though mot show cars at Amelia are trailer queens some are owned by people for whom driving them is as important as showing them. One thing they all had in common was a look of exuberance. My kind of people.

D’LEMON

Just down the street toward the airport a guy named Alan Galbraith puts on the notorious Concours d’Lemon Saturday morning, with the help of Hagerty and other sponsors, honoring those cars less respected – odd balls, rusty heaps, home-made cars, the undistinguished . . . cars that typically were not saved, usually for good reason. Anyone can enter. The more disrespectful the car the better.

“What are the judging criteria?” I asked Mr. Galbraith.

“Well, it’s hard to say,” he told me, “since it varies a bit between classes, but we’re mostly looking for the cars we’d least like to go home with.”

Coincidentally, Jeff Lane, won the “Barely Better Than a Go-cart” award with the same sputtery little ’79 Replica (say that if you can) he drove in the Friday tour event.

The Sight for Sour Eyes prize went to a massive old Mercury Grand Marquis. Country of Origin Awards span a few regions. U.S. honors went to a MoPar conglomerate that no one was quite able to identify A very nice Yugo won the Communist Car class. The French Car award went to high-mileage smart fortwo owned by the executive director of the Rolls-Royce Club. The British honor went to a well-used TR3. And, the German winner was a really-rusty, cobbled-up VW Bus. Disgusting, indeed.

Worst of Show, an honor not to be undervalued, went to the rare (only a half-dozen made) ’86 Cadillac Cimarron with manual transmission. The depth of that car’s incongruity is immense. The owner found it on the west coast and bought it for $500 shipping it back for $1,200. He estimates its value around a grand and was proud to accept the award.

THE CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

Sunday - I misjudged the time of the sunrise just a smidge and walked over the golf course foot bridge down into the show field as the sun was already 5-degrees above the eastern horizon just behind the Ritz resort. I was after the soft morning light and knew I had to get pictures before the crowds began to gather. Amelia has provided some of the most remarkable images I’ve captured over the years because of the unusually rich light influenced by the ocean.

Just before 7 AM the field was already abuzz with vendors preparing their tents, show cars moving onto the field (some under their own power, some not), teams of judges already beginning to huddle around special cars, and a surprising number of people milling about. Early access has become more generously allowed at Amelia, it seems.

While shooting some of the classics surrounding the pond I heard some commotion behind me as Corky Coker, leading collector and long-time owner of Coker Tires, was being towed briskly onto the field in his Lozier Indy racer. Corky leaned into the turn like he was going 50-mph on a race track. He’s in an open race car - a replica of the 1911 Lozier that took second in the first Indy 500. Lozier was one of the most expensive automobiles of the Brass Era. Corky brought two of the half-dozen Lozier on display.

Amelia is easily the second most prestigious Concours on this side of the Atlantic (second only to Pebble Beach) and easily in contention with the best in the world. Bill Warner founded it 25 years ago and has run it since. Health issues over the past couple years has him slowing down, we’re told, but I saw no evidence of that here. He is still in charge and putting on a great event. As I came onto the field Bill was like a bee working the flowers in a big garden from his golf cart, two headsets and a couple antenna bristling around his baseball-capped head.

One whole corner of the field was dedicated to the “Cars of Penske,” mostly race cars. Another is dedicated to special Porsches. We see classes for brass cars, recognized CCCA classics, concept vehicles, a huge display of significant Corvettes and the half-dozen big, rare Lozier automobiles. They’ve assembled five of the famous Mercedes Silver Arrow race cars and, a plethora of stylish, Harley Earl-designed, GM concept cars including the Y-Job and LaSabre. Earl, considered the father of auto design, was a larger-than-life character and his grandson, Richard Earl, attended riding in another GM classic when it got its award.

General Motors had a large presence at Amelia including a rare assemblage of historic mid-engine Corvettes - to honor the new C8 - going back to the 1964 GS IIB research vehicle, not seen outside a museum since leaving GM custody.

At Amelia they always give out two Best of Show awards. Bill says it is because so many great cars deserve honors; and, that the classic race cars – his first love –shouldn’t compete directly with road cars. An “apple and oranges sort of deal,” he insists.

So, the 2020 Amelia *winners are:

Best of Show Sport – the 1,500-hp 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder now owned by Rob Kauffman and first driven by Mark Donohue for Team Penske to the 1973 Can-Am championship winning six of eight races.

Best of Show/Concours d’Elegance – a massive and graceful Murphy-bodied Duesenberg owned by the Lahrman Collection of Palm Beach. The car was originally part of a batch of Murphy-bodied Duesies ordered by the larger-than-life Captain Geourd Whittell, Jr. who sold huge holdings out of the stock market just before the 1929 crash.

*Find the official list of all winners HERE

THE POINT OF IT ALL

Concours events bring important, beautiful, rare and interesting cars out of their static existence in museums and collections. For the most part, owners of these cars consider themselves custodians of the vehicles and their history. And most relish the opportunity to share them with the world.

Dozens of Concours d’Elegance dot our calendars throughout the year but Amelia stands out. Yes, Pebble Beach is the most prestigious, but it is also the least accessible in terms of cost and logistics. St. John’s (formerly Meadow Brook in Michigan) remains third for most of us, but plenty of others are close behind.

The quality of cars at Amelia, the unique emphasis on race cars, the RM/Sotheby Auction, golf course venue, strong sponsorship's, inclusion of art and high-end vendors and charitable works, and inspired leadership make this a show not to miss.

And, for a photographer there is something special about the light there at the Ritz on the big water.

© Steve Purdy, Shunpiker Productions - All Rights Reserved

Amelia Awards

2020

Amelia Award - American Classic 1915-1931
1929 Packard 645 Roadster
Paul V. and Lynn S. Kilker - York, PA

Amelia Award - American Classic 1915-1931
1925 Kissel 6-55 Goldbug Speedster
Jeffrey and Karen Ozan - Metamora, MI

Amelia Award - American Classic 1932-1934
1933 Stutz DV-32 Monte Carlo
Nicola Bulgari - Allentown, PA

Amelia Award - American Classic 1932-1934
1932 Chrysler CH Imperial 5 Passenger Convertible
William and Tina Sipko - Windber, PA

Amelia Award - American Classic 1935-1948
1936 Packard 1407 Twelve LeBaron All-Weather Cabriolet
Laura and Jack Boyd Smith, Jr. - Elkhart, IN

Amelia Award - American Limited Production
1956 Continental Mark II
Rick and Elaine Schmidt - Ocala, FL

Amelia Award - Cars of Harley Earl
1956 Buick Century Convertible
Steven Plunkett - London, ON, Canada

Amelia Award - Cars of Harley Earl
1953 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible
Brady L. Como - Broussard, LA

Amelia Award - Cars of Harley Earl
1956 Chevrolet Corvette SR-2
Irwin Kroiz - Ambler, PA

Amelia Award - Cars of Roger Penske
1956 Porsche 550A Spyder
Miles Collier Collections at Revs Institute - Naples, FL

Amelia Award - Cars of Roger Penske
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
Miles Collier Collections at Revs Institute - Naples, FL

Amelia Award - Duesenberg
1929 Duesenberg J-118
Gregory V. Ornazian - Troy, MI

Amelia Award - Duesenberg
1923 Duesenberg Model A
Joe and Cynny Freeman - Boston, MA

Amelia Award - European Coachwork American Cars Post-War
1956 Nash Rambler Palm Beach
Scott D. Morris - Vero Beach, FL

Amelia Award - European Coachwork American Cars Post-War
1953 Cadillac Special Cabriolet
Dick and Bob Birdsall Collection - Lake Worth, FL

Amelia Award - European Coachwork American Cars Pre-War
1938 Packard Sedanca DeVille
Claude and Audrey Ohanesian - Lake Forest, IL

Amelia Award - European Custom Coachwork
1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S
Frank and Christine Salemi - Fallston, MD

Amelia Award - Horseless Carriage
1915 Pierce-Arrow 38C Limousine
Brian and Trish White - Apex, NC

Amelia Award - Horseless Carriage
1914 Simplex D 50 HP
David and Candy Staadt - New Haven, IN

Amelia Award - Lozier
1914 Lozier Model 84 Roadster
Lozier Collection - Redmond, WA

Amelia Award - Lozier
1908 Lozier H
Jeff and Angie Chattin - Canton, GA

Amelia Award - Mercedes-Benz
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
Lewis and Rebecca Kling - Castle Rock, CO

Amelia Award - Motorcycles
1956 Ariel Square Four Mk II
The Schigiel Collection - Miami Beach, FL

Amelia Award - Motorcycles
1927 Indian Scout Racer
Doc Batsleer - New Smyrna Beach, FL

Amelia Award - Porsche Firsts
1962 Porsche 804
Ranson Webster - Reno, NV

Amelia Award - Porsche Firsts
1956 Porsche 550A Prototype
The JSL Motorsports Collection - Redwood City, CA

Amelia Award - Race Cars 1946-1962
1952 OSCA MT4 LM
Phil White - Portola Valley, CA

Amelia Award - Race Cars 1946-1962
1953 Jaguar C-Type
Jim Taylor - Gloversville, NY

Amelia Award - Race Cars 1963-1967
1967 Porsche 911R
Miles Collier Collections at Revs Institute - Naples, FL

Amelia Award - Race Cars 1963-1967
1966 Ford GT40 Mk II
Scuderia Bella Rossa - Bedford Hills, NY

Amelia Award - Race Cars 1968-1989
1969 Gurney Eagle MK5
Steve and Susan Babinsky - Lebanon, NJ

Amelia Award - Race Cars Pre-War
1931 Alfa Romeo Monza
D.L. George Collection - Cochranville, PA

Amelia Award - Race Cars Pre-War
1932 Alta 1100 Sports
Vintage Racing Stable - Sanbornton, NH

Amelia Award - Rolling Bones
1931 Ford Model A Coupe
William Medcalf - West Sussex, United Kingdom

Amelia Award - Rolling Bones
1932 Ford Coupe
Tom McIntyre - Burbank, CA

Amelia Award - Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
Sierra Collection - Odessa, FL

Amelia Award - Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
1920 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Torpedo Open Tourer
The White Collection - Winter Garden, FL

Amelia Award - Rolls-Royce/Bentley Post-War
1954 Bentley Continental
Stephen Brauer - St. Louis, MO

Amelia Award - Rolls-Royce/Bentley Pre-War
1936 Bentley 4-¼
The Heinecke Family - Bangkok, Thailand

Amelia Award - Scaglietti Production
1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta
JW Motor Sports Collection - Lenexa, KS

Amelia Award - Scaglietti Production
1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4
Fort Family Investments - Jacksonville, FL

Amelia Award - Scaglietti Production
1959 Chevrolet Corvette
J.W. Marriott, Jr. - Bethesda, MD

Amelia Award - Scaglietti Race
1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
Harry Yeaggy - Cincinnati, OH

Amelia Award - Scaglietti Race
1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial
Thomas Peck - Laguna Beach, CA

Amelia Award - Sports and GT Cars 1948-1953
1952 Porsche 356 America Roadster
Chip and Monica Perry - Blowing Rock, NC

Amelia Award - Sports and GT Cars 1948-1953
1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale
Don and Carol Murray - Laguna Beach, CA

Amelia Award - Sports and GT Cars 1954-1957
1957 AC Ace-Bristol
Nancy and John Baldwin - Covington, LA

Amelia Award - Sports and GT Cars 1954-1957
1954 Kaiser Darrin Convertible
The Marano Collection - Garwood, NJ

Amelia Award - Sports and GT Cars 1958-1964
1964 Alfa Romeo TZ
Eichenbaum Family Collection - St. Petersburg, FL

Amelia Award - Sports and GT Cars 1958-1964
1963 Porsche Carrera 2 Cabriolet
Steven Harris - New York, NY

Amelia Award - Sports and GT Cars 1965-1978
1968 Maserati Ghibli Coupe
Ed Kelley - San Antonio, TX

Amelia Award - Sports and GT Cars 1965-1978
1966 Shelby 427 Cobra CSX 3157
W. Kevin Collins - Louisville, KY

Amelia Award - Sports Cars Pre-War
1932 MG J2 Midget
Peter and Kerrie McCormick - Pittsburgh, PA

Amelia Award - Sports Cars Pre-War
1938 Lea-Francis 12 HP Sports Roadster
Gary and Mary Ruth Staadt - Rockville, IN

Amelia Award - Team Penske
1972 Porsche 917/10
Mouse Motors, LLC - Chicago, IL

Amelia Award - Team Penske
2007 Porsche RS Spyder
David MacNeil - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Amelia Award - Team Penske Sunoco
1968 Chevrolet Camaro
Tom McIntyre - Burbank, CA

Amelia Award - Team Penske Sunoco
1966 Chevrolet Corvette
Kevin J. Mackay - Valley Stream, NY

Amelia Award - Team Penske Sunoco
1967 Chevrolet Sunoco Camaro #1
Patrick S. Ryan - Asheville, NC

Amelia Award - That's Cute
1938 American Bantam Roadster
Mary Miles - Dunnellon, FL

Amelia Award - That's Cute
1957 BMW Isetta 300
Bob Bailey / Racemark Collection - Sarasota, FL