On March 6, 2022, extraordinary automobiles from all over the world gathered for the 27th time on the extensive grounds of the Golf Club of Amelia Island to face the scrutiny of the jury and the public. In terms of prestige, the major event in Florida is gradually catching up with its West Coast counterpart in Pebble Beach, so it is commendable that over 4,500 kilometers and six months separate the two important events. After all, people like to look forward to such highly decorated car events twice a year.
The 25 vehicle classes of the vehicle festival, which from this year is simply called "The Amelia" and is visibly supported by Hagerty, range from "Horseless Carriages" to "Sports and GT Cars Prewar" and "Rare Japanese" through to "Indy Roadsters". All categories and award-winning vehicles are listed at the end of this article.
Former racing driver and team boss as guest of honor
In keeping with tradition, former racing driver and racing team owner Floyd "Chip" Ganassi, a particularly influential motorsport personality, was once again honored. In the 1980s, he competed in the Indy 500 five times in a row. In 1990, he founded his own racing team with the support of the Target supermarket chain.
Chip Ganassi Racing has won four Indy 500s, one Daytona 500 and six 24 Hours of Daytona races to date. Ganassi has also demonstrated its skill with young talent, with Juan Pablo Montoya winning the CART formula series as a rookie in 1999.
Eight racing cars from his racing team were brought together for the Concours d'Elégance. The orange NASCAR Chevy Impala won the Daytona 500 in 2010, while Dario Franchitti drove the standard Dallara Indy Car to the top of the podium at the Indianapolis 500 in the same year.
A modern Ford GT LM was crowned the winner of this personalized "Cars of Ganassi" class, which took part in the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans together with three model siblings for the Ford Chip Ganassi team.
Focus on (US) motorsport
Motorsport has always played a central role in the beauty contest on the Atlantic and so several categories were once again dedicated to exceptional racing cars this year. Two classes were dedicated to the endurance races at Daytona and Sebring, and Porsche cars triumphed in both. The former was won by a 917K from 1969, the latter by a 907 from the previous year.
The Zuffenhausen-based manufacturer even had one category all to itself: under the collective term "Rare Aluminum Porsche", the focus was on the then up-and-coming brand's entry into motorsport.
Of course, there were also racing cars from the pre-war period, as well as Formula 1 cars, which competed in the "Gurney Eagles" category.
Wide variety of classes
With 22 vehicles, the largest class at this year's Concours was made up of sports and GT cars from 1958 to 1972. An Aston Martin DB5C from 1965 took the honors, followed by a Ghia L 6.4 from 1961 and an ATS 2500 TTS Allemano Sports Coupé from 1964.
A category was also dedicated to the 90th birthday of the 32' Ford, and a Ford 18 was chosen as the most beautiful vehicle. Fittingly, Lincoln, owned by Ford for exactly a century, was also represented with its own Concours class.
Shock therapy on Saturday
As the automotive attractions of this world are often enough in the limelight, it is sometimes appropriate to offer a stage to lesser-known and decorated vehicles. This is what happened in the form of the Concours d'Lemons, which took place the day before the beauty contest.
Taking the concept of a competition to absurd extremes, enthusiasts presented their curious and ugly vehicles in categories such as "Rust Belt American Junk", "Needlessly Complex Italian" and "Most Dangerous". The main criterion for participation was a healthy dose of self-irony. It goes without saying that the title of "Worst of Show" was awarded at this somewhat different concours.
The "Cars and Caffeine" meeting and the RADwood show with vehicles from the eighties and nineties were also part of the family-friendly Saturday program.
The best last
Back to the glittering world of the fast and beautiful. Of course, a couple of cars stood out from the more than two hundred gems at the Concours d'Elégance, whose aesthetics and reputation deserve due tribute. This year, the prize for the best-in-show at the Concours d'Elégance went to a 1934 Düsenberg J-531, while a 2017 Cadillac DPi-V.R was honored as the most beautiful sports or racing car.
Pre-war classic from illustrious previous owner
As an extremely noble and exclusive manufacturer in the first third of the last century, Duesenberg had its high-quality chassis clad only by the best coachbuilders in the United States. It was almost impossible to acquire anything more noble and faster on four wheels at the time, so the innovative company's clientele consisted exclusively of the wealthiest citizens of the New World.
Marjorie Merriweather Post, owner of the General Foods Corporation and one of the richest women in the world at the time, ordered and drove the award-winning black "Duesie". Until 1962, the car served as the businesswoman's summer vehicle on Long Island.
The mighty J-531 was one of the last Duesenberg cars to be produced and underwent an extensive restoration under its current owner. A total of three convertible coupés were built by LaGrande, a fictitious company that was probably conceived by Duesenberg for marketing purposes. This example is the only one of the trio to be equipped with a rare Winfield twin carburetor, which feeds the 6.9-litre DOHC eight-cylinder engine with an ignitable mixture. The car reached over 185 kilometers per hour, a very high speed for the time.
After a class victory at Pebble Beach in 2015, the highest accolade for this very special car has now followed on the east coast. Florida generally seems to be a good place for Duesenberg, as the manufacturer's cars were named the most beautiful participants in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Winning car through and through
Compared to previous editions of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elégance, this year's second best-in-show went to a very young IMSA racing car, the Cadillac DPi-V-R from 2017, powered by a 5.5-liter V8 with 600 hp. At the 2018 Petit Le Mans, the black car was piloted to first place by Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande and Ryan Hunter Ray. One year later, the car of the Wayne Taylor Racing team with Fernando Alonso, Kamui Kobayashi, Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zande also won the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Despite the racing successes, it is not immediately clear why the judges preferred the undoubtedly interesting but not (yet) particularly historic Cadillac to a "classic" alternative such as the Porsche 917K or one of the Gurney-Eagle cars. Lack of age or not, the IMSA race car looks great and was driven by first-class racing drivers, so a best-in-show award is certainly not completely out of place.
Overview of the classes and award-winning vehicles at the Amelia Concours d'Elégance 2022:
| Class | Award Name | Make Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR | Best in Class | Mercury Cyclone | 1971 |
| NASCAR | Class Award | Ford Taurus | 2000 |
| NASCAR | Class Award | Dodge Daytona | 1969 |
| Gurney Eagles | Best in Class | Gurney Eagle Weslake Mk 1 Formula 1 | 1967 |
| Gurney Eagles | Class Award | Eagle IndyCar | 1966 |
| Gurney Eagles | Class Award | Gurney Eagle Mark III | 1967 |
| Cars of Ganassi | Best in Class | Ford GT LM | 2016 |
| Cars of Ganassi | Class Award | Dodge NASCAR Avenger Car of Tomorrow | 2007 |
| Cars of Ganassi | Class Award | Ford GT LM | 2016 |
| 70th Anniv. 12 Hours of Sebring | Best in Class | Porsche 907 | 1968 |
| 70th Anniv. 12 Hours of Sebring | Class Award | Porsche Fabcar | 1985 |
| 70th Anniv. 12 Hours of Sebring | Class Award | Kurtis Kraft 500 S | 1953 |
| Indy Roadsters | Best in Class | Kurtis Cummins Diesel Special Roadster | 1952 |
| Indy Roadsters | Class Award | Watson Indy Roadster | 1963 |
| Indy Roadsters | Class Award | Lesovsky Indy Roadster | 1962 |
| Motorcycles | Best in Class | Honda VFR750R | 1990 |
| Motorcycles | Class Award | Bimota Tesi 1Dsr | 1992 |
| Motorcycles | Class Award | Ducati 851 Tricolore Kit | 1988 |
| Sports and GT Cars Pre-War | Best in Class | SS Cars Limited SS One Airline Saloon | 1935 |
| Sports and GT Cars Pre-War | Class Award | Jaguar SS 100 | 1938 |
| Sports and GT Cars Pre-War | Class Award | SS1 (Jaguar) Tourer | 1934 |
| 90th Anniv. '32 Ford | Best in Class | Ford 18 | 1932 |
| 90th Anniv. '32 Ford | Class Award | Ford Roadster | 1932 |
| 90th Anniv. '32 Ford | Class Award | Ford B | 1932 |
| Sports and GT Cars 1958-1972 | Best in Class | Aston Martin DB5C | 1965 |
| Sports and GT Cars 1958-1972 | Class Award | Ghia L 6.4 | 1961 |
| Sports and GT Cars 1958-1972 | Class Award | ATS 2500 GTS Allemano Sports Coupe | 1964 |
| 60th Anniv. 24 Hrs Daytona | Best in Class | Porsche 917K | 1969 |
| 60th Anniv. 24 Hrs Daytona | Class Award | Crawford DP03 | 2005 |
| 60th Anniv. 24 Hrs Daytona | Class Award | Porsche 962 Kremer K8 Spyder | 1995 |
| Sports and GT Cars 1946-1957 | Best in Class | Siata 208 CS | 1953 |
| Sports and GT Cars 1946-1957 | Class Award | Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Coupe | 1950 |
| Sports and GT Cars 1946-1957 | Class Award | Gilco Fiat Siata 1500 Coupe Speciale by Gilco | 1952 |
| Rare Japanese | Best in Class | Toyota 2000GT | 1967 |
| Rare Japanese | Class Award | Mazda Cosmo | 1967 |
| Rare Japanese | Class Award | Honda S600 | 1965 |
| Race Cars Pre-War | Best in Class | Bentley Old Number One | 1929 |
| Race Cars Pre-War | Class Award | Duesenberg 183 | 1921 |
| Race Cars Pre-War | Class Award | Sparks-Thorne Little Six | 1938 |
| Porsche Rare Aluminum | Best in Class | Porsche 356B | 1961 |
| Porsche Rare Aluminum | Class Award | Porsche 718 RSK | 1959 |
| Porsche Rare Aluminum | Class Award | Porsche 356/2 SL | 1949 |
| Horseless Carriage | Best in Class | Ford N | 1907 |
| Horseless Carriage | Class Award | Packard 18 | 1910 |
| Horseless Carriage | Class Award | Cadillac A | 1903 |
| Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost | Best in Class | Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost | 1914 |
| Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost | Class Award | Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost | 1914 |
| Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost | Class Award | Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost | 1914 |
| Waterhouse | Best in Class | DuPont Model G | 1929 |
| Waterhouse | Class Award | Packard 745 | 1930 |
| Waterhouse | Class Award | DuPont Model G | 1929 |
| American Classics 1920-1930 | Best in Class | Auburn 8-115 Speedster | 1928 |
| American Classics 1920-1930 | Class Award | Cord L-29 | 1929 |
| American Classics 1920-1930 | Class Award | Hudson Series L | 1929 |
| American Classics 1931-1932 | Best in Class | Packard 906 | 1932 |
| American Classics 1931-1932 | Class Award | Marmon Sixteen | 1931 |
| American Classics 1931-1932 | Class Award | Cadillac Series 355A | 1931 |
| Davis | Best in Class | Davis Devin | 1948 |
| Davis | Class Award | Davis Military Vehicle | 1949 |
| Davis | Class Award | Davis Divan | 1948 |
| American Limited Production | Best in Class | Packard Caribbean | 1956 |
| American Limited Production | Class Award | Mercury Monterey | 1957 |
| American Limited Production | Class Award | Chrysler 300 | 1955 |
| Pre-War Custom Coachwork | Best in Class | DuPont Model G | 1930 |
| Pre-War Custom Coachwork | Class Award | Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 | 1939 |
| Pre-War Custom Coachwork | Class Award | Rolls-Royce Phantom II | 1934 |
| Duesenberg | Best in Class | Duesenberg J-531 | 1934 |
| Duesenberg | Class Award | Duesenberg J-355 | 1929 |
| Duesenberg | Class Award | Duesenberg J-347 | 1930 |
| American Classics 1933-1948 | Best in Class | Packard 1500 | 1935 |
| American Classics 1933-1948 | Class Award | Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow | 1933 |
| American Classics 1933-1948 | Class Award | Cord 812 | 1937 |
Overview of the vehicles awarded special prizes at the Amelia Concours d'Elégance 2022:
| Award Name | Class | Make Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The General Motors/Dave Holls Award | American Limited Production | Oldsmobile Starfire 98 Holiday Coupe | 1957 |
| The Grand Sport Trophy | 60th Anniv. 24 Hrs Daytona | Cadillac DPi-V.R | 2017 |
| The Ford Motor Company/E.T. | Lincoln | Lincoln Zephyr V12 | 1937 |
| The BMW Trophy | Race Cars Pre-War | BMW 328 Roadster | 1938 |
| The Porsche Trophy | Sports and GT Cars 1958-1972 | Porsche 901 | 1963 |
| The Sandra Alford Fashion Trophy | Sports and GT Cars Pre-War | MG J2 | 1933 |
| The Andial Trophy | Porsche Rare Aluminum | Porsche RS60 | 1960 |
| Hagerty Drivers Foundation National Automotive Heritage Award | Horseless Carriage | Knox Tuxedo | 1904 |
| Hagerty Drivers Foundation/FIVA Preservation Award | American Classics 1920-1930 | Packard Packard Deluxe Eight 745 | 1930 |
| The Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Tony Hulman Award | Gurney Eagles | Jorgensen Eagle 7400 USAC | 1974 |
| The International Motor Sports Association Award | 60th Anniv. 24 Hrs Daytona | Riley & Scott MK3A | 1995 |
| The David and Lisa Helmer Award | American Limited Production | Pontiac Parisienne | 1958 |
| The Claude Nolan Cadillac Award | American Classics 1933-1948 | Cadillac Series 60 Stationary Coupe | 1935 |
| The Judge John North Trophy | Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost | Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost | 1910 |
| The Wind in Your Face Award | Motorcycles | MV Agusta F4 Series Oro | 1999 |
| The Spirit Of The 1000 Miglia Award | Ferrari | Ferrari 166 MM | 1949 |
| The Spirit of Sebring Award | 70th Anniv. 12 Hours of Sebring | Cunningham C4-R | 1952 |
| The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum Award | Horseless Carriage | Franklin A | 1903 |
| The YouTube Award | NASCAR | Plymouth Superbird | 1970 |
| The Gil Nickel/Far Niente Award | Ferrari | Ferrari 250 California Spyder | 1963 |
| The Denise McCluggage Trophy | NASCAR | Chevrolet Lumina | 1994 |
| The Amelia Island Award | American Classics 1920-1930 | Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom 1 | 1929 |
| The Craftsman Phil Hill Restorers Award-Sports/Race | 70th Anniv. 12 Hours of Sebring | Fabcar Porsche 993 | 1990 |
| The Craftsman Phil Hill Restorers Award-Production | Sports and GT Cars 1946-1957 | Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster | 1957 |
| The Founder's Award | 90th Anniv. '32 Ford | Ford Roadster | 1932 |
| The Chairman's Choice Award | Waterhouse | Stutz DV-32 Victoria Convertible | 1933 |
| The Chopard Watch Award | Waterhouse | Chrysler Imperial | 1931 |
Overview of the remaining awards:
| Award Name | Class | Brand Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hagerty Youth Award | American Classics 1933-1948 | Cord 812 | 1937 |
| The Hagerty Youth Award | American Limited Production | Mercury Monterey | 1957 |
| The Hagerty Youth Award | American Classics 1920-1930 | Cadillac Roadster | 1930 |
| The People's Choice Award | Pre-War Custom Coachwork | Rolls-Royce Phantom III | 1937 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Best in Show, Concours de Sport | 60th Anniv. 24 Hrs Daytona | Cadillac DPi-V.R | 2017 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Best in Show, Concours d'Elegance | Duesenberg | Duesenberg J-531 | 1934 |
