THE AMELIA 2023

Posted on March 13, 2023March 13, 2023 by MartynL

Dan Scanlan blogs about racing great and Concours honoree Jeff Gordon, and THE AMELIA 2023, formerly known as the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. What hasn’t changed is the sensory overload triggered by an incredible field of diverse and iconic vehicles. One of NASCAR's most iconic drivers walked over to the seven cars being arranged on the grass outside of the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, and got a bit amazed. Placed at the back of a Golf Course at Amelia Island fairway were a NASCA...

CUNNINGHAM: 60th ANNIVERSARY C8 CORVETTE

Posted on April 29, 2021April 29, 2021 by MartynL

CUNNINGHAM: 60th ANNIVERSARY C8 CORVETTE, Car # 33 of 60, debuts at Amelia Island Concours as part of a charity Sweepstakes benefitting CMAF. The three original Cunningham C1 Corvettes and their racing history carry an enormous amount of prestige within the Corvette community, as well as those who support endurance racing. The #3 Briggs Cunningham entry stands head and shoulders above all others, having won its class in the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its story was chronicled in the 201...

’49 OLDS: NASCAR ROARIN’ RELIC

Posted on August 24, 2020 by MartynL

Paul Goldsmith and Linda Vaughn welcome NASCAR's oldest racecar, ’49 OLDS: NASCAR ROARIN’ RELIC, to Daytona’s Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Museum. Ben Kennedy, Paul Goldsmith and Linda Vaughn stand with the "Roarin' Relic" at the Daytona International Speedway. Photo courtesy of Bill Warner, Amelia Island Concours. Paul Goldsmith, 94, is the only man to win on the Daytona Beach Road Course in both cars and on a motorcycle. Smokey Yunick once called him “the best pure racer I ever sa...

CONCEPT: CORVETTE XP-819

Posted on May 13, 2020 by MartynL

The story behind the radical CONCEPT: CORVETTE XP-819, from Concept build to concours restoration by Kevin Mackay’s Corvette Repair and then to its showing at the 2020 Amelia Island Concours where it was photographed, below, by CGC’s Mike Matune. Chevrolet has come a long way – actually 67 years - since Zora Arkus-Duntov built the first mid/rear-engine Corvette. That was in 1953 when #856 EX-54’s stock Six was removed and the body and chassis modified to handle installation of a prototype Cadet...

IN DETAIL: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE!

Posted on April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 by MartynL

Both Steve Miller (Band) and Dan Gurney had chart-topping Eagles, but IN DETAIL: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE! zooms in on Dan Gurney’s AAR, the only constructor in the US to design and build winning F1, Indy 500 and sports car Eagles. For our second installment of “In Detail”, we look at a pair of Eagles from the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance (AICE), up close and personal. These came from All American Racers (AAR), established by Dan Gurney who made many contributions to racing as a driver, owner, c...

IN DETAIL: GENIUS OF HARLEY EARL

Posted on April 22, 2020April 28, 2020 by MartynL

In these days of “Social Distancing” and “Stay at Home”, we have decided to offer our readers a new feature called In Detail. In these short-takes, we will examine cars (and sometimes their designers & engineers) up-close. These are cars our staff has found interesting. They may not always be mainstream as our staff is an eclectic lot with broad automotive interests, but they are cars they felt worthy of focusing on, starting with IN DETAIL: GENIUS OF HARLEY EARL. We hope you will find these...

ROLLING BONES: HOT RODS

Posted on March 29, 2020March 29, 2020 by MartynL

The Matunes bring us head-turning ROLLING BONES: HOT RODS, sharing the Amelia Island Concours show field with world-class classics, antiques, Concept cars and vintage racecars. In years past, The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance (AICE) has recognized hot rod builders Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and Posies Rods & Customs. This year they chose to feature the Rolling Bones Hot Rod Shop in Greenfield Center, NY. They build very traditional hot rods, many finished in faded paint with great patina for th...

DUNTOV’S DREAM: MID-ENGINE CORVETTES

Posted on March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 by MartynL

Chevrolet has come a long way – actually 67 years - since Zora Arkus-Duntov built the first mid/rear-engine Corvette. That was in 1953 when #856 EX-54’s stock Six was removed and the body and chassis modified to accommodate a prototype Cadet II engine and transaxle. Unfortunately that car is long gone, but the Matunes showcase the modern Corvette transformation from front to mid-engine, culminating with the incredible C8. Zora saw the future in the past. Recalling the pre-war Auto Union GP cars,...

PENSKE: HAT TRICK AT BAHAMAS SPEED WEEKS

Posted on February 18, 2020February 18, 2020 by MartynL

An unprecedented reunion of Roger Penske’s three Bahamas Speed Weeks winners – Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder, Corvette Grand Sport, below, and Chaparral 2 – will be celebrated at the Silver Anniversary Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. As the calendar wound toward the final month of 1960 the entire road-racing universe looked to Bahamas Speed Weeks, a week long party, race meeting and celebration. It drew racers from all disciplines of motorsport, from NASCAR to go-karts; sports car champs to Indy 5...

ROLLING BONES: HOT RODS @ AMELIA!

Posted on November 23, 2019November 23, 2019 by MartynL

Coupes and roadsters honoring the origins of American hot rodding will be showcased at 25th anniversary Amelia Island Concours in 2020. Rolling Bones is a school of rodding that strips away the glitz to present the earthy glamor of the earliest rods to slash across the dry lakes and salt flats on the weekends, yet serve as everyday transportation. For the folks who have created Rolling Bones hot rods in Greenfield Center, NY in 1999, it always goes back to racing, power and speed. Next year they...