by Mike –
This Sunday, March 10 will be my first visit to the world famous Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and it is about time.
Here are some of the special features this year (in addition to my attendance):
50th anniversary of Lamborghini
Lamborghini will bring the rare Miura Roadster from Switzerland – the only Miura roadster made by the factory. It was introduced at the 1968 Brussels auto show.
Lamborghini Miura Roadster – Photo by Lamborghini
50th anniversary of the Porsche 911
The most popular sports car in history celebrates 50 years.
Below is a quote from an old Porsche press release:
In the early 1960s, Porsche prepared to introduce a new model that would eventually replace its venerable 356. Over the years, several early design and engineering studies were built, based in part on 356 principles.
As production of the new model approached, Porsche reserved ten consecutive “replacement chassis” numbers for pre-production cars. Factory records show that only four numbers were actually assigned to bodies. Of the four cars built, only one is still known to exist – chassis number 13327, the vintage Porsche on display at the New York International Automobile Show.
Porsche 901 Prototype Chassis No. 13327 – Photo by Motor Trend Classic – Driver and Owner – Don Meluzio
This Porsche 901 prototype chassis No. 13327 is owned by my friend, Don Meluzio and both Don and this special Porsche will be at Amelia Island.
Porsche T7 Prototype – Photo by Porsche
The type 754 “T7”, prototype will also be there. Fortunately Ferry Porsche didn’t like the full 4 seater design and it was converted to 2+2, giving it the shape that would become a huge success.
50th anniversary of the Ford GT40
Ford GT40s won The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969 ending a decade and a half of Ferrari dominance in the 24 hour French endurance race. The GT40 also won the 1966 and 1968 International Championship of Makes. The Ford GT40 is one of the most successful race cars in history.
Ford GT40
Several other special cars will be there and I hope to get many photos and stories for future issues of My Car Quest. Plus I expect to have fun.
If Amelia Island is like this every year I may have to go back.
A lot of great car stuff happened in 1963!
If you plan to be at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance let us, and me, know in the Comments.
Subscribe to My Car Quest
Ford GT40s In Action – Photo by Bill Warner
Well, the Amelia Island Concous will just about ruin you for other shows. I tell folks they’ll see more rare, historic, one-of-a-kind cars at Amelia on one visit than they’re likely to see in ten years of going to other shows.
And just about everyone in the collector car arena, as well as the automotive world, shows up at Amelia. This will be my eleventh trip, I think (I’m losing count). My wife will divorce me if we stop going…
See you there!
I hope I see you there, I will be the guy with a camera staring at all those rare cars and taking a few photos and maybe a video or two.
~ wish i were joining you there at Amelia, Mike, but i hope you’ll have the opportunity to better know Geoff Hacker, who’s showing his freshly completed Shark. i believe the two of you may have a strong affinity.
Mike, enjoy Amelia, it’s an amazing event. As your daily email notes, we are at or nearing the 50th anniversary of many marques’ most iconic work. Surely this was the ‘golden age’ of the automotive industry. Looking forward to your reactions and photos!
This is also the 50th anniversary of the Iso Grifo A3/L and the Iso Grifo A3/C which became the Bizzarrini GT 5300.
What a year 1963 was! And 1962 was pretty good too with the Ferrari 250 GTO and the AC Shelby Cobra.
Mike, if you’re going to Amelia, you should consider coming to visit with me in NC, we’re only 6.5 hours north of there!
Darren