What a comeback!
The 2020 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance squeaked in as the last event we (and many others) would be able to attend in before lock downs would sweep the country, and most automotive events would be cancelled for the rest of the year. Even as 2021 started, the outlook was bleak for returning events. Even though the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, they didn't give up, and planned to make sure it went on one way or another, and it came back as the breath of fresh air automotive enthusiasts needed after a dark and gloomy year.
To our surprise, nothing felt different than the years before, which made everything feel a little different than the atmosphere of the last 14 months. With the events of the weekend largely taking place outside, the setting is optimal to carry on safely, but we're fatigued with talking about CDC guidelines and safety measures, so we'll just have to applaud the event coordinators for taking on that tireless task, and move onto the cars.
While things kicked off on Friday, the Amelia's Cars & Coffee at the Concour was a real sight to behold this year. It's a wonderful addition to the weekend schedule, started in 2013, that doesn't seek to overshadow or overtake the main Concours d’Elegance, but adds to the inclusion, drawing the traditional halo collector cars, but also cars of another breed.
Modern classics were a big draw for us, as we have monitoring the trends of a lot of these cars closely.
Of course, some of these cars are high collectible already, but the strange twists and turns of the last year have made them even more likely candidates for bidding wars in the future. The C8 Corvette is one example of a car that's been heavily impacted in availability due to the shutdowns, labor shortage, and ongoing chip shortage. Not only was this car already positioned to be a highly-desirable future collectible because it's the first year of the production mid-engine Corvette and likely the last generation of the EIC Corvette, but all of the other unexpected factors that dog-piled onto the model over the last year.
Another segment we saw a lot of this year were electric cars, converted or ones that left the factory that way. It was a pleasure seeing the Mach-E in person again after we took an exclusive test drive to compare two very different Mustangs for the pony car's birthday.
A first ever event called the "Taking Charge Parade" took place Sunday to celebrate the inclusion of electric vehicles, and their place in the collector car scene.
The "Weird and Wonderful" class at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance has everything you would expect, and then some.
Another attraction is the amount of good ol' American muscle cars, another stand out class from the weekend.
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance honoree, Lyn St. James, had a dedicated class of the cars which became notable in her storied career.
And of course, what you'd expect, and what some would consider to be 'the best' for last.
The rich history of the automobile on display at Amelia Island is always the most fascinating part of the weekend. There's no better way to step back in a time machine than to be here in person.
Which cars will take their classes and best of show? We will update right here when announced!
A 1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B Cabriolet and 1974 Shadow DN4 were crowned this year’s Best in Shows on May 23, 2021 at the 26th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
The Best in Show Concours d’Elegance Trophy was awarded to a 1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B Cabriolet displayed by Jill and Charles Mitchell of Stuart, Florida. A 1974 Shadow DN4 displayed by James Bartel of Key West, Florida took home the Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy.
