Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance

We are coming up on an even dozen “Amelias,” and what a ride it has been for me, my staff, all of the great participants, our loyal sponsors, judging team, and the “car-crazy” enthusiasts in North Florida and beyond. As I like to say, “It’s as much about the people as it is the cars.”

For 2007, we will keep the excitement level sky high as we honor two-time world endurance champion Derek Bell MBE. An ambassador for racing, Derek is one of my favorite drivers and he is truly one of the “iron men” of the sport. He’s had numerous starts at LeMans, Daytona, and Sebring, as well as other famous tracks across the United States and Europe such as Laguna Seca, Nurburgring, Spa Francochamps, and Silverstone.

Instead of a featured marque this year, we plan to celebrate the “Great Road Races,” which will include the Targa Florio, Mille Miglia, Carrera Panamericana, and the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race. For those of you who were lucky enough to attend the standing-room-only CAN-AM seminar, you won’t want to miss our treatment of these famous races! We are lining up a diverse group of the drivers and cars that ran in these thrilling and dangerous competitions.
Of course, none of this is possible without the help and guidance of the Concours’ very capable board of directors. I’d like to welcome our newest member to the board – Mr. N. Mark Becker. Mark is an attorney practicing in Jacksonville and is an avid collector of micro cars and muscle machines. His help on the Micro Car Class for 2006 was invaluable and we continue to receive positive comments about the display.

The 12th Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is just around the corner and we hope you are making plans to enjoy it with us. I strongly recommend that you reserve your accommodations early as we sold out the entire island for the ’06 show. So, be sure to mark your calendars for March 9-11, 2007. The second weekend in March will be the place to be for all auto enthusiasts as we celebrate the incredible career of Derek Bell MBE and the road races gone by.