Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance hosts quartet of significant Lancia rally cars

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A quartet of historic Lancias all from owner John Campion are being displayed in the Exotic Rally Class at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Perhaps the highlight is the Delta Integrale from 1988 WRC Drivers Champion Miki Biasion.

Continue reading Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance hosts quartet of significant Lancia rally cars

Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance hosts quartet of significant Lancia rally cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Mar 2015 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance hosts quartet of significant Lancia rally cars

Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

A quartet of historic Lancias all from owner John Campion are being displayed in the Exotic Rally Class at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Perhaps the highlight is the Delta Integrale from 1988 WRC Drivers Champion Miki Biasion.

Continue reading Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance hosts quartet of significant Lancia rally cars

Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance hosts quartet of significant Lancia rally cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Mar 2015 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amelia Island 2013: 50 years of the Ferrari-slaying Ford GT40

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Originally developed with the sole purpose of being a Ferrari rival to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Ford GT40 became a prominent racing machine in the 1960s in both Europe and the US. Not wanting to leave such an important car out of the fun, the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance also took time out from its other celebrations to recognize the 50-year anniversary of the GT40.

Over its short lifespan, the GT40 was offered in a handful of configurations, but the classic short-tailed (Mk I and Mk II) bodystyles were well represented... especially in Gulf livery. James Glickenhaus (of Ferrari P4/5 fame) had his bright yellow Mk IV in the field, and there were several others in this bodystyle, including one that has seen plenty of time on the track judging by its chipped-up nose.

As a fitting statement for the car's lengthy racing history, GT40 Chassis Number 1075 won this year's Concours de Sport award. This car took home the checkered flag at Le Mans in 1968 and 1969, and racked up a total of six wins in just 11 races.

Amelia Island 2013: 50 years of the Ferrari-slaying Ford GT40 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amelia Island 2013: Lamborghini celebrates its golden anniversary

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Lamborghini display on the lawn at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance

Lamborghini celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Geneva Motor Show with the introduction of the ultra-limited-production Veneno, but the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance had an even rarer Lambo on stage. Parked next to the all-new 2013 Aventador Roadster, Lamborghini displayed the world's only Miura Roadster from 1968.

It wouldn't be a Lamborghini display without the Countach, of course, but there were also some of Italian marque's more unique models, including a 1971 Espada, a 1969 Islero and a 1966 350 with its exquisite backward-bent A-pillars. Lamborghini North America COO Michael Lock was also on hand at the show confirming that two of the three Veneno models have been sold to US buyers.

Amelia Island 2013: Lamborghini celebrates its golden anniversary originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amelia Island 2013: Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray from concepts to split windows

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Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance 2013 - Corvette Sting Ray display

While this year marks 60 years of the Chevrolet Corvette, the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance focused on one of the coupe's most sought after models, the 1963 Sting Ray. General Motors design boss Ed Welburn was on hand to show off the all-new C7 Corvette, but even the hard-edged styling of the 2014 Stingray couldn't take away from the beautiful 1963 models sitting out on the field.

In addition to the original Sting Ray and the 1959 Sting Ray Concept, some of the other classic 'Vettes included "Big Tank" racecars, an interesting cutaway coupe, a right-hand-drive Z06 and the attention-grabbing 1963 Corvette Rondine by Pininfarina. Another impressive Corvette was the 1964 Corvette XP-819 rear-engine prototype experimental vehicle. Owner Mike Yager had the car finished as a driving chassis for this year's show, but promises the car will be back to its original glory in time for next year's event.

Amelia Island 2013: Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray from concepts to split windows originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Muscle wins big at 2013 Amelia Island Concours as 1936 Duesenberg, 1968 Ford GT40 take top honors

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2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance winners - Duesenberg and Ford

The 18th-annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance took place this past weekend, and in one of the show's biggest years yet (bringing in more than 25,000 spectators and attracting more than 300 vehicles), two powerhouses ended up winning the judges' hearts. The top Concours d'Elegance award went to a 1936 Duesenberg SJN, while the Concours de Sport went to one of the celebrated marques, a 1968 Ford GT40.

Owned by Helen and Jack Nethercutt of Sylmar, CA, this flawless Duesy is described as "one of the most powerful open cars of the 1930s," and it displays design cues of the era like rolled fenders and a tapered rear end. The SJN's supercharged straight-eight allowed it to accelerate to 100 miles per hour in just 17 seconds - surely not a disappointing feat for its day.

On a much different level of performance and timelessness, this Gulf-livery GT40 from the Rocky Mountain Auto Collection is not outdone by the elegance of the big Duesenberg thanks to some well-documented racing history. This not only includes winning at LeMans in both 1968 and 1969 - Chassis No. 1075 also managed to win a total of six times in just 11 races.

In addition to these high-profile winners, the 2013 Amelia Island show also celebrated the 50-year anniversaries of the Lamborghini brand as well as sports cars like the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray, Porsche 911 and, of course, the Ford GT40. Next year's show is already confirmed to celebrate Italian car builder Zagato, and we wouldn't be surprised to see a Ford Mustang class recognizing the car's 50th birthday.

Continue reading Muscle wins big at 2013 Amelia Island Concours as 1936 Duesenberg, 1968 Ford GT40 take top honors

Muscle wins big at 2013 Amelia Island Concours as 1936 Duesenberg, 1968 Ford GT40 take top honors originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Experimental mid-engine XP-819 Corvette heads to Amelia Island

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It seems to be commonplace that when a new Corvette is in development, rumors swirl about a possible mid-engine layout. As is the case of Chevy's most recent C7 Corvette, these rumors never pan out.

In any case, the idea for a 'Vette with an engine mounted behind the driver can probably all be traced back to a single car, the 1964 XP-819 prototype. Built as an "engineering exercise" back in 1964, the prototype was designed with a rear-mounted engine. History tells us that the idea of a rear-engine Corvette fizzled, and the XP-819 was eventually cut up into pieces and stored at a shop in Daytona Beach, FL.

After sitting for untold years, a restoration project started on the car, and while it isn't yet fully completed, the current owner of the car, Mid America Motorworks, will have the car on display at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance as a "driveable chassis" with hopes of having a fully completed car ready to bring to next year's show.

While we don't know many of the details behind this car, we can obviously see that it wears strong C3 styling details four years before the third-generation Corvette ever launched. We will be on hand at Amelia Island next month, so we'll bring you more coverage of this one-of-a-kind Corvette, but until then, check out the original images of the car above and the press release below.

Continue reading Experimental mid-engine XP-819 Corvette heads to Amelia Island

Experimental mid-engine XP-819 Corvette heads to Amelia Island originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goodwood Revival-style event may come to the US [UPDATE]

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Goodwood Revival

Any motoring enthusiast worth his salt knows and reveres the Goodwood Revival. While the Festival of Speed is exactly what the name states, the Goodwood Revival is an experience unlike any other. More than just vintage racing, nearly everyone in attendance dresses in period-correct clothing, and you are immersed in a different era. Now, if only we could have something like that here in the States.

It appears that may be in the works, as Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance founder Bill Warner is in talks with Goodwood's Lord March to bring an event like the revival to the United States. According to the report from Auto Minded, the aim is to have an event take place in the fall, after the conclusion of Europe's vintage events.

The report suggests that the Florida town of Fernandina Beach, to which Warner has strong ties, is an ideal location. The town has a municipal airport that can provide facilities for vintage aircraft as well as the layout for a race course. (The FAA would need to approve the location.) Additionally, Fernandina Beach is close to luxury resorts that befit the concours/vintage-racing set.

While there are several prominent Concours events, such as Pebble Beach. Amelia Island and Greenwich, as well as racing events in Lime Rock and Monterey, the US does not have a revival-type event that throws you into the past the way that Goodwood does. Let's hope this plan comes to fruition.

UPDATE: The PR firm representing the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance contacted us to inform us that the group is not involved in the above plans. Please scroll down to read a statement from Amelia Island Concours chairman Bill Warner.

Continue reading Goodwood Revival-style event may come to the US [UPDATE]

Goodwood Revival-style event may come to the US [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Oct 2012 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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