Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance 2023
The Amelia Concours d’Elegance was held on Sunday, March 5, at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island where more than 270 historically significant vehicles vied for various awards. There were 34 classes in this year’s show 26 specialty awards.
The Amelia Island Concours has two Best in Show recipients, one for the most elegant car on the field (Concours d’Elegance) and one for the best race car on the field (Concours de Sport) .
Here are award winners, as well as other eye-catching automobiles at this year’s Concours.
Best in Show Winners
Best in Show, Concours d’Elegance
A 1935 Voisin C25 Aerodyne, owned by Merle and Peter Mullin of Oxnard, California, was crowned Best of Show, Concours d’Elegance.
It was first shown in October 1934 at the 28th Salon de l’Automobile Paris Auto Show where it was considered an unusual experiment in auto design. Early the next year, Voisin displayed it at the Lyon Fair and at the Concours d’Elegance at the Place Bellecour. With its two-tone paint, low faired-in headlights, high beltline, skirted rear fenders, and power, retractable roof, this Aerodyne made quite an impression. In total, 28 C25s were produced, including six Aerodynes, four of which survive.
Best in Show, Concours de Sport
A 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana, received the Best of Show, Concours de Sport.
In 1965 this racer, driven by Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory, unexpectedly won the 24 hours of LeMans. The pair completed 347 laps of the 8.365-mile circuit, averaging 120.944 mph over 24 hours. This victory was the last time a Ferrari won overall at Le Mans. In the years after its 1965 victory, this 250 LM competed at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1966 and 1968. It returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968 and 1969, before its final race at the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona, where it finished seventh. Shortly after its final race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum acquired the Ferrari 250 LM.
Best of Class and Special Award Winners
Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon raced from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and is currently Vice Chairman for Hendrick’s. He is a four-time Cup Series champion, having won the title in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. Also, he completed three career Grand Slams and won a total of sixteen Crown Jewel races (three Daytona 500s, four Talladega 500s, three Coca-Cola 600s, and six Southern 500s), both of which are all-time records.
Gordon was the honoree at the 2023 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, bringing with him several of his race-winning cars. Here are some of the activities Jeff participated in during the Concours.
Photos on the show field provided by Gary Morgan.
More EyeCatching Cars
For a three-minute walk around the show field, check out the below video.
For Amelia Island auction highlights, click here.
