Two years ago, classic car insurance company Hagerty bought the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, taking over an event that has attracted car aficionados and others to Fernandina Beach for decades. The annual event has deep roots into the area, dating back to a conversation founder Bill Warner had with the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island in 1996, when the resort asked the racing and automotive aficionado to help start a Concours d’Elegance on the property.
This year’s Concours d’Elegance, which has been rebranded as The Amelia, will include 250 historic cars competing in numerous competitions and 32 car classes during the March 2-5 events, with automobiles ranging from classics to fiberglass cars. Over 500 vehicles will be included in Saturday’s Cars & Community event, with 150 vehicles curated from the ‘80s and ‘90s at RADwood, and 350 cars from across the U.S. at Cars & Caffeine. Hagerty’s acquisition of the Amelia Island event in 2021 was part of a focus on events. In 2020, it acquired the collector car rally California Mile, and the same year it bought the First Coast show, it also picked up the Concours d’Elegance of America and the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance.
“This is the worst in show. It’s those cars that are really bad, I mean, really bad is not even the right word – there are really going to be some terrible cars there – like, you bribe the judges. It’s everything that Sunday’s not – it’s hilarious,” said Concours Director Chris Brewer. Monterey Jet Center Auction at Motorlux in August , a single-owner private collection sale with The Cars of Jim Taylor in October , and the West Palm Beach Auction in November , raked in a whopping $86.7 million total, setting high expectations for the company’s first shot at the Concours auction.
The other events include multiple auctions, The Hangar, and the Werks Reunion will also be taking place throughout the few days, converting Amelia Island into a car-enthusiasts wildest dream.