For a quarter century, the Amelia Island Concours has given any and all car shows a run for their money by assembling some of the most significant collector cars in the world on the luscious greens of northern Florida. To celebrate the feat of 25 annual gatherings, The Amelia created an array of classes to lure out the greatest road and racing vehicles of all time.
The silver anniversary event honored Roger Penske, the motorsports tycoon who has had a hand in numerous championships across several disciplines of racing since the mid-1960’s. Under that umbrella was an unmatched selection of winners from Can-Am to Indycar to Le Mans prototypes, and claiming Best in Show (Sport) honors was the Porsche 917/30 of Mark Donohue that wholesomely dominated the Can-Am championship in 1973. Wearing the famous Penske Sunoco livery, the 917/30 had aggressive competition—for once—as its class included McLaren’s 1972 Indy 500 winner, and Porsche’s own competition included the 1970 Le Mans-winning 917K. But the legacy of 917/30-003 still holds up today, as it remains the most powerful sports racer ever and its record under the tutelage of Donohue is unparalleled.
While Porsche’s display also featured a medley of historic race winners, including the 917K, the Sebring-winning RS60 and Nürburgring-winning 910/6, the corporate stand focused on performance for a sustainable future. Highlighted by the flagship 918 RSR concept, the stand also hosted Porsche’s latest electrified production cars in the forms of the Taycan and the Cayenne Turbo S e-hybrid, bringing the brand’s commitment to exhilarating performance full circle.
For McLaren Automotive, whose history is undeniable yet not nearly as broad as Porsche’s, it was all about the now. With the cancellation of the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, Amelia Island ended up hosting the world debut of the 765LT supercar, which continues the lineage of the Longtail name dedicated to ultimate performance on the track. And while the LT badge is one that carries significant history, perhaps another set of characters does even more so: GTR. Alongside the 765LT was a unique Senna GTR finished in the famous Marlboro livery, combining the lineage of the legendary F1 GTR with vintage Formula 1 sponsorship liveries.
But beyond the manufacturer displays, the Concours attracted significant automobiles in a variety of different ways. Amelia Island has also become known for its collector car auctions which offer up some of the most desirable cars in the world for new ownership. These auctions tell the stories of automotive history, assign a value to it, then reestablish the legacies moving forward. This year, a handful of collector pieces crossed the block and await a new chapter to their story. Among them were a few million-dollar sales, including a Porsche 934 ($1.38 million) and a Porsche 959 ($1.05 million), with some others approaching that benchmark, like the McLaren Senna ($978,500) and Porsche Carrera GT ($786,000). In addition, a few limited-edition productions changed hands in the forms of the McLaren MSO HS and MSO X, and the track-only Porsche GT2 RS Clubsport. But topping them all was a 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport Roadster, fetching more than $7 million at the Bonhams sale.
Even with the diversity that was present among the Island’s many attractions, one thing truly brought them all together: motorsports. Whether it was to celebrate past achievements or look forward to the future of performance, manufacturers are embracing what they’ve done on the track, and it’s made their cars all the more special for it.
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