What a weekend! Having family that lives on Amelia Island, I have attended the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance several times, but it never fails to amaze. 2018’s event was no different, despite a last minute date change, we were treated to yet another overwhelming display of automotive beauty.
It was a whirlwind for us, David Rutter driving in to North Carolina on Friday morning, picking up my little Gearhead on the way out of town and continuing on to Florida.
“Dawn Patrol”
Seven hours in a Focus ST, arriving at 11:30pm and getting up at 5:45am for “Dawn Patrol” doesn’t leave much time for contemplation. With the main event moved to Saturday, it was nonstop action… the best kind of action.
The early morning arrival of cars to the show field is always a highlight; seeing priceless classics, historic race cars, and even a few period hot rods, highlights how eclectic the field will be and gives you some appreciation for the cars in their natural element, before being shown statically on a manicured lawn.
Whether making way for a passing Duesenberg, that’s running late for the line up, or watching in bemused amazement as a Martini liveried Porsche 917 replica is redirected to the adjacent Cars & Coffee event, this is worth sacrificing a few hours sleep for.
The Main Event
After a quick trip back to the house to grab some breakfast, we headed to the show. Parking a short distance away, we took slightly circuitous route in to walk through the stunning Cars & Coffee, where Alpha Gearhead’s own 1965 Fuel Injected Corvette 
was on display, along with an incredibly eclectic mix of vehicles , from military trucks to the aforementioned Martini liveried 917.Proceeding into the main show, we were greeted by an outstanding selection of NART (North American Racing Team) Ferraris, a lone NART Corvette, and a variety of other classic Ferraris.
A personal highlight was the ex-Dan Gurney/Brock Yates Daytona of Cannonball Run fame.
Continuing on through the array of classics, It’s easy to be overwhelmed.
All in, a whirlwind but worth it. Now the countdown for 2019’s event begins!
Alpha Gearhead 