1935 Voisin C25 Aerodyne and 1964 Ferrari 250 LM Named Best in Show at The Amelia
By: The Amelia
The 28th annual gathering at The Amelia saw 25,000 enthusiasts gather for featured auctions, driving events and a 2-day show on the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
The Amelia, by the numbers:
$142,000 pledged to local charities
25,000 weekend attendees
Thousands of youth engaged
550 vehicles at Saturday's Cars & Community
260 vehicles at Sunday's The Amelia Concours d'Elegance
218 Ride and Drive experiences
A 1935 Voisin C25 Aerodyne and a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM were crowned Best in Show at The Amelia Concours d'Elegance - its 28th annual event. Known to many as 'the racers' concours,' the 2023 event honored that tradition by hosting some of the most accomplished competition cars and drivers at the Golf Club of Amelia Island and the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. Central to the weekend's festivities was the celebration of The Amelia's 2023 honoree: 4-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsport, Jeff Gordon.
'Racing is where drivers and machines meet in their purest form -- and The Amelia is where the best of both gather,' said McKeel Hagerty, Chairman of The Amelia and CEO of Hagerty. 'We would like to congratulate Merle and Peter Mullin and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum team on their well-earned honors. Thank you to all of our guests, entrants and volunteers for helping us celebrate the belief that certain cars are just super important, deserving of celebration and recognition.'
1935 Voisin C25 Aerodyne – 2023 Best in Show – Concours d'Elegance
The Best in Show Concours d'Elegance Trophy was awarded to a 1935 Voisin C25 Aerodyne displayed by Merle and Peter Mullin of Oxnard, California.
The Aerodyne was Voisin's 'Car of the Future' - an automobile that sought to capitalize upon the public's growing fascination with streamlining and aerodynamics. It was first shown in October 1934 at the 28th Paris Salon de 'Automobile and was considered avant-garde, even in an era of progressive design. In the spring of 1935, Voisin displayed this special Aerodyne 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 cut a profile unlike anything else. In total, 28 C25s were produced; including six Aerodynes, four of which survive.
'We had some serious contenders and I am honored that they chose us to win,' said Best in Show – Concours d'Elegance winner Merle Mullin. 'I have the blessing of being married to a passionate collector who has never restored a car with an eye to winning a prize. His intention is always to restore a car to its historical correctness. But winning a prize is always greatly validating.'
1964 Ferrari 250 LM – Best in Show – Concours de Sport
The Best in Show Concours de Sport was awarded to a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM displayed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana.
While most of the attention at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965 focused on the battle between the 'factory' team entries of Ferrari and Ford, it was a privately-entered, one-year-old 3.3-liter V-12 Ferrari 250 LM that caused a major upset by winning when the favored entries encountered difficulties. Entered by Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART), American Masten Gregory partnered with future world champion Jochen Rindt of Austria for the unexpected win. 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.
'This win is very special and was a complete surprise,' said Jason Vansickle, Vice President, Curation and Education, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. 'Obviously the car speaks for itself - the last Ferrari to win outright at Le Mans, and it's just one of the many prestigious cars we have at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.'
Broad Arrow Auctions, the official auction house of The Amelia, hosted its inaugural auction at The Amelia on Saturday, March 4. Following a well-attended preview on March 2-3, the auction room was standing room only as principal auctioneer, Lydia Fenet , took the sale alongside Broad Arrow COO and auction reader, Alain Squindo. The auction saw a more than 80% sell-through rate, with the top seller being a 2015 McLaren P1 at $2,425,000, a new auction world record for the model. Broad Arrow set an additional three auction records at the daytime sale, including for a 1997 Acura Integra Type R ($151,200), a 1991 AMG 6.0 Widebody Coupe ($885,000) and a 2002 Lotus Esprit V8 25th Anniversary Edition ($193,200, record for a non-Bond Esprit).
The Amelia's multiday car culture celebration kicked off Thursday, March 2, 2023, with the Annual Porsche Winemaker's Dinner, followed by Friday's seminar: Corvette at Le Mans and a movie night featuring the film, 'The Quest.' Saturday's Cars & Community presented by Griot's Garage included RADwood, Concours d'Lemons , Future Driver's Club, Ride & Drives, a Bavarian beer garden and a curated Cars & Caffeine. That evening's Honoree Dinner at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island celebrated Jeff Gordon with a menu of gourmet food and beverages. On Sunday, The Amelia Concours d'Elegance showcased 260 historically significant vehicles in 32 classes. Featured classes included Cars of Jeff Gordon, 120th Anniversary of Buick, Supercars Limited Production and Le Mans Winners.
Photo credit: Dan Vaughan / conceptcarz.composted on conceptcarz.com
