Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance

2007 - Derek Bell, MBE

  • 2007 PosterFive-time 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winner Derek Bell MBE is the 2007 honoree and, instead of honoring a specific marque as in years past, the Concours celebrates the Great Road Races now long gone "Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Carrera PanAmericana, and the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race."
  • The Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, and Carrera PanAmericana classes make up one of the single best displays ever seen on the 10th & 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach.
  • Continuing the Concours' highly successful seminar series, the Great Road Races seminar sponsored by GM packs the Ritz-Carlton grand ballroom with a standing-room only crowd and the autograph session after the seminar extends the length of the hotel. The greats are there: Sir Stirling Moss, John Surtees MBE, John Fitch, Hershel McGriff, Brian Redman, and Vic Elford recount their drives in these races; TV commentators Sam Posey and David Hobbs co-host the two-hour panel discussion.
  • The Cars of Coachcraft seminar, hosted by Bill Stoessel, son of Coachcraft's founder, recognizes the incredible craftsmanship of this great original Southern California customizer, and a class of these one-of-a-kind vehicles is present on the show field for the Concours.
  • The motorcycle class features a number of priceless bikes that ran in and won the rigorous and very dangerous Isle of Man TT race.
  • Long-time Amelia supporter RM Auctions records another banner one-day total with $20 million worth of vehicles hammered at the day's end. The big seller is a 1932 Packard Twin Six Sport Phaeton at $1,650,000, closely followed by a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton for $1,490,000, and a 1939 Delahaye 135MS Grand Sport Roadster at $1,347,000.
  • A short clip from the DVD "In Car 956" with Derek Bell MBE at the wheel opens the gala dinner and holds the crowd spellbound as Bell takes them on a 200 mph ride around the famous eight-mile Le Mans circuit.
  • Nearly 275 vehicles assemble on the manicured fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach for the Concours and beautiful Florida springtime weather welcomes them.