What you might not expect at your first Amelia

So, what makes The Amelia different than any other car show? Sure, they got cars, and it’s not an amount unheard of at a cars and coffee–there were 250 of them during the Concours d’Elegance. Yes, they’re what you’d expect–Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, BMWs, prewar beauts–and a few surprises. But, the quality of the field–that’s what a newbie finds so striking, especially if you took the time to learn about some of the stories behind them.

For example, there’s a one-off ’55 Ferrari Europa GT, built to race the 1956 Le Mans, but its owner broke his foot before he could race it. Eventually an American serviceman discovered it in Italy and brought it to the U.S.–disguised as military equipment.

The Best in Class Lamborghini, a ’67 Miura, was more than pretty. It’s unique. The Miura is the second one built and considered an early production “Prototipo” car. As the company built Miuras, they continued to tweak its processes and this car carries subtle differences from later examples.

There was a barn-find ’55 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, which still keeps its original barn-find condition for its interior and exterior. Sure, many concours-quality cars seem flawless. However, there’s something special about a car that remains incredibly original. This one won awards at two other concours, at Audrain and Greenwich.

Then, of course, there’s the Ford that beat Ferrari. Yes, that Ford. That’s part of a private collection, so seeing it in person is a rare event.

Sure, the ticket for The Amelia is pricy–$195 per adult for the concours–but there are few places that can offer this grade of cars, in this number, with great of variety, in one place.

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