Amelia Island, one of my love-to-attend events. Mainly because it is not a Ferrari only event. I readily admit I am not well versed on many other automotive marques.

German cars don’t excite me. Porsche, Mercedes, BMW cars are not my thing. I’m not a snob about it; I just have never been interested in those cars.

British cars are interesting. Jaguar and Aston Martin along with Rolls-Royce have always held some interest. Of course, there are many other English cars that are cute, like MGB, Healey and the ever-present joke, the Humber Super Snipe. Clearly the British have a sense of humor.

It is really the Italian cars that get my motor running. Not just Ferrari, but Maserati and Lamborghini for sure, but I also love Alfa, Fiat and Lancia. Then there is Iso and Bizzarrini and how I love a Pantera.

Wait, Pantera? Yes, I know it is a Ford, but that body! Only the Italians can create body styles that flow with curves right out of a Playboy magazine. Designers like Pininfarina and Bertone, Michelotti and Vignale, all seem to be able to create beauty, each in their own way.

So, what does this have to do with Amelia Island? Everything! It is here you can find a bit of everything that makes you lust for in an automobile. Not just European cars but also American and Japanese cars.

Like brass era? Yep! Mormon and White along with Deusenberg are represented. Like American Muscle? There are rows of Camaro and Mustang near Javelin and Oldsmobiles.

Race cars? Sure, in all versions. Indy racers, Sports Cars, IMSA and WEC, there is something for everyone.

When you think you have seen it all, there was a class where when you saw it, you have seen them all! There was a section that contained one-off cars. Not special manufacturers one-offs but real people who made something special because they could. More on that later.

This year few Ferraris graced the grounds. I’m not sure why except Cavallino was two weeks previous and Moda Miami was the previous week. There are only so many weekends in the year and with three events back-to-back-to-back it could have been show burnout.

Either way the quality did not suffer. The Ferraris presented were some of the best and overall, a good representation of the Ferrari historical brand.

The 250 GT is the most prolific of the early Ferrari models. Built from 1953 through 1964, the 250 GT began with the 250 Europa and finished with the 250 GT Lusso. In between there were many versions and body styles but they all carried much of the same components.

They say clothes make the man and with Ferrari the many different styles can create many different looks.

One of the most beautiful Pininfarina designs (In my humble opinion) is the 250 GT PF Series I Cabriolet. Roy Brod brought this maroon cabriolet S/N 1179 GT, with its sleek lines and look that only Pininfarina could create. From its covered headlights to the unique taillight lenses these rare cars exude class.

As a comparison, a short walk away was another 250 GT Cabriolet, this one a Series II. While the Series I Cabriolets were rare with thirty-seven made, not counting the first four specials, the Series II Cabriolets were made in a larger quantity with 200 examples.

These had open headlights and the body lines not as voluptuous as the Series I. Looking very much like the 250 GT PF Coupe but in a convertible configuration.

This one was brought by Jon Hodges and was S/N 2135 GT, in Grigio Ferro with natural leather. Fantastically restored, this was a nearly perfect example of early 1960s Ferrari touring pleasure.

Further on was a 250 GT Lusso, S/N 5153 GT, brought by Bruce Miller. In the bright sunshine the blue-green metallic paint made this one stand out from the crowd. Not to be outdone with the brilliant exterior color, the arancia leather interior made the outside color really stand out.

Over in the Competition section there were three of Ferrari’s finest 250 GT racing cars. One was the first version to put Ferrari on the endurance racing map with a 250 GT LWB Berlinetta (TdF), S/N 0881 GT. Owned by Robert Bodin, it was this model that created Ferrari’s reputation on racetracks and rallies around the world.

Finished in classic red with prominent black center stripe it appeared to be ready to once again conquer grueling races across Europe.

Grueling races include the 24-Hours of Le Mans, which the next 250 GT competed in 1959 and finished 5^th overall and 3^rd in class. Looking like it did in that race with its silver exterior, S/N 1451 GT, is a 250 GT LWB Spyder California. Owned by the Cogan Collection, it now lives a life of luxury.

Next to it was the final 250 GT, a SWB Berlinetta, S/N 2083 GT, owned by Jud Dayton. The short wheelbase (SWB) cars were the refined weapon of choice in Ferrari’s arsenal after the LWB cars had become uncompetitive.

Dayton’s Berlinetta is used regularly and now shows minimal mileage on the speedometer because he recently rolled the odometer back to zeros.  

Others in the competition class were a 500 Mondial, S/N 0474 MD. This one was raced throughout the west coast by the likes of John von Neumann, Ritchie Ginther and others. This early Series I Scaglietti Spyder terrorized many SCCA races in California from 1955 all the way through 1959. That is a long time in this very competitive era.

Then there was a 412 P. These sports racer prototypes looked like the 330 P2 cars in 1966. Upgraded to a 412 P configuration for 1967 these are incredible machines. Of the two made, this one, S/N 0850, is brilliant yellow, as it was initially sold to Ecurie Francorchamps.

The engine on one of these monsters is pure art. The twelve cylinders have dual spark plugs set between the four camshafts. The two twelve-cylinder distributors sprout wires like a bowl of spaghetti. Add six carburetors and you have a recipe for one of the most complicated and sophisticated engines Ferrari ever manufactured.

There were a couple of other Ferraris to note. A silver 365 GTC, brought by Mitchell Feinman, S/N 12487. The 365 GTC looks like a 330 GTC but with extra horsepower and no side vents. These are wonderful cars to drive.

The other notable car was a beautiful 206 GT. Brought by Kyle Roe, this Dino, S/N 00310, was the first in a long line of future V6 Dinos that turned into the V8 Dino. That lineage continues today with the SF90 and Amalfi Ferraris.

This 206 was painted the most unusual color of metallic blue, I wish I had recorded the exact color, but it was perfect on this body to highlight the curves and lines of the Dino. Restored to perfection it was interesting to spot the many differences between the early 206 and the later 246 series Dinos.

I started this article with a mention of the one-off cars. This class had automobiles built not by a manufacturer as a show car, these were built as a flight of fancy by people who had a vision of something unique and creative.

Creating that that does not exist, if only in the owners mind, requires skill to pull off proportions and scale correctly. It must not only look correct but also be functional. There was one creation that continued to draw a crowd all day. It was a car, made out of wood. Well, not the entire car but the body and under framework.

Thin pieces of veneer were woven together, formed and urethane into a body shape that could be similar to a Lamborghini Countach. Fenders, door, roof and engine cover were formed with these wooden strips. The clear coating clearly showed the woven parts. Inside, the dash, handles and instrument bezels were all wooden. The amount of time and effort for this creation must have been massive. They claim it was drivable and had been up to 35 miles-per-hour. (And now I can’t find the photo of this unique creation!!)

Didn’t I say, one of the things I love about the Amelia Island Concours is the variety of automobiles presented. It never disappoints.