Florida’s 30th Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance – The Amelia – crowned a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B as Best of Show in the Concours d’Elegance category, while a 1967 Lotus 49 took top honours in the Concours d’Sport.
Deborah Keller showcased the Alfa 8C 2900B (chassis 412028), having previously won the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance three times alongside her late husband, Arturo. The Alfa is believed to have been one of the prototypes built for the 1938 Mille Miglia, and was originally ordered by Italian racing driver Giuseppe Farina.
“My husband and I won an award here together in 2020,” Deborah recalled. “He passed away a year ago, and he would be proud to have this car win. It was in the stars today. It took a lot of work to get it here in time. I’m thrilled.”
Chris MacAllister’s Concours d’Sport-winning Lotus 49 (chassis 49/2) was the second example built, and was raced by Jim Clark in the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, where it debuted the now-legendary Cosworth DFV engine. The car went on to win at Silverstone and Watkins Glen, as well as securing four Tasman Series victories between 1967 and 1968 with Jackie Oliver and Jo Siffert. Later driven by Mario Andretti, it was sold by Colin Chapman to Pete Lovely in 1969. Lovely campaigned it in several Grands Prix between 1969 and 1971, before it underwent a full restoration by Classic Team Lotus in 2010.
“Our fourth-grade elementary class went to the Indianapolis Motor Speed Way for a field trip. I thought it was pretty cool so I went to the race that year and saw Jimmy Clark win. That’s what lit the fuse,” MacAllister explained. “It’s nice that the car gets the attention it deserves. It really is an important car in Formula 1 history.”
Being the 30th anniversary edition, 2025 was a big year for The Amelia, which was acquired by Hagerty back in 2021. Significant changes have been made since then, with the introduction of RADwood displays of modern classics, as well as the popular Cars & Community show.
This year’s event also saw thousands of enthusiasts flock to the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island to pay tribute to four-time Indy 500 champion Hélio Castroneves, who was on hand to showcase a selection of historically significant competition cars. Castroneves was joined by actor and racing driver Patrick Dempsey, who attended The Amelia to screen his new docuseries, Back on Track.
“For 30 years, The Amelia has shown enthusiasts that while automotive design and competition are always evolving, the enthusiasm for special cars remains steadfast – especially the very best of the best,” said Hagerty CEO and chairman of The Amelia, McKeel Hagerty. “More than 100 years of classics were present this weekend, as thousands of people gathered on the show fields to honour automotive history and celebrate car culture.”
The Ritz-Carlton was also the scene of a new show-opening event, Reverie, which was launched as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations. Reverie is an exclusive soiree that blends automotive culture with fine dining and live entertainment, as well as providing an opportunity to preview the lots in Broad Arrow’s Amelia Auction.
The Amelia Auction was another major draw for car collectors, and achieved $61.7m in total sales with a sell-through rate of 88 percent. The most lucrative sale of the weekend was a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione, which hammered for $9.46m. You can find our full auction report here.
With 17,000 weekend attendees through Saturday, $119,000 pledged to local non-profits and over 400 vehicles on display across RADwood and the concours, The Amelia 2025 was a resounding success.
For more information on The Amelia, click here.
