WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOGRAPHY: MODAMIAMI/HAGERTY
Thousands of classic car fans are flocking to Florida for four days of automotive excellence that orbit around The Amelia and the inaugural ModaMiami concours events. Here’s a breakdown of everything to look forward to if you’re heading to the Sunshine State between February 29 and March 4, 2024. See you there!
THE AMELIA
Now in its 29th year, The Amelia concours has gone from strength to strength since being acquired by Hagerty in 2021. This year’s edition, held on Sunday March 3, 2024, showcases an eclectic mix of 275 historically significant vehicles on the ocean-side fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island.
The curated concours machines are spread across 30 classes, with highlight categories such as Ferrari 250 Grand Touring, Bugatti Type 57, Japanese Peformance Cars of the 1990s, Porsche Rally Cars and Cars of Pikes Peak. Headline machines include a Tour de France-winning 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, a NASCAR driven by Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder, a LeMans-winning Porsche 911 GT1 and plenty more besides.
There’s a torrent of attractions for visitors to enjoy in addition to the incredible metal on display, too, such as fascinating behind-the-scenes panel discussions hosted by American motor sport legends Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon.
Another icon of US motor sport, Rick Hendrick, is the 2024 honouree, and will display several special cars from his collection, including the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 that deafened and delighted Le Mans fans in equal measure last year.
Other draws on the timetable include Hagerty’s Ride and Drive scheme, which allows enthusiasts to experience their dream cars from one of the front seats, a Kids Zone and the Youth Judging programme, which intends to inspire the next generation of collector car aficionados.
While Sunday’s concours d’elegance rightfully remains the grand finale, there’s plenty of other attractions for visitors to enjoy beforehand. Saturday’s popular RADWood event for modern classics is bigger than ever before, with 250 additional vehicles on display as part of the Cars and Community event on March 2. A total of 375 automobiles will be present at Cars and Community, which also encompasses the wild, wacky and woeful creations championed by the Concours d’Lemons.
To top it all off, The Amelia’s official auction partner Broad Arrow is holding an expanded two-day collector car auction with myriad temptations, on March 1-2, in addition to those held by Bonhams, Gooding and Co. and RM Sotheby’s. Last year, Broad Arrow achieved $31m in total sales at an 81 percent sell-through rate, led by a record-breaking McLaren P1 ($2.45m). You can find a preview of the Florida auctions here.
For tickets and more information on The Amelia, click here.
MODAMIAMI
This year’s big Florida weekend is made even more exciting by the arrival of the inaugural ModaMiami concours, which gets underway at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables from February 29 to March 3, 2024.
The main draw is a curated selection of more than 150 world-class automobiles, ranging from glamorous pre-war models to modern hypercars across six eclectic classes. It all kicks off on Saturday, March 2, with a special preview enticingly called Magic Hour at Moda, during which cars are driven onto the showfield. As the evening draws in, guests are invited to peruse the dusk-lit cars in the Concours a Nuit: A Magical Starlit Celebration.
Sunday, March 3 begins with the 100 Club, which entails an expertly curated selection of supercars and hypercars on the main showfield. These high-performance machines will be complemented by the presence of five Pebble Beach Best of Show winners, from the likes of Duesenberg, Delage, Daimler and Mercedes-Benz. Other highlights include a 1998 McLaren F1 LM, 1966 Ferrari 365P ‘Tre Posti’, 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort and 1937 Cadillac V16. The headlining concours cars are complemented by a display of classics in the heart of the Magic City.
In addition to perusing all the incredible cars, visitors will also have the opportunity to sample world-class cuisine, beginning with an exclusive evening curated by renowned chef Mario Carbone, co-founder of New York’s Carbone restaurant, on February 29.
RM Sotheby’s is the event’s official auction partner, and its headline offerings include a 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa ($4.5m-$5.5m), 1967 Ferrari 365 California Spyder ($4m-$4.5m) and 1930 Duesenberg Model J ($3.5m-$4m). In addition to the cars on display, RM will also be offering a selection of luxury goods and automobilia that will be available for instant purchase in Biltmore’s lobby. Click here for a detailed auction preview.
For tickets and more information on ModaMiami, click here.
