Best of Show Winners at The Amelia Include a 1938 Alfa Romeo & 1967 Lotus

Among a distinguished field of more than 240 historically significant automobiles, spanning 35 classes, a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 claimed the prestigious title of Best of Show, Concours d’Elegance, while a 1967 Lotus 49 was honored as Best of Show, Concours de Sport, at the 30th Amelia Concours d’Elegance.

Best of Show: Concours d’Elegance

The 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Chassis No. 412028 is believed to be one of the prototypes for the 1938 Mille Miglia. When it was restored, it was found that the car was an original short chassis model, and the engine had different characteristics than that of the Sport 8C 2.9, including a larger and different exhaust system. The car was ordered new in 1938 by the famous Italian racing champion Giuseppe Farina. It is the only 8C 2900 bodied by Farina.

“My husband and I won an award here together in 2020. He passed away a year ago and he would be proud to have this car win,” said Deborah Keller, owner of the winning Alfa Romeo. “It was in the stars today. It took a lot of work to get it here in time. I’m thrilled.”

Best of Show: Concours de Sport

The 1967 Lotus 49 Chassis No. 49/2 is the second Lotus 49 built. It was debuted by the legendary Jimmy Clark at Zandvoort in 1967, marking the first appearance of the Cosworth DFV engine. In addition to winning at Silverstone & Watkins Glen, it was the winner of four Tasman races from 1967-68 while being driven in 1968 by Jackie Oliver and Jo Siffert. It was raced by Mario Andretti in South Africa in 1969 and sold to Pete Lovely by Lotus’ Colin Chapman in 1969. Lovely then raced the car in multiple grand prix races from 1969-71. The car was restored by Classic Team Lotus in 2010.

“Our 4th grade elementary class went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 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,” said the owner of the winning Lotus, Chris MacAllister. “It’s nice that the car gets the attention it deserves. It really is an important car in Formula 1 history.”

“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 McKeel Hagerty, Hagerty CEO, board chairman and chairman of The Amelia. “More than 100 years of classics were present this weekend as thousands of people gathered on the show fields to honor automotive history and celebrate car culture. My heartfelt thanks go to our guests, spectators, volunteers and everyone else who helps make this celebration one of the greatest annual events for car lovers, young and old.”

The Amelia Events

The weekend celebration of automotive excellence welcomed thousands of auto enthusiasts to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island in Florida. This year’s event paid tribute to racing icon and four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Hélio Castroneves, who showcased a collection of historically significant race cars. Acclaimed actor, veteran racing driver, and motorsports aficionado Patrick Dempsey also attended The Amelia to screen his docuseries, Back on Track.

The Amelia said that it had 17,000 weekend attendees through Saturday, along with $119,000 pledged to local nonprofits. There were 200 vehicles on display as part of RADwood, 240 vehicles at The Amelia Concours d’Elegance, and 225 Mobil 1 Ride and Drive experiences. The event involved 89 partners and more than 20 events on Amelia Island.

New to The Amelia this year was Reverie, an immersive hospitality experience that kicked off the event weekend on Thursday evening. Reverie featured exclusive, automotive-themed culinary pairings developed by Chef Zane Nesbitt, Ritz-Carlton executive sous chef.

Hagerty says that for those who missed this year’s gathering, car lovers are welcome to join the Greenwich Concours on May 30-June 1, 2025. The Amelia will return in 2026 from March 5-8.

The Amelia Auction Sees More than $61 Million in Sales

Broad Arrow Auctions saw great success with its third annual Amelia Auction—the official auction of The Amelia—on March 7-8. The auction achieved $61.7 million in total sales, with 88 percent of all lots sold. Lydia Fenet, Broad Arrow’s principal auctioneer, moderated the bidding on Friday and Saturday. Broad Arrow says the bidder registration was the highest for any of its auctions to date.

The top sale of the weekend was a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione, chassis number 1451 GT, which achieved a final price of $9,465,000.

“We’re thrilled with the results from our third Amelia Auction,” said Barney Ruprecht, senior car specialist and vice president of auctions for Broad Arrow following the sale. “We presented a high-quality offering that saw frequent bidding competitions between bidders both in the room and over the phones and internet throughout the two days and across all categories of the market. The California Spider becomes the most valuable car Broad Arrow has ever sold, and the Miura is—significantly—the second most valuable example of the model ever sold at auction. We also saw the continued strength of the Porsche market with the sale of the 918 Spyder and numerous strong individual prices for exceptional 911s as we head into our Porsche Air|Water Auction next month in California.”

Top Ten Sales at Amelia Auction 2025:

• Lot 234: 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione—$9,465,000
• Lot 225: 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV—$4,460,000
• Lot 278: 1954 Jaguar D-Type “OKV 2” Works Competition—$4,295,000
• Lot 266: 1990 Ferrari F40—$3,665,000
• Lot 245: 2018 Pagani Huayra Roadster—$3,415,000
• Lot 121: 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder—$2,315,000
• Lot 274: 1958 BMW 507 Series II Roadster—$2,122,500
• Lot 127: 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra—$1,242,500
• Lot 271: 1935 Auburn 851 Super-Charged “Boattail” Speedster—$1,011,500
• Lot 139: 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ 63—$967,500