If you want to see rare collector cars judged on a golf course, the Amelia Concours brings them to the south end of the island each March. Bill Warner and a group of volunteers started it in April 1996 as the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, with Stirling Moss as the first honoree. Hagerty runs it today under the shorter name The Amelia, and the organizer says the event has given more than $4 million to local nonprofits.
The week builds to two judged fields, the Concours d'Elegance and the Concours de Sport, and each gets its own Best of Show. Around them you'll find The Amelia Concours Auction by Broad Arrow and, on Sunday, Cars & Caffeine, an unjudged show for owners of classic, vintage, exotic or collector cars who apply ahead of time. The judged classes change every year. The 2027 list includes a Mille Miglia Centennial class, a Sebring 12 Hours 75th class, motorcycles, '80s homologation specials and modern hypercars, and each edition honors a motorsport figure (four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti in 2026).
The show field is laid out on the fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island, next to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, in the Summer Beach stretch of the island. A few rules from the organizer's visitor page are worth knowing:
- Spectators park in paid lots, including Lot A on Bailey Road, where the fee covers a shuttle to the show.
- Cars can't stop to drop guests at the Ritz-Carlton entrance.
- Drones, pop-up tents, beach umbrellas, outside alcohol and pets (service animals excepted) aren't allowed, and everyone goes through metal detectors.
- Small purses are fine on the show field, but backpacks and totes are discouraged.
Dates, tickets and the honoree for the next show are on the Amelia Concours d'Elegance 2027 page and at ameliaconcours.com. Salt is inside the Ritz-Carlton if you want to make an evening of it. Since there's no curbside drop-off at the hotel, transportation coordination is worth settling early if you're bringing guests.