I was rather excited to finally have the opportunity to see Amelia Island this past weekend: With two auctions, a very prestigious concours, automotive personality sightings galore, and plenty of cars to ogle (plus sun and warm weather to soak up), the weekend almost approaches sensory overload. After a quick glance through my photos from the weekend, I noticed how many confluences Amelia presents between the old and the new, the vintage and the cutting edge.
There’s the Mercedes gullwings, past and present; there’s the Lingenfelter Trans Am based on the new Camaro body; there’s a scale model of Terry Cook’s new carbon fiber Bella Figura; there’s the No. 2 Porsche 917, resplendently restored, not far from a table selling diecast versions of the same car artistically dirtied up.
Does it all mean that we’re not mired in the past; that we can overcome it while still paying it tribute? Or does it mean we still have miles to go before we’ve bottomed out on the depths of nostalgia? I don’t know.
