Amelia Island Concours (2020) – Getting “Cute”

The Silver Anniversary Amelia Island Concours dโ€™Elegance features a special class of cars seldom honored, seen or even acknowledged in typical concours competition.

Among the long hoods, gleaming wire wheels and bespoke coachwork, the 25th annual Amelia will feature a special class of cars with admirable civic intentions, missions of extreme economy and, sometimes, true visual entertainment factor. These are the cars of the Silver Anniversary Ameliaโ€™s โ€œThatโ€™s Cuteโ€ class.

1938 American Bantam Roadster. Photo courtesy of Mary Miles.

On March 8, 2020 a fleet of cute and extraordinarily rare cars meant to provide minimalist transport will grace the Ameliaโ€™s show field to mark the far edge of the design envelope. The goal of providing affordable individual transportation is a far nobler vision of individual freedom and personal mobility than the dreary — and seemingly relentless — plea for mass transit.

โ€œSimplicity of design tends to borrow from nature. That can breed economy and on occasion even a kind of beauty,โ€ said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours dโ€™Elegance. โ€œSmall, soft shapes usually trigger sympathetic emotional responses: the next thing you know youโ€™ve got an Abarth 750GT, an Isetta or a Nissan Figaro.โ€

Nissan Figaro. Photo courtesy of Deremer Studios.

Thereโ€™s also a long Amelia tradition involved in the Thatโ€™s Cute class. This is The Amelia Concoursโ€™ 25th anniversary. Since 1996 there has always been at least one Amelia class annually that defies commonality if for no other reason than to entertain. โ€œI suppose that started when people began calling us โ€˜the fun concoursโ€™,โ€ said Warner. โ€œAt The Amelia we take all types of car fun very seriously.โ€

For more information visitย www.ameliaconcours.org