Historics: Mercedes-Benz 540K and Ferrari 335 S best in show at the Amelia Concours

The 24th Amelia Island Concours d’élegance was held March 7-10th at the Amelia Island Golf Club and the Ritz-Carlton in Florida. With a packed program that stretches now on over four days, the Amelia Concours has grown into one the world most anticipated and best organised concours te be found. Auctions, seminars, cars & coffee on Saturday morning up to the concours itself on Sunday, Amelia has become an event not to be missed for the (classic) car enthousiast.

This year’s honoree was Belgian Jacky Ickx, “Monsieur Le Mans” was reunited with 12 extraordinary racecars, spanning the whole of his career from Le Mans over to Can Am, Formula 1 and Paris-Dakar.  More about the cars of Jacky Ickx at the Amelia concours and the 300+ other stunning cars on display on Sunday is to follow in another write up.  But first we take a closer look to both 2019 award winners in the Best of show and Best of show concours de sport class.

At the Amelia Concours, 2 cars receive the best in show award every year: the Best in Show Concours d’Elegance and the Best in Show Concours de Sport award. Two extraordinary cars received the awards on March 10th: the 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahnkurier and the 1957 Ferrari 335 S. 

The 540 K “Autobahnkurier”

Mercedes debuted a new car at the 1934 Berlin Car Show: the Typ 500K “Autobahnkurier”.  Only one model existed and the brochures informed the public that the car was designed for incredibly high speeds on the Autobahn. It was built on the outstanding W29 chassis and immediately stood out with its elegant design, long hood, gentle curves and specially designed tail end. It set a new design benchmark with its appearance, even so that Jean Bugatti went back home after his first encounter with the 540K and apparently designed the infamous Atlantic. 

Only six 540K Autobahnkuriers were built, this particular car is the only one believed to survive. Out of these six cars, only two 540K’s have been built to this specification with the 5.4 Liter supercharged engine, which makes it - if possible - even more exclusive. With a top speed of 115 mph, the 540K was one of the fastest cars available at the time, but also one of the most expensive ones.  

This car is the second (and final) one that went into production has originally been bought by Dr. Ignacio Barraquer, a doctor from Barcelona. He undertook journeys with it from Libya to Egypt prior to World War II, and later through Austria and Switzerland. It remained in the family’s possession until 2004 when it was sold to Arturo Keller who had it restored completely.  Since then it has won several concours titles at Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este and now also Amelia Island. The first car has been gifted by Mercedes to the shah of Iran, and was last seen in the 1960s.  Up until now it’s unclear if that car still exists or not.   

The Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti

For the second year in a row, a Ferrari wins the best in show concours de Sport award. The 1957 Ferrari 335S Spider Scaglietti is only one of four built and carries an impressive racing history with it. With its breathtaking race results, continuous history and prestigious provenance, this Ferrari symbolises the myth and masterpiece from the 1950’s motorsport era. 

The Scuderia Ferrari factory car started its life as a 290 MM, was upgraded to a 315 S and later transformed into a 335 S.  The 335 S was the most technologically advanced Ferrari in 1957. With a 60-degree V12 engine with 24 plugs, two valves per cylinder and twin overhead camshafts it produced 360 hp.  In Le Mans trim, the engine was tuned up to 400 hp, and got to top steeds at Le Mans up to 300 km/h. 

This particular car has an impressive racing history and was driven by some of the greatest pilots in its era. Peter Collins and Maurice Trintignant drove it at the 1957 Sebring 12 Hours, Wolfgang von Trips in the Mille Miglia and Mike Hawthorn and Luigi Musso competed at Le Mans later that year.  Hawthorn set the first 200 km/h lap record at Le Mans with this car (203.015 km/h), but couldn’t finish the race due to mechanical problems. Other drivers racing this car were Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, Olivier Gendebien, Stirling Moss ….

Kristof Vermeulen. 

ELMS: Female driver line-up for Kessel Racing in GTE

Kessel Racing will enter the first ever women-only driver line-up with a Ferrari 488 GTE to compete in the 2019 European Le Mans Series. 

© jellybaby.media

Italian Manuela Gostner (34), Swiss Rahel Frey (32) and Danish Michelle Gatting (26) will share a Ferrari F488 GTE in the series as from the testdays at Paul Ricard in April.  The three women are no strangers to eachother as they raced together in the Abu Dhabi 12 Hours past December, finishing sixth overall and second in the Am class. 

This renewed participation in the ELMS was made possible, once again, thanks to Deborah Mayer. Driven by her passion for cars, challenges and the will to conceive something new and innovative in motorsport, Mayer commented:"I'm very happy and proud to be leading this project. It's the start of a wonderful and lasting adventure." The team’s participation is in line with the strategy of the FIA Women in motorsport.  

© Kessel Racing

Kessel Racing will also field a second Ferrari GTE which will be driven by Claudio Schiavone, Andrea Piccini and Sergie Pianezzola.

After winning the 2018 Michelin Le Mans Cup title in GT3 with Giacomo Piccini and Sergio Pianezzola, the team has also earned an auto entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GTE Am class. Whether this entry will feature a full female line-up is still unclear at the moment.  If so, there is a chance we might see 2 female driver line-ups in June as it is believed that Michael Shank Racing might apply for an entry in the Am class with their Daytona drivers. 

Amelia Island Concours d'élégeance: 1929 Duesenberg and 1963 Ferrari win best of show

A 1929 Duesenberg J.SJ Convertible and 1963 Ferrari 250/275P have won the best of show awards on Saturday at  the 23rd annual Amelia Island Concours d'élégeance. 

© JellyBaby.Media

As in 2017, the Amelia Island Concours d'élégance was moved one day earlier, due to bad weather forecasts for Sunday. That late day change didn't scare off any visitors, with thousands of car enthousiasts attending the concours under sunny skies. 

© JellyBaby.media

Guest of honour this year was Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, double Formula 1 World Champion and two-time winner of the Indy 500. The concours showcased some impressive racecars of Fittipaldi, including a 1970 Lotus 72/5, 1974 McLaren M23/5, 1974 Porsche 911 RSR IROC, Renault Dauphine "Gordini"and 1977 Chevrolet IROC Camaro Z28.

© JellyBaby.media

More than 300 cars and motorcycles, split up into 35 classes were presented at the Amelia golf club. Highlights next to Fittipaldi's race cars was an impressive line-up of "Martini race cars", N.A.R.T Ferrari's, several one-off and unique automobiles, Steve McQueens original "Bullit" Mustang and an almost complete collection of Auburns. 

© JellyBaby.Media

The highly valuated Best in Show Concours d’Elegance Trophy was presented to a 1929 Duesenberg J/SJ Convertible owned by Harry Yeaggy from Cincinnati, Ohio. This Duesenberg J/SJ Convertible has Murphy roadster-style coachwork that was restyled in period by Bohman & Schwartz of Pasadena, California. Styling changes included a lengthened hood, slotted fenders and more modern bumpers. One of the early owners of this car was Edward Beale McLean, who owned the Hope Diamond and whose family owned The Washington Post.

© JellyBaby.Media

A 1963 Ferrari 250/275P from The JSL Motorsports Collection in Redwood City, California, took home the prestigious Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy. The winning Ferrari 250/275P won the overall at the 1963 ADAC Nurburgring 1,000Kms with John Surtees and Willy Mairesse and the 1964 Sebring 12 Hours with Mike Parkes and Umberto Maglioli driving.  This car finished second at the 1963 Sebring event and won the first race at Mont Tremblant as a NART entry with Pedro Rodriguez driving. The car was campaigned as a NART entry in 1964 and 1965.

“I could not be more pleased with the judges’ decisions for the 2018 Amelia Island Concours winners,” said Bill Warner, Chairman and Founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. “We are overjoyed to present the Duesenberg and Ferrari with these honors. These cars are prime examples of automotive prestige and we are proud to recognize them.”

© JellyBaby.Media

In the power-driven age, a special class of electric horseless carriages highlighted the renewed enthusiasm for the 120 year old technology.  IMSA GTP celebrated its GTP -- Grand Touring Prototype -- racers from the 1981 through the 1993 IMSA Championships. A quarter century has passed since IMSA’s GTPs last raced in anger. They were the spiritual descendants of the mighty, unlimited Can-Am racers of the 1960s and 1970s and the vanguard of a new generation of automotive performance and technology. By the end of the GTP era in 1993 they had eclipsed every major record the fabled Can-Am racers set.  Another spectacular display was the collection of Martini race cars, including 2 Porsche 917's. 

A few further impressions of this years concours at Amelia and an overview of some class winners and a rundown of Le Mans cars will be published in the upcoming days. 

Kristof Vermeulen.

FIA WEC 2017: GTE Pro driver line-ups confirmed for Le Mans

At the first day of the FIA WEC prologue in Monza, Porsche announced its GT driver pairings for the Le Mans 24 Hours in June. With this announcement, all driver pairings for the GTE Pro class in Le Mans are now confirmed, except for Corvette.

Patrick Pilet will join Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki in the #91 Porsche 911 RSR. The third driver for the #92 car will be Dirk Werner, who will be joining Michael Christensen and Kévin Estre. 

“Choosing the drivers for the most important race of the year was actually easy,” said Head of Porsche Motorsport Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser. “Our driver squad is so strong we basically couldn’t make a mistake. Patrick Pilet and Dirk Werner are the perfect complement to our regular team members. It is definitely an advantage that they all know each other very well from the races in the USA. We’re in an excellent position for Le Mans with these drivers.”

Earlier this week, on Thursday, Aston Martin Racing also confirmed its driver line-ups for the round the clock race at Le Mans. 

Brazilian driver Daniel Serra will join Aston Martin Racing for Le Mans this year, making his debut in the FIA WEC. Serra has already completed countless laps in the team’s V8 Vantage GTE throughout an intensive testing and development programme with tyre supplier Dunlop. He will race alongside Darren Turner and Jonny Adam in the #97 Vantage V8. Joining the "Dane Train" Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen in the #95 is New Zealander Richie Stanaway who returns to the FIA WEC.  In preparation for Le Mans, Serra and Stanaway will join the team in the 6 hours of Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. 

Aston Martin Racing Team Principal Paul Howarth is very excited to have both drivers on board this season. Both of them bring with them the speed and consistency that we look for in any driver here at Aston Martin Racing. While Richie has of course raced with us for many seasons, Daniel is also well known within our operation. We are a team with big ambitions following our championship successes last year and while the competition will undoubtedly be tough, it is our objective to be on the top step of the podium at Le Mans in June”.

AF Corse has secured Lucas di Grassi as their third driver in the #51 Ferrari 488 GTE. The Brazilian driver was confirmed yesterday ahead of the FIA WEC prologue. Di Grassi is still active as an Audi factory driver in the Formula E championship, but has always expressed his desire to return to Le Mans after the withdrawal of Audi out of the FIA WEC. He will join Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado in the #51 Ferrari. 

Spanish driver Miguel Molina  has been appointed as the third driver for the #71 Ferrari 488 GTE at Le Mans. He will join Davide Rigon and Sam Bird. Molina has been active in the DTM in the past 7 years and now races with the Spirit of Race team in the GTE Am class, as in the Blancpain Endurance Series with SMP Racing. Molina and Di Grassi both tested the Ferrari at Vallelunga last month together with Alessandro Pier Guidi and Nyck De Vries to replace Gianmaria Bruni who left Ferrari for Porsche. Pier Guidi got the seat as a factory driver back then.

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing already confirmed its driver line-ups in February. There's one new name into the team, Brazilian Luis Felipe "Pipo" Derani who will join Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell in the #67 Ford GT. Derani impressed last year with Extreme Speeds Motorsports in the LMP2 class, winning Daytona and Sebring back to back and with some impressive driving in the FIA WEC. 

Last years GTE-Pro winners at Le Mans, Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Sébastien Bourdais will defend their title in the #68. The driver trio already won the 24 hours of Daytona this year, and could be the team to beat again at La Sarthe. In the #66 Ford GT, Stefan Mücke and Olivier Pla will be joined again by American Billy Johnson for the races at Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans. Third place finishers at last years Le Mans, Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Scott Dixon will also return with and unchanged line-up in the #69 Ford. 

Kristof Vermeulen. 

FIA WEC: Bruni confirmed at Porsche, Pier Guidi to race with Ferrari

After several months of rumours and speculation, Gianmaria Bruni now has been officially confirmed as a new Porsche works pro driver. With the signing of Bruni, Porsche has now bolstered its GT works driver squad for their return to the FIA WEC with the new mid-engined 911 RSR. As one of the most successful and experienced sports car pilots, the 35-year-old Italian will undertake tests from June and contest races in the USA from July for Porsche. Bruni won't (be able to) race in the FIA WEC or the 24 Hours of Le Mans this season.

© Porsche

The Italian driver, who has been racing with AF Corse since 2012 celebrated his greatest success at Le Mans as well as in the World Endurance Championship WEC. Bruni won the GT class at Le Mans in 2008, 2012 and 2014. In the WEC he won the GTE-Pro championship title in 2013 and 2014. He was also successful at Sebring, Spa, the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and the Le Mans Series. 

“We’re delighted to welcome Gianmaria Bruni, one of the world’s top GT pilots, into our squad,” says Head of Porsche Motorsport, Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser. “He fits perfectly into our strong circle of works drivers and will join us for the second half of the season.

© Ferrari

Alessandro Pier Guidi will replace Gianmaria Bruni in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year. Pier Guidi has been racing with Ferrari for several years, as from this year as a factory driver. He will join James Calado in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari F488 GTE, as was announced yesterday morning by Ferrari.

Ferrari held a driver shootout with 4 possible replacement drivers for Bruni earlier this month. Pier Guidi, Alex Riberas, Nyck De Vries and Miguel Molina all took part in the test. De Vries and Pier Guidi emerged as the most suited drivers, the experience of Pier Guidi with Ferrari in the past will have landed him the final seat in the FIA WEC.

Kristof Vermeulen.