The Amelia May Be the Most Stunning Car Show You Haven’t Seen

Classic cars and famous pieces of automotive engineering are always a big draw at auto shows.

Of course, you can also go to the hundreds of classic and custom car shows across North America to get an eyeful, especially what are known as Concours d’Elegance. The most prestigious is arguably the one in Pebble Beach, California taking place every August, but please allow us to talk to you about another that is perhaps equally stunning: The Amelia in Florida.

Set at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island in the Southernmost of the Sea Islands, the event celebrated its 28th edition this year with some 25,000 people attending the Concours d’Elegance as well as the various drives and auctions.

For 2023, the awards ceremony included 32 car classes with over 250 historically significant vehicles vying for the various awards and accolades. A 1964 Ferrari 250 LM displayed by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum took home the “Best in Show Concours de Sport” award, while a little-known and extremely rare French automobile from 1935 won the overall “Best in Show Concours d’Elegance” award.

Ever heard of the Avions Voisin C25? Probably not. This four-door convertible in Art Deco style originally debuted at the 1934 Salon de l’Automobile in Paris as airplane pioneer and manufacturer Gabriel Voisin’s take on “the car of the future.”

The more lightweight Aerodyne model had just a six-unit production run and only four are known to exist today. Owned by a couple from California, the one on display at The Amelia underwent a comprehensive, three-year restoration in the mid-2000s before going on to win “Best in Show” at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The interior—including the choice of fabric—is an exact match to how it was trimmed all those years ago.

One of its most notable highlights is certainly the power retractable roof, which is something that was novel in the 1930s. The Aerodyne also sports an early form of adjustable suspension, while the inline six-cylinder, sleeve-valve engine is amazingly quiet while running, even by modern standards.

We’ll leave you with these few pictures so you can take a look at the well-kept secret that is the 1935 Avions Voisin C25 Aerodyne.