A 1988 Le Mans victory by Pearman's 962 would have also seen Stuck and Bell joining that exclusive club of triple-consecutive winners that began in 1930 with Bentley's Woolf Barnato.
"What might have been" is a subplot woven through several disparate and eclectic classes of the 2016 Amelia Concours d'Elegance.Nearly 20 per cent of Pegaso's total production of 84 cars will be on Amelia's 2016 field. None more bizarre than "el Dominicano", the bubble-top coupe built totally in-house in Pegaso's works for Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. Formula 1 technology plus leading edge engineering and styling made the Pegaso Z-102 the most exotic car in the world and the rarest gem of the European post-war exotic car renaissance.
Across Amelia's field and closer to home, the dream of designer Rust Heinz, heir to the Heinz pickle and catsup fortune, manifested itself as the Phantom Corsair; a streamlined shape betraying young Heinz's marine architecture training. Powered by the Cord 810's Lycoming V-8 engine and front drive technology, the Corsair wowed Hollywood starring as the "Flying Wombat" in MGM's The Young in Heart "the Car that Thinks for You". Only one was made. Heinz died in a traffic accident near his native Pittsburgh in a more unimaginative vehicle. His Corsair passed from owner to owner, including comedian Herb Shriner, before restoration and, again, attaining star status at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV.
"Diverse doesn't begin to describe Amelia 2016," said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Concours d'Elegance. "We let our passions shape Amelia, so the field has a unique flavor that even hard core racers tell us they really love."
GM DESIGN VP ED WELBURN BRINGS BUICK'S AVISTA
TO AMELIA'S SATURDAY CARS & COFFEE 2016
Buick's new Avista concept car will make its Florida debut at Saturday's (March 12th) Cars & Coffee At The Concours presented by Heacock Insurance.
Ed Welburn, General Motors' Vice President of Global Design, will drive Buick's new Avista concept coupe onto the Cars & Coffee field when the no-charge show opens at 9:00 a.m.
Cars & Coffee at The Concours features over 400 cars from local car clubs including, among others, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and Porsche
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In just three years, Cars & Coffee at the Concours has developed a hard core "car guy" following, yet it also has a strong family and father-son vibe. The field opens at 9:00 AM Saturday March 12th.
"Concept Cars, what we once called Dream Cars, especially the cars of GM's famous Motorama, have been an important part of car lust since the 1940s." said Brian Webber, Executive Director of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and co-founder of Cars & Coffee At The Concours . "So, we're really pleased that Ed Welburn himself is bringing the new Buick Avista concept car to Amelia for its first public showing in Florida."
