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John Kuhn Bleimaier



Silverphile – John Kuhn Bleimaier


Amelia Island

On the promontory above the azure sea

John Donne once wrote that “no man is an island.” However, we all feel a certain tug toward the insular existence. There is an ineluctable attraction we may recognize in the concept of being separated from the moiling mass of humanity by a body of water. From Homer to D. H. Lawrence; from Jules Verne to Shakespeare to Robert Louis Stevenson; the exponents of their culture addressed a longing for estrangement from the mainland of existence. On the shores of our mythic isle, we can remake the world in accordance with our very own desires.

For those of us for whom the classical motorcar represents the pinnacle of human mechanical and aesthetic attainment, there is a very particular island located in the warm-water estuary of the Saint Marys River athwart the border between the sovereign state of Georgia and the state of repose, Florida. The languid waters of the primordial Okefenokee Swamp seep inevitably across a brackish marshland to the briny deep. There above the palmettos and razor grass, an ancient accretion has formed a promontory we call Amelia Island.

Its legendary Concours d’Elegance – the confluence of high-rolling auctions, the fast-paced Festival of Speed, rollicking rallies, and a convivial assemblage of like-minded Renaissance technical minds – these mighty components form the Amelia Island weekend. Each year, a week before the ides of March, I am wafted thither by the first light airs of spring. … Rather, I am driven.


1939 540K Special Roadster of Richard E. Workman that earned best-in-class for Prewar Mercedes-Bens, is uncovered early on Saturday morning.

Once again in 2014, Mercedes-Benz automobiles were prominently on display at Amelia. At the concours, magnificent Sindelfingen factory bodies contended with other coachbuilt  bodies on Mercedes-Benz chassis, including a special-bodied car built in the United States in the 1950s over a 300SL chassis. The new-on-the-scene Festival of Speed tends to attract the hairy-chest, gold-chain type. Yet even at this muscle-car venue, contemporary AMG screamers gathered rapt attention. On the rally scene, fleet Mercedes were navigated along the island’s scenic byways overhung by Spanish moss. Cars & Coffee, a tire-kicking event for enthusiasts on Saturday, featured the Mercedes-Benz Club of America this year.

The RM and Gooding auctions are an important part of the Amelia Island scene. Mercedes-Benz has manufactured perhaps more classic vehicles during the last 125 years than any other constructor: Mercedes representation at the vintage car auctions is substantial.

The Mercedes 300SLs, both Gullwing and Roadster, have become the gold standard in the world of investors. The objective beauty of these vehicles is only part of the explanation. Limited production, complete factory records, a scrupulous enthusiast club tracking all survivors and robustness of the design – all add up to an investor’s blue-chip dream. This year, the sale at Amelia of two 300SL roadsters was particularly noteworthy: An unrestored 300SL titled in 1964 sold for $2,035,000 and a ’57 300SL originally owned by Natalie Wood fetched a cool $1,842,500.

I personally feel vaguely entitled to a finder’s fee pertaining to the Natalie Wood Mercedes. After all, I introduced this car to the world with an article in The Star a couple of years back. Come to think of it, I also discovered Amelia Island some 20 years ago while exploring the classic-car landscape, well before the first concours event was held.   Photography Marina Pushkareva