SEBRING, Fla., Mar. 13-15 — The first thing you notice is the sound. Even before you see what’s coming, you hear that distinctive 12-cylinder, normally-aspirated, musical sound.

It’s the Aston Martin V12 that powers the all-new Aston Martin Valkyrie in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC). The car made its U.S. competition debut at this year’s Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, in the IWSC’s GT Prototype (GTP) class.

Considering how difficult, demanding and bumpy the Sebring airport circuit is, the Heart of Racing (THOR) team did an outstanding job, with drivers Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis and Alex Riberas bringing the car home in a very respectable 9th place overall, only two laps in arrears of the winning Porsche 963 of Penske Racing.

And what was it like to be behind the wheel? De Angelis said he experienced “a roller coaster of emotions, to say the least,” and added the 12 Hours “was one of the hardest races I’ve had personally.

“It was super physical out there. I’m super proud of the Heart of Racing and Aston Martin for getting the Valkyrie across the line.”

Ross Gunn also praised the support crew. “It was an absolutely awesome job by everybody on the team to get to the end of what was a good race and was probably the toughest race in the world,” he said.

“We overcame a few obstacles during the race and dealt with those really well. Alex and Roman drove solid stints and it was just a case of keeping a clean nose, which we did. No contact. No issues. And the Valkyrie performed really well throughout the entire race.”

The debut of the car was highly anticipated by everyone at Sebring, and there was even a large crowd on hand in the paddock when the car was unloaded for the first time on the Wednesday before the race.

Making your debut with any car at Sebring is a risk, for the track is known worldwide as literally the toughest test for man and machine. It is said that running 12 hours at Sebring is like running 24 hours anywhere else, and Sebring once again lived up to its reputation. Of the 56 cars in total that took the green flag at the start of the race, only 45 finished.

The Valkyrie, however, was one of those finishers — and THOR and Aston Martin Racing gathered valuable information about their new car that will be used to step up speed and make other improvements. The team intends to race the Valkyrie in all of the remaining IWSC races this season — sprint races included, not just the endurance rounds as many originally speculated. Although Aston Martin’s exploits are well known in the IWSC’s GTD and GTD Pro classes, the marque has not been represented in GTP until now.

A fan favorite from the first practice session onward, the Valkyrie entertained the large crowd at Sebring with its outstanding sound and sleek appearance. Easily it was the belle of the ball and most attractive car in the GTP field.

Said third driver Alex Riberas, “The Valkyrie exceeded all of our expectations. To be able to finish this race and to finish in the top ten is the best way we could start the season and this new adventure in the GTP category. I’m so very proud of everybody and already looking forward to the next one.”

The “next one” was the IWSC sprint race in Long Beach, Calif., on April 12th — where, following on the result at Sebring, the Valkyrie finished 8th overall in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, with season-long THOR drivers Gunn and De Angelis sharing driving duties.

From one of the longest races of the season to the shortest, the Valkyrie once again proved its potential. See the Aston Martin Racing press release on page 4 for more details about Long Beach, and look for THOR to move up the grid as the season progresses.

We hasten to add that the Heart of Racing still has a presence in IWSC’s GTD.

The #27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo scored its second podium in a row at Sebring. It looked like drivers Casper Stevenson and Tom Gamble would make it three for three at Long Beach, with Gamble qualifying 3rd and moving up to 2nd before handing over to Stevenson.

Unfortunately, contact with a passing GTP car 15 minutes later saw the Vantage lose several positions. Stevenson brought the car home 9th in class, but still able to gather championship points for finishing in the top ten.

Next up, the Monterey Sportscar Championship at Laguna Seca May 9-12.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — British cars did well — in fact, very well — at The Amelia this year, at a multitude of events that extended well beyond the scope of the original Concours d’Elegance Bill Warner started 30 years ago.

Since 2021 The Amelia has been run by Hagerty, the classic car insurance company, and this year its auctions, shows and drives reflected the changing face of the extended weekend.

Take the auctions. Traditionally the weekend kicked off with the “big three” auction houses — Bonhams, Gooding and RM Sotheby’s — each offering a different slice of automobile, with some motorcycles and automobilia thrown in.

But RM Sotheby’s left to establish and make a splash at ModaMiami last year, and Bonhams dropped out this year, leaving Gooding & Company (at the Omni) and Hagerty affiliate Broad Arrow (at the prime spot, the Ritz-Carlton, where RM Sotheby’s used to be).

There were interesting British offerings at both venues, with people shuttling between the two hotels to view and bid.

At Gooding, a 1953 Bentley R-type Continental Fastback set the record for British cars at $1,215,000. Far behind it were a 1959 Aston Martin DB MkIII Saloon sold for $229,600, and a 1950 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Roadster for $224,000.

Gooding sold a total of six Jaguars and there were Rolls-Royces in the mix, too, but the German and Italian manufacturers tended to steal the show.

Broad Arrow had the full spectrum of British marques, including Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls, Aston, AC, MG, and even Austin (a Mini Moke).

Chandelier lights reflected off a 1954 BRG Jaguar D-type that was placed enticingly by the main doors. It was a long way from its race days with Stirling Moss at the wheel, and the final price for this piece of history was the highest for any British auto at The Amelia — $4,295,000.

At the opposite end was a 1960 MGA Twin Cam Roadster “Special” with performance upgrades and custom bodywork that sold for $56,000. The 1966 Mini Moke made $39,200.

The auctions overlapped with other events as the weekend progressed.

Keep calm and carry on

Early Friday morning it was time for The Amelia’s “Eight Flags” road tour, presented by Reliable Carriers. Entrants lined Main Street in downtown Fernandina Beach — people who were willing to test the mettle of their Concours cars mechanically, running for some 50 miles and physically accumulating dust and grime in the salt air, and then having to labor to remove all traces of it before they were shown.

That didn’t seem like a lot of work, though, for the chance to see and be seen on the open road, earn a green ribbon proclaiming that you and your car had driven the tour, and maybe even get awarded extra points in the case of a tie at the Concours.

One of the drivers was Casey Duncan, from the Denver, Colo., area. He told me both he and his Lotus XI were “eager to drive.”

Said Duncan, “Either people don’t know what it is at all, because it doesn’t look like any other car, or they know exactly what it is. Either way I get thumbs up and big smiles.” Although he didn’t go on to win a class award at the Concours, true to form he impressed many spectators.

Attending The Amelia and getting ready for a Mille Miglia-type run in California in just six weeks were Cecilia Loftus and Pascal Maeter in a black 1957 AC Ace. As Maester shared, “This car had been put in storage over 40 years ago after some parts had been replaced. Fortunately many of the original parts were in the car. It is as original as it can be.” With a meticulous book to document the process, he adds, “Preservation Class all the way!”

The Loftus/Maeter AC won the Hagerty Drivers Foundation/FIVA Presentation Award at the Concours.

Another tour entrant, with more British cars at home in his garage, was Stephen Samuels. I asked him about the mascot on his car, a 1925 Alvis 12/50. “The car was light and agile for the time, just like a hare,” he said.

Wearing an MG shirt while driving the Alvis on Friday, he and his wife changed into period dress for the Concours. First-timers at The Amelia, Samuels confessed, “I’m super pumped to be here.” They were proud to win Best in Class in “European Classics Open, 1915-1948” the following day.

Green flag for Classic Motorsports’ “Kickoff”

Held Friday afternoon, the Amelia Island Kickoff hosted by Classic Motorsports magazine was sold out. In its second year at The Amelia, this no-pressure, fun event was held in view of the ocean and in walking distance to a playground for the kids and to restaurants. Amelia founder Bill Warner was there, along with Wayne Carini and Bobby Rahal, to help judge cars from all parts of the world.

Tim Suddard, founder and publisher emeritus of Classic Motorsports, could be found wearing a straw hat with a stringy brim, and hanging out with friends Hope and Chad Rogers over by their Moke.

Waving his hand toward the significant gathering, Suddard attributed the popularity of the Kickoff to the fact that “It’s not about rich cars or poor cars, American cars or imported cars. We love them all — from Mokes [with a glance at his friends] to Morgans.” He also stressed the family aspect of the show and the importance of attracting locals (yes, attending is free for adults and kids) by simply getting along with city officials and residents.

Suddard’s son Tom handled the logistics of the event with other family members and staff. While adjusting a banner he commented, “The [Kickoff] show is gaining a lot of momentum. Initially the show was capped at 150 cars, but we went back to the drawing board to get some more spots — closer to 180 or 190 right now.” He acknowledged the role of the City of Fernandina Beach and four local car clubs participating this year.

“If a car club says they want to come, we let them come as a group and all together — it’s part of the community. We want people to come out and enjoy their cars.”

There were the typically eye-catching and award-winning marques present at the Kickoff, such as Bentley, Rolls, Jaguar, Morgan, Austin-Healey and Triumph. On the lighter side there was the “Concours d’LeMons,” with but one British car entered, a lone MGB driven by Leandra Lyniuk, and it came with a great story.

The car belonged to Lyniuk’s father, and when she turned 18 he asked her what she wanted for her birthday. “To rebuild the MG!” was her short answer, even when tempted by the offer of a new Mazda Miata. Many years later (and no lemon), Lyniuk claims that it is still the most reliable car in her garage.

A change in the weather

With memories of rain hampering some of the Concours activities in the past, Hagerty made the difficult choice this year to move the Concours from Sunday, when foul weather was forecasted, to Saturday. This meant combining Radwood, an ’80s-themed show, with the Concours, and cancelling Hagerty’s “Cars & Community” event altogether.

British cars competed in almost every class in the Concours (except, of course, those that were marque-specific such as Ferrari, Porsche or IROC Racers). At the end of the day the Best of Show “Concours d’Elegance” trophy went to a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, and Best of Show “Concours d’Sport” to a 1947 Lotus 49 with a Cosworth DFV engine.

The big picture

Looking for patterns to emerge from the weekend, I found strong family connections and the influence of a community of restorers who, through years of work, had become part of a tightly-knit group. People I talked to had recollections of cars, magazines, moments and individuals long gone but not forgotten. “Youngtimers” were making their own impressions, some using the past as a springboard to new careers.

Peggy Preiser and her daughter Christi Raye brought “Pearl,” her 1960 Aston DB4 Series 1, to The Amelia. The car had a bittersweet history in which Jason Wenig’s restoration shop, The Creative Workshop, played a very important role.

“She had been in our neighborhood for about 50 years,” Preiser told me, “and when the opportunity to buy her came up, my husband said ‘Yes!’ immediately… and home she came.

“Then, only months after the purchase, I lost my husband. Jason’s company took over the restoration, which was completed in July. We headed right out to Pebble Beach — and she was a winner!”

Preiser added, “My husband started us out on this journey and my daughter and I are going to continue it.”

Wenig had his own fond memories. “Watching the group of about 20 family and friends with her at Pebble was an incredibly emotional moment — the car on the field and everyone coming together to support Peggy, remember Rich, and honor the car.”

He also spoke about the history of the car. “It belonged to William DuPont,” he said, “and was ultimately found in a barn, about 30-plus years ago, in completely dilapidated condition. The car was brought to us in boxes.”

Bringing home the class award in “European Postwar Touring” made it time for Pearl and her family to celebrate again.

A Best in Class award in “Sports & GT Cars Pre-1955” went to Ben Gilbert, Jr., for a 1949 MG TC EXU his father rescued from a dumpster 55 years ago.

Upon winning the award, Gilbert told me, “I felt a great sense of pride for our work being recognized by such a prestigious organization. It was like I was watching it on TV, as I had seen for concours so many times. I couldn’t believe we were actually driving up to receive our award… sitting there in a group of the most beautiful, unique, and rare cars ever made!”

Unfortunately, Gilbert’s father could not attend The Amelia, but, Gilbert said, “After I sent him the pictures, he was overjoyed. He finally acknowledged that the time, effort, and level of detail we poured into the restoration had paid off beyond his wildest dreams.”

There are dreams still in the making.

At 23 years of age, Christopher Rodrigues seemed a bit young to be immersed in cars from the 1920s and ’30s, but as he explained, “The history and technology [of the time] really pushed the envelope. The streamline shapes, the Art Deco looks and the ‘speed’ form have made a deep impression on me.” He cited Corsica, an English coachbuilder from that time, as a big influence.

This is not merely an infatuation, because Rodrigues and his family are in the business. “My father and I are coachbuilding in Italy with some of the last artisans with this kind of skill in metalwork,” he said.

Rodrigues takes inspiration from the prewar Rolls-Royces, showing me two of his drawings — the first “an original Phantom II with a Rolls-Royce 27-litre Merlin aero engine, the same used in Supermarine Spitfire fighter planes from World War II,” and the second “an original Phantom III chassis, unmodified, with my newly-designed coachwork.”

Appropriately, Rodrigues called his work “Art Retro” in honor of the family concern, Retro Coachbuilders.

As The Amelia wrapped up under clear skies late Saturday (and it did pour on Sunday), there was an exhausted hush that filled the moments between the cars leaving the field. It was an experience that truly was 30 years in the making, leading quite a few people to call the many events of the weekend parallel to Monterey Car Week.

See you there next year?