100 Years of Rolls-Royce celebrated
at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
March 12-14, 2004

A 100-year old symbol of elegance and grandeur will be honored before an estimated 18,000 spectators when the Rolls-Royce centennial is celebrated at the 9th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance on March 14, 2004, on the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.

In 1904, Charles Rolls, founder of one of England's leading car distributors, heard about Henry Royce's just-created 2-cylinder car that was unlike any other car of the day: it started easily, ran smoothly. drove quickly, and was reliable. Rolls arranged a meeting with Royce, and a partnership began with Rolls contracting for exclusive sales rights for all the cars Royce could produce and stipulating that the cars should be called Rolls-Royce. Rolls was killed six years later in a plane crash, but Royce continued to run the company until his death in 1933.
Since 1904, more than 40 different models have been built by Rolls-Royce, including various Bentleys produced after the company acquired Bentley motor cars in 1931. Rolls-Royce sold Bentley in 2001.

The Councours d'Elegance brings hundreds
of classic cars to Amelia Island.
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To celebrate the centennial, the Amelia Island Concours will feature many historic Rolls, as well as seven one-of-a-kind, pre-1914 Silver Ghosts, including a flamboyant 1911 ceremonial Silver Ghost that once belonged to the maharajah of Mysore, India. The car has no windshield, the chauffeur's seat is elevated, and there is a stainless steel platform beneath an umbrella in the rear of the car for the barefoot, barechested, rifle-armed bodyguards to stand. The maharajah, who rode in the car only during ceremonies, sat beneath a half-convertible top extending over the back seat.
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance will also feature over 250 other rare classics including a mid-engine V8 Porsche street car that has never been seen in public, the only Abarth Ferrarri ever built, along with vintage Mercedes, Dusenbergs, pre-war race cars, cars from old movies and cars belonging to movie stars.
The Honorary Chairman of this 9th Annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance will be racing legend Bobby Unser, a three-time winner of the Indy 500. Other racing greats will be on the show field signing autographs, including Bobby Allison, Bobby Rahal, Johnny Rutherford and Hurley Haywood.
The weekend's activities also include road tours, a silent auction, a golf tournament, a classic cars auction, a fashion show and the gala dinner.
Proceeds from this event will benefit Community Hospice of Northeast Florida. Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for youths ages 12 to 18. Children under 12 are admitted free. To purchase tickets please visit www.ameliaconcours.org.