By Dean Larson

A weekend filled with Ferrari 250 GTOs and Testa Rossas, original Ford GT40s, Cobras and one-off GM prototypes? Yeah, one article just won’t do. So as promised, we’re bringing you a few more stories and photos from our time at Amelia Island for the 2020 Concours d’Elegance — almost as good as being there in person right? And you didn’t even have to chance the Coronavirus to experience it.

I want to start with the De Tomaso P72, but I need to clear the air right away, because I didn’t have my camera with me when I saw it, so cellphone photos courtesy of John will have to do. For that reason I’ll keep it short, but we were really blown away by the P72 we saw at Amelia. There’s been De Tomaso buzz going around the last few years, and the new model made its debut at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s based on the underpinnings of a new German exotic called the Apollo Intensa Emozione, with the addition of a supercharged Ford 5.0-liter Coyote engine.

Impressive stuff, but it was really the exterior of the car that got us going. It has a curvaceous figure that’s both nostalgic, and exotic, without all those gaudy sharp edges and shapes that the manufacturers are using today. The shape was allegedly inspired by the De Tomaso P70 Le Mans racer of the 1970s, but we really saw a lot of Ferrari P4 flavor at work. Unfortunately just 72 units are planned with a sticker price around $800,000, so let’s move on shall we? But to appease, I’ll throw in some a shot of a Caribbean Blue De Tomaso Mangusta from the concours event in the gallery.

On the other end of the spectrum, I noted an unrestored Porsche 356 Coupe on the concours greens, complete with rust, troubled paintwork and cloudy glass. From all the decals and the functional additions to the interior (phone charger and holder), it’s clear this 356 is a real driver. Dirty paint and all, the car gathered a crowd in the show as all good unrestored cars and barn finds do.

Getting back to new-old Fords, Orlando, Florida-based Revology Cars had a nice display outside the concours with a pair of Shelby GT500 fastback reincarnations. Making use of the latest Ford Coyote engines, Revology’s Mustangs combine classic looks with modern performance — and that performance just got even better, as Revology unveiled a new supercharged Gen 3 Coyote option.

The new Roush-developed engine is good for 710 hp and 610 lb-ft with the use of a 2,650 cc Eaton TVS 2650 supercharger. On the subject of the new and improved mill in the company’s GT500, Revology founder and CEO Tom Scarpello commented that “you don’t buy one of these to go from point A to B as fast as possible, you buy it for the experience. The Revology Shelby GT500 delivers a driving experience like no other car."

Another set of reborn classics that caught our eye were a pair of hand-built Euros from Pini Automobili of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Texas. Specializing in scratch-built cars with original drivelines, Pini was displaying a familiar Maserati 450S, which we covered here back in December of ’17, along with a BMW 507 replica. The cars were both based on tubular chassis with aluminum bodywork, with V8 engines from their respective OEMs. We also snagged some literature from them that showed a stunning Maserati A6GCS/53 replica, emulating the famous chassis No. 2070 in its unique blue two-tone paint.

The list of fantastic autos at the event just goes on and on, from an original 904 Carrera GTS to a Lancia Stratos rally car, Devin-bodied Porsche racer and a genuine 1966 Ford GT40 “lightweight.” The 289-powered car was built and tested by Alan Mann racing, but Ford soon intervened, ordering Mann to abandon these lightweight racers in favor of its big-block Mk IIs. While at a designated loading area a few miles from the concours, we witnessed the lightweight GT40 emerge from a somewhat underwhelming small trailer and mused aloud whether it was an original or not. Well shady trailer and all, this baby was legit.

There is still a handful of significant cars we plan to bring you in the coming weeks in their own mini features, including a fresh Victress S1A and Corvette Grand Sport No. 004, so stay tuned.