Weekly auto agenda: Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance

The Geneva Motor Show closes this weekend after a 10-day run and attention switches from new cars to classic models at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Then, it's looking ahead to the Bangkok Motor Show, which gets underway in Thailand March 25 ahead of the high-profile show in Seoul, Korea at the start of April.

81st Geneva International Motor Show
March 3-13
Geneva, Switzerland

The first major show of the year in Europe, Geneva traditionally hosts unveilings from a raft of high-profile European automakers, and manufacturers from other countries. This year's show emphasizes the environment, with a 3,000 sq. meter Green Pavilion and Green Test Drives using environmentally-friendly cars. Over 690,000 visitors attended in 2010.
http://www.salon-auto.ch

16th Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
March 11-13
Amelia Island, FL, USA

The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is ranked among the top four competitions in the US, attracting classic car fans from across the country. This year's event features Duesenberg, Allard and Kurtis vehicles and Indy 500 star Bobby Rahal is the honorary chairman.
https://www.ameliaconcours.org/

Bahrain Grand Prix (cancelled)
March 13
Sakhir Circuit, Bahrain

Due to unrest in the region, the Bahrain Grand Prix has been cancelled. The 2011 season now begins in Australia in Melbourne, which gets underway March 27. Pre-season testing, which has taken place in Barcelona, will finish with a final round March 8-11.
http://www.formula1.com

32nd Bangkok Motor Show
March 25 - April 5
Bangkok, Thailand

Some new models for Thailand's rapidly growing car market are expected to be unveiled at this year's Bangkok Motor Show. The event will focus on innovation, as well as hosting the annual Miss Motorshow award ceremony.
http://www.grandprixgroup.com/motorshow/default.aspx

Australian Grand Prix
March 27
Melbourne, Australia

The season gets underway in Melbourne this year, after the cancellation of Bahrain's opener earlier in the month. This year will see the reintroduction of Pirelli as a tire supplier (potentially changing pit stop strategy) and the use of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) boosters, bringing hybrid power to several teams' cars for the first time.
http://www.formula1.com

8th Korean International Motor Show
April 1-10
Seoul, Korea

The Korean Motor Show hosts several high-profile unveilings from major Korean automakers such as Hyundai, Kia, Ssangyong and GM Daewoo. Over 1 million visitors are expected to attend this year's show, which is run in conjunction with several seminars on the automotive industry.
http://www.motorshow.or.kr/