On August 20, 2023, the crème de la chrome once again met in the USA for the annual Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach. The 72nd edition of this "Super Bowl" of the classic car world took place as usual at Monterey Car Week. A total of 216 automotive treasures, numerous celebrities and thousands of onlookers gathered on the extensive grounds of the Pebble Beach Golf Resort.
Magical start
Even before sunrise, the classic beauties flocked to the hallowed turf of Carmel Bay. Shrouded in the early morning mist, the cars rolled onto the eighteenth fairway to line up along the Pacific coast. Once again this year, a large audience did not miss this atmospheric spectacle and lined the edges of Cypress Drive in Pebble Beach early in the morning.
Elegance and celebrities
The visitors were not disappointed. Among the participants were many familiar faces and unique classics.
Everything was represented in a total of 24 categories, from antique vehicles over 100 years old to racing cars and American classics.
Mercedes-Benz 540K in third place
The coveted "Best of Show" trophy once again went to a pre-war vehicle this year. For the third time after 1973 and 2021, a Mercedes-Benz 540K won over the jury - a record.
After the Special Cabriolet A and Autobahnkurier, this year's winner was a 540K Special Roadster from 1937, which was once built for the Shah of Afghanistan. Today, the gem is owned by the Patterson Collection in Louisville, Kentucky.
Victory of the stars
This year's victory marked another record. A Mercedes-Benz has already claimed the title of "Best of Show" at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance a total of ten times
The Stuttgart-based company thus overtook Bugatti to become the sole record holder. They previously shared the title with Molsheim, who have nine victories to date.
Swiss successes
Two Swiss participants were also among the successful drivers at this year's Concours d'Elegance. The 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante from Fritz Burkard's The Pearl Collection was voted the most beautiful of the Bugatti 57s by the demanding jury.
In addition, the 1952 Ferrari 225S Vignale Coupé of Arnold Meier from Zollikon took second place in the M-2 class among the classic racehorses from Maranello.
The 1938 Horch 855 Special Roadster from PS-Speicher Einbeck was honored with third place in the J-2 European Classic Touring class. And the 1930 Mercedes-Benz 710 SS Special Roadster from the Auriga Collection in Germany won in the I-2 Mercedes-Benz SS & SSK class.
Anniversaries in sporty dress
The sixtieth anniversary of the sports car manufacturers Lamborghini and Mclaren and 75 years of Porsche were also honored in Pebble Beach with special categories. The McLaren MP4/4-2 Monoposto was particularly eye-catching.
It made for a rather unusual sight at Pebble Beach during the Parade of Elegance. The English Formula 1 car took second place in its category. Much to the delight of Amanda McLaren, the only daughter of company founder Bruce McLaren.
Prominent jurors
The coveted trophies were once again awarded this year under the direction of Chief Judge Chris Bock. The judges also included some illustrious names
In addition to the aforementioned Amanda Mclaren, motorsport legend Gordon Murray, well-known Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni and five-time British Le Mans winner Derek Bell also judged vehicles.
Museum pieces in motion
Before the Concours d'Elegance, the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance took place on Thursday. Participants completed a round trip from Pebble Beach along Highway One to Big Sur and back again.
These seventeen miles can tip the scales in favor of a vehicle in the event of a tie by the jury. This is intended to encourage vehicle owners to move their expensive treasures. After all, the Concours d'Elegance is a competition between vehicles. The Tour d'Elegance is therefore a rare opportunity for the public to enjoy these automotive museum pieces on the road with all their senses.
List of winners by category
BEST OF SHOW
1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster - Jim Patterson/The Patterson Collection, Louisville, Kentucky
Class A-1: Antique
1st: 1910 Stearns 30/60 Touring - Stu Laidlaw & Kirk Bewley, Bolivia, North Carolina
2nd: 1912 Simplex 50 HP Quinby 5 Passenger Torpedo Tourer - The Singleton Collection, Newport Beach, California
3rd: 1910 Pope-Hartford Model T Touring - Joe & Janice Conzonire, San Marino, California
Class A-2: Vanderbilt Cup Era Race Cars
1st: 1910 Fiat S61 Grand Prix - William Evans, San Diego, California
2nd: 1911 Fiat S74 Grand Prix - George F. Wingard, Eugene, Oregon
3rd: 1908 Benz 105 HP Prinz Heinrich Two Seat Race Car - Bruce McCaw, Redmond, Washington
Class C-1: American Classic Open
1st: 1929 Cord L-29 Cabriolet - Greg Ornazian, Troy, Michigan
2nd: 1937 Cord 812 Sportsman Convertible Coupe - Dr. Scott & Susy Living Spiro. Scott & Susy Spiro, Livingston, New Jersey
3rd: 1931 Cadillac 452 Fleetwood Convertible Coupe - Bill & Patti Spurling, Evansville, Indiana
Class C-2: American Classic Closed
1st: 1932 Pierce-Arrow 51 LeBaron Sport Coupe - Ross & Beth Myers, Periomenville, Pennsylvania
2nd: 1934 Cadillac 452D Fleetwood Coupe - Donald Ghareeb, Vestavia Hills, Alabama
3rd: 1931 Packard 840 Custom Eight All Weather Town Landaulet - Mark & Vicki Smucker, Goshen, Indiana
Class D: Packard
1st: 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Phaeton - John D. Groendyke, Enid, Oklahoma
2nd: 1934 Packard 1106 Twelve LeBaron Runabout Speedster - William Lyon Family, Coto de Caza, California
3rd: 1933 Packard 1005 Twelve Convertible Victoria - Chuck Spielman, La Jolla, California
Class E-1: Figoni Centennial 1923-1937
1st: 1937 Talbot-Lago T150 C-SS Figoni et Falaschi Teardrop Coupé - Lee R. Anderson Sr., Naples, Florida
2nd: 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Figoni Coupé - David & Adele Cohen, West Vancouver, Canada
3rd: 1937 Delahaye 135 MS Figoni et Falaschi Special Roadster - Miles Collier Collection at Revs Institute, Naples, Florida
Class E-2: Figoni Centennial 1938 - 1948
1st: 1939 Delahaye 165 Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet - Peter Mullin Automotive Museum Foundation, Oxnard, California
2nd: 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C Figoni et Falaschi Coupé - Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California
3rd: 1947 Delahaye 135 MS Figoni et Falaschi Narval Cabriolet - Dana & Patti Mecum, Geneva Lake, Wisconsin
Class G: Duesenberg
1st: 1929 Duesenberg J Murphy Dual Cowl Phaeton - Rob & Jeannie Hilarides, Visalia, California
2nd: 1936 Duesenberg SJN Rollston Convertible Coupe - The Nethercutt Collection/Helen & Jack Nethercutt, Sylmar, California
3rd: 1929 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan - Thomas Maoli, Mendham, New Jersey
Class H: Rolls-Royce Prewar
1st: 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Barker Torpedo Sports - Bradley Greene, San Carlos, California
2nd: 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall - Laura & Jack Boyd Smith Jr., Elkhart, Indiana
3rd: 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Vanden Plas Torpedo - John & Mary Campbell, Woodinville, Washington
Class I-1: Mercedes-Benz S
1st: 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Gläser Sports Tourer - John Bentley, Harrogate, United Kingdom
2nd: 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Murphy Speedster - John Rich, Gilberton, Pennsylvania
3rd: 1929 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Gangloff Tourer - Robert Kudela, Chropynĕ, Czech Republic
Class I-2: Mercedes-Benz SS & SSK
1st: 1930 Mercedes-Benz 710 SS Special Roadster - Auriga Collection, Germany
2nd: 1929 Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Barker Roadster - Miles Collier Collection at Revs Institute, Naples, Florida
3rd: 1928 Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Sport Two Seater - John Houlihan, Ireland
Class J-1: European Classic Sport
1st: 1932 Talbot AV105 Fox and Nicholl Vanden Plas Tourer - Richard Lisman, New York, New York
2nd: 1937 BMW 326 Erdmann & Rossi Cabriolet -Karra L. Canum, San Jose, California
3rd: 1937 Talbot BI 105 Darracq Airline Saloon - Charlie Elliott, Chelmsford, United Kingdom
Class J-2: European Classic Touring
1st: 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster - Jim Patterson/The Patterson Collection, Louisville, Kentucky
2nd: 1936 Hispano-Suiza J-12 Saoutchik Cabriolet - The Keller Collection at the Pyramids, Petaluma, California
3rd: 1938 Horch 855 Special Roadster - PS-Speicher Einbeck, Einbeck, Germany
Class K: Bugatti Type 57
1st: 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante - The Pearl Collection/Fritz Burkard, Switzerland
2nd: 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Vanvooren Cabriolet - Bill Pope, Scottsdale, Arizona
3rd: 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante - William E. Connor Family, Hong Kong
Class L-1: Prewar Preservation
1st: 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto Figoni Cabriolet - Care of Gregor Fisken, Private Collection, London, United Kingdom
2nd: 1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Barker Tourer - Theodore Reimel, Wayne, Pennsylvania
3rd: 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Brewster Tourer - David & Dawn Gooding/Ahrens, Santa Monica, California
Class L-2: Postwar Preservation
1st: 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster - Ann M. Fagan, Briarcliff Manor, New York
2nd: 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Cabriolet - The Anne Brockinton Lee/Robert M. Lee Automobile Collection, Sparks, Nevada
3rd: 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster - Peter Klutt, Halton Hills, Canada
Class M-1: Ferrari Grand Touring
1st: 1953 Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Coupe - Kim & Stephen Bruno, Boca Raton, Florida
2nd: 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Pininfarina Coupe Aerodinamico - Kevin Cogan/Cogan Collection, Louisville, Kentucky
3rd: 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC Pininfarina Coupe Speciale - Lee & Joan Herrington/The Herrington Collection, Bow, New Hampshire
Class M-2: Ferrari Competition
1st: 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Scaglietti Barchetta - Andrew Pisker, Principality of Monaco
2nd: 1952 Ferrari 225S Vignale Coupe - Arnold Meier, Zollikon, Switzerland
3rd: 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Scaglietti Berlinetta - Stu Carpenter, Needham, Massachusetts
Class N: Pegaso
1st: 1952 Pegaso Z-102 Tibidabo Touring Spyder - Daniel Sielecki, Punta del este, Uruguay
2nd: 1954 Pegaso Z-102 Touring Coupe - Robert Bishop, Palm Beach, Florida
3rd: 1953 Pegaso Z-102 Touring Coupe - Nicholas & Shelley Schorsch, Newport, Rhode Island
Class O-1: Postwar Sports Racing
1st: 1965 Ford GT40 Mk I - William H. & Cheryl K. Swanson, Pebble Beach, California
2nd: 1957 Maserati 200SI Fantuzzi Spyder - Jonathan & Wendy Segal, San Diego, California
3rd: 1955 Jaguar D-type - Bill Rooklidge, Laguna Beach, California
Class O-2: Postwar Touring
1st: 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Coupé - Alberto Gutierrez, Albuquerque, New Mexico
2nd: 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Bertone Coupé - Jim Utaski, Skillman, New Jersey
3rd: 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing - Dr. C.R. Bonebrake & Hon. Rebecca Crotty, Topeka, Kansas
Class O-3: Postwar Luxury
1st: 1955 Imperial Convertible - David & Teresa Disiere, Southlake, Texas
2nd: 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Cabriolet - McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas
3rd: 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Cabriolet - Craig Kappel & Meg McCarthy, Chatham, Massachusetts
Class O-4: Postwar British Luxury
1st: 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I "Honeymoon Express" Freestone & Webb Drophead Coupé - The Anne Brockinton Lee/Robert M. Lee Automobile Collection, Sparks, Nevada
2nd: 1956 Bentley S1 Continental Park Ward Drophead Coupé - David Wilkie, Sydney, Australia
3rd: 1952 Bentley R-Type Continental H.J. Mulliner Fastback Saloon - Charles L. Marshall II, Dayton, Ohio
Class P: Lamborghini 60th Anniversary
1st: 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Coupé - Raphael Gabay, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2nd: 1971 Lamborghini Espada Series 2 Bertone Coupé - Steve Girard, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
3rd: 1994 Lamborghini Diablo SE30 Coupé - Robert Cleary, Elmira, New York
Class R: McLaren 60th Anniversary
1st: 1967 McLaren M6A Can-Am Race Car - Richard Griot, Tacoma, Washington
2nd: 1988 McLaren MP4/4-2 Formula 1 Race Car - Mouse Motors, Chicago, Illinois
3rd: 1995 McLaren F1 Coupe - Chris & Ann Cox, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Class S: Porsche 75th Anniversary
1st: 1963 Porsche 901 Prototype "Quickblau" Karmann/Reutter Coupe - Alois Ruf, Pfaffenhausen, Germany
2nd: 1972 Porsche 916 Karmann Coupe - Todd Blue/LAPIS, Malibu, California
3rd: 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS Touring Coupe - Private Collector, Memphis, Tennessee
Class V: American Dream Cars of the 1950s
1st: 1953 Kurtis Sorrell SR-100 Roadster -Mark & Newie Brinker, Houston, Texas
2nd: 1954 Edwards America Convertible - Gary & Cathy Edwards, Spring Branch, Texas
3rd: 1952 Fageol Pataray Roadster - Mark & Newie Brinker, Houston, Texas























































































































































































































