The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is unlike any other motoring event in the world. Each August, the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links transforms into a living museum of history, where collectors, enthusiasts and photographers flock to see their beloved machines that were once posters on their wall.
This year’s Concours welcomed 229 cars, with 55 international entries from 22 countries and 174 from across the United States. But the festivities began a few days earlier with the Tour d’Elegance, which is a 70-mile drive along California’s coastal roads that gave many of these historic cars the chance to prove they’re still capable of covering the miles.
But all eyes were on the main event, including ours. Here are our favourite cars from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport-Astra Torpedo
Shown by Penny and Lee Anderson Sr. of Naples, Florida, the Hispano-Suiza H6C was the star of the show, taking home Best of Show honours. This car was originally commissioned by French aviator and aperitif heir André Dubonnet, who raced it in the Targa Florio and Coppa Florio during the 1920s.
Known as the “Tulipwood Torpedo,” the car’s body is constructed from mahogany planks riveted together with over 8,500 small fasteners, weighing only 160 pounds in total. The Andersons carefully restored it to its original specification after a later owner had added pontoon fenders.
For Lee Anderson, who collects wooden boats, the Hispano-Suiza spoke to his passion: “I like wood! When I saw this, I thought, my gosh, this is right in my wheelhouse.” This is the Andersons’ second Best of Show win, following their 1932 Duesenberg J victory in 2022.
1939 Maybach SW37 Spohn Sport Zweisitzer
Presented by Dana and Patti Mecum of Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, this pre-war German roadster drew plenty of attention. Built by the Spohn coachworks in Ravensburg, the SW37 was powered by a 3.5-litre straight-six with a Maybach-designed overdrive system, giving it impressive long-distance touring ability.
The Spohn Sport Zweisitzer was all about luxury and exclusivity, and only a handful were made, with each body built to order. The Mecums’ example is finished in a two-tone paint scheme with sweeping wings and chrome details that captured the late-1930s version of elegance. At Pebble Beach, it stood out as one of the finest survivors of its type.
1933 Invicta 4½-Litre S-Type Corsica Drophead Coupé
Invicta may not be as well-known today as Bentley or Rolls-Royce, but in the 1930s it produced some of Britain’s most advanced sporting cars. The S-Type chassis, with its low stance and rigid construction, was especially admired for its ability to combine speed with refinement.
This Corsica-bodied drophead was shown by SBH and Riffa of Bahrain, bringing a distinctly international flavour to the event. It’s a rarity, as Invicta only built around 75 S-Types, so seeing it driven in the Tour d’Elegance was definitely a highlight.
1956 Maserati 200SI Fantuzzi Open Sports Racer
Philip Sarofim of Beverly Hills presented this beautiful Maserati 200SI, a pure sports racing car from the golden age of Italian competition. The 200SI featured a 2-litre, four-cylinder engine derived from Maserati’s Formula 2 programme, producing around 190 horsepower in a lightweight Fantuzzi body.
Cars like this competed in endurance races including the Mille Miglia, Nürburgring, and Sebring 12 Hours. What makes Sarofim’s example special is not only its provenance but also its condition, restored to period racing trim, it looked ready to take on another Italian road race.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione
Not an official Concours entry, but arguably the weekend’s most talked-about car, this Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider became the most expensive car sold at an auction by Gooding & Company, the official Pebble Beach auction house, it fetched $25 million.
This particular Spider was built in competition specification, meaning it had a lightweight body, hotter engine tuning, and track-ready brakes and suspension. Only a handful of California Spiders were built to this spec, making it one of the rarest of all Ferrari road cars. Sheer Beauty, racing prestige and desirability are all the ingredients that car collectors love, and this car has all that.
1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Brewster Henley Roadster
The Lehrman Collection of Palm Beach, Florida, brought this magnificent Phantom II to Pebble Beach. Built on the long-wheelbase chassis, the Henley Roadster body by Brewster gave the car a low, flowing appearance that was unusually sporty for a Rolls-Royce of its time.
The Phantom II was powered by a 7.7-litre straight-six, capable of silent and effortless cruising at high speeds. In America, Brewster coachworks was considered the finest partner for Rolls-Royce, and this car demonstrates why: the craftsmanship is flawless, with sweeping fenders and a cut-down door line that gives the car a rakish stance.
1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atlante Rolltop Coupé
The Pearl Collection of Zug, Switzerland, presented this spectacular Bugatti. The Type 57 was the foundation for some of Jean Bugatti’s greatest designs, including the Atlantic and Atalante. The Atlante coupé, with its distinctive roll-top roofline, was among the rarest versions, Ralph Lauren a notable owner.
This car stood out for its preservation and attention to detail. Finished in a deep shade of blue with polished chrome accents, it reminded spectators why Bugatti of the 1930s is still considered the height of automotive artistry. The Type 57’s straight-eight engine also ensured it had the performance to match its looks.
1989 Ferrari 640 Formula 1
Few modern machines make it to Pebble Beach, but the Ferrari 640 F1 from Simon Furlonger and Egon Zweimüller of Austria was an exception worth making. This was the car in which Nigel Mansell won his first race for Ferrari, debuting the now-famous semi-automatic paddle-shift gearbox.
Designed by John Barnard, the 640 was a technical revolution in Formula 1. Its 3.5-litre V12 produced over 650 horsepower, and though reliability was fragile, its gearbox technology changed the sport forever.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Sunroof Coupé
Craig Kappel and Meg McCarthy of Orlando, Florida, showed this elegant Mercedes-Benz 300 S. Built in very limited numbers between 1951 and 1958, the 300 S was the most luxurious touring car Mercedes offered at the time, combining hand-built quality with advanced engineering.
The Sunroof Coupé variant was especially rare, with a full-length sliding roof that gave an open-air feel without sacrificing refinement. Powered by a smooth straight-six and fitted with the finest leather and wood trim, it was aimed at Europe’s elite. At Pebble Beach, this car looked as sophisticated today as it did seventy years ago.
1957 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta
To round out our list, we couldn’t ignore one of the great competition Ferraris of the 1950s. Several examples appeared at Pebble Beach this year, each with its own history. Named after Ferrari’s victories in the Tour de France road race, these berlinettas combined lightweight alloy bodies with the legendary Colombo V12 engine.
Collectors prize them not only for their performance but also for their variety, Scaglietti built multiple body styles, making each example slightly different. On the fairway, they embodied the spirit of competition Ferraris at their purest.
Honourable Mentions
1958 Ferrari Testa Rossa Scaglietti Spyder
1952 Jaguar C-Type
1950 Land Rover Series I 80 Soft Top
1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Bertone Coupe
1927 Bentley 4-1/2 Litre Vanden Plas Sports 4-Seater
Beyond the concours trophies and the auction records, Pebble Beach is about celebrating the culture of the automobile. This year’s event raised more than $4 million for charity, bringing the total since the Concours began to over $40 million. More than 100 local non-profits benefit, particularly those supporting youth education, impacting the lives of over 10,000 children annually in Monterey County.