Few could have guessed the shock winner of the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on 17 August when the final three cars gathered for the Best in Show announcement. Jon Shirley's Ferrari 375MM Scaglietti Coupé lined up with Lord Bamford's magnificent Rolls-Royce Phantom III, and the 1934 Packard Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria of Frank Ricciardelli.
The post-war beauty looked a mystery intruder. But, to everyone's amazement, the silver 1954 Ferrari was the last called up for the coveted prize. None were more surprised than owner Shirley. Not since 1968 has a post-war car won the world's greatest concours, when a new Maserati Mistral Coupé took top honours.
"It is a rare and unusual car which created a real buzz with the judges," said chief judge Christopher Bock. "We hope this will set the tone for things to come."
The car was ordered new by film director Roberto Rossollini, who had it rebodied as a coupé by Scaglietti after the first Spider body was destroyed in an accident. It appeared at Pebble Beach in 1998 where it only won its class, but was never a Best of Show contender due to the event's tradition of only pre-war cars taking the top gong.
This year's event was rated as one of the vintage years, with its fantastic range of special groups including Tatras, Ferrari Testa Rossas (below), Ruxtons (two below), and Fernandez et Darrin coackwork (above).
Three British restorations were tipped for the top award, Michael Kadoorie's 1939 Talbot-Lago T150C Pourto Coupé, John McCaw's Bentley Speed Six Soutchik Drophead Coupé and Lord Bamford's Rolls-Royce Phantom III Vanvooren Sports Cabriolet, which built for the Polish general Sikorski – all were class winners.
