Space-age Lancia prototype stuns crowds at The Quail

1950s concept takes the overall crown

It takes a remarkable car to win Best of Show at The Quail. 

The what? The Quail: Monterey Car Week’s exclusively glitzy golf course gathering – an event fuelled by oysters, champagne and countless classic cars.

Between boozing and schmoozing, the wealthy guests (tickets cost upwards of $950) get to enjoy a sumptuous spread of automotive delights – from brand-new supercars to priceless classics.

And the best of the lot wins, naturally, the Best in Show award – which this year went to a remarkable Lancia prototype straight out of the ’50s. 

Rival in red

Competition was fierce for the overall Quail crown, with the likes of a 1958 Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa in the running.

Winner winner

Elsewhere, a 1966 Lamborghini 400GT – winner of the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours earlier in the week – took home a class win.

Perfection, multiplied

Similarly, a fleet of post-war sports cars were on show, including a concours-standard 1964 Triumph Spitfire 4, a 1966 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1A and a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB – all correct down to the last nut and bolt.

Quirky collection

Also on the green was a BMW Neue Klasse that had covered in excess of 500,000 miles and a bonkers 1971 Honda TN3 Super Deluxe.

Jet-age appeal

But none could do enough to draw attention from a rarely seen and truly captivating study of jet-era design from the collection of Anne Lee.

Showstopper

The striking 1953 Lancia Aurelia PF200C Spider by Pinin Farina stole the show on 24 August, capturing the imagination of show-goers with its swooping lines and torpedo-like body.

Rarity among rarities

Displayed at the Geneva and Turin Motor Shows in 1953, the unique concept car was built by Italian coachbuilder Pinin Farina on the chassis of an Aurelia B52 – itself a rare model, with just 98 examples built.

Aerospace automobile

Pinin Farina’s design was clearly influenced by the aircraft of the age – most notably in the circular air intake on the nose, wrapped in chrome and reminiscent of a jet engine.

Three of a kind

Just three open-top examples of the PF200 concept are believed to have been built, including the one shown at The Quail – which is the only one to carry a nose badge reading ‘pf200 C’.

Badge of honour

It also carries a plaque on the dashboard commemorating the Grand Prize Honor it was awarded at the Stresa International Concours d’Elegance in September 1953.

Million-dollar machine

Sold at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in 2014 for $1.1m (£900,000), this year the car returned to Pebble Beach not to be sold but to be shown by its current custodian, Anne Lee.

Sweeping the floor

Already an award-winner (including class wins at the 2013 Concours d’Elegance of America, 2014 Amelia Island and 2015 Villa d’Este), the PF200 proved a popular winner of the Best of Show honours at The Quail.

Popular prize-winner

“I’m delighted to be the thorn next to Anne Rose, whose late husband, Bob Lee, had a car here a number of years ago (winning in 2006 and 2012), and who came often as Anne is doing now,” said event chief Sir Michael Kadoorie. “I’m delighted to see that you’ve won today.”