top five rare classic cars from pebble beach concours d'elegance 2019

from futuristic concepts to rare car designs, the world of motoring descends upon monterey, california every year, and 2019 amazed once more. the spectacular showcase ranges from legendary races, scenic tours and private auctions but always climaxes with the pebble beach concours d’elegance at the end of the week. including one-off designs and historic winning sports cars, the exclusive event places the world’s very best and rarest automobiles on the 18th hole of the golf course. designboom hand-picks our five favorite from the line-up.

1956 ferrari 250 GT zagato berlinetta speciale

category: zagato centennial postwar

entrant: david and ginny sydorick (california, USA)

winner: second place in best in class

image courtesy of pebble beach concours d’elegance © kimball studios
(main image: 1952 siata 208S
image courtesy of rolex © tom o’neal)

all but five of the ferrari 250 gt long-wheelbase chassis were bodied by sergio scaglietti; zagato designed and built the five exceptions, with each one subtly unique. the result is a masterful blend of form, function, colors, proportions and stance, where discrete designs details delight throughout. the rear fenders form broad shoulders while the roofline is light and equally as bowed. the stylish sculpture is perfected with an artistically subtle ‘Z’ shape at the rear roof pillar.

image © designboom

1931 bentley 8 litre gurney nutting sports tourer

category: bentley centennial 8 litre

entrant: sir michael kadoorie (hong kong)

winner: best of show

image courtesy of pebble beach concours d’elegance © kimball studios

with the brand celebrating its 100 year anniversary, it was always fitting that a bentley took home the ‘best of show’ at the concours in 2019. the 8 litre was basically an enlarged version of the speed six and a new and lower chassis, which was designed to compete with the new rolls-royce phanton II. the first 8 litres appeared at the olympia motor show in october 1930 and created a sensation. with its dual cowl and detachable rear windscreen, the sports tourer was one of two short-chassis 8 litres built with its gurney nutting body style, and now the sole surviving example.

image courtesy of pebble beach concours d’elegance © kimball studios

1927 mercedes-benz model K fleetwood roadster

category: mercedes-benz prewar

entrant: michael and joannie rich (pennsylvania, USA)

winner: second place in best in class

image courtesy of pebble beach concours d’elegance © kimball studios

back in 1926, the mercedes-benz model K became the world’s fastest touring car with a top speed of nearly 100 mph. the letter ‘K’ stood for ‘kurz’ or short in english, as it used a shortened chassis based on the mercedes-benz 24/100/140 hp. the body for this unique model K was ordered by william sloan of rochester, new york, after seeing the isotta fraschini roadster bodied by fleetwood for rudolph valentino at the 1926 new york auto salon. with its eye-catching exterior of green, the car displays intricate details up close: grooved metal plates, polished dashboard instruments, and even branded foot pedals.

image © designboom

1960 ferrari 400 superamerica pininfarina aerodynamica coupe series I

category: ferrari grand touring

entrant: the patterson collection (kentucky, USA)

winner: second place in best in class

image courtesy of pebble beach concours d’elegance © kimball studios

replacing the 410 model, each ferrari 400 superamerica was specifically built to order, with no two cars being exactly alike. beneath the body, the series I was powered by a 4-liter V12 engine derived from the 250 GT, and the chassis was a shortened version of the earlier 410. this car’s client specified a number of special features, including several engine modifications as well as the addition of small wheel spats over the rear wheel arches. ferrari was so proud of the uniquely styled yet fast car that it was showed at the 1961 geneva motor show and, later that year, at the paris auto salon.

1932 mercedes-benz SSKL avus race car

category: mercedes-benz prewar

entrant: mercedes-benz museum (stuttgart, germany)

as a highlight of our pre-coverage of the monterey car week, the 1932 mercedes-benz SSKL avus race car completed a small tour down the californian coast. the vehicle is the fourth and final S-series and, with a 7.1-liter, 6-cylinder, it was designed for outright competition thanks to its entire frame drilled to reduce weight. furthermore, aerodynamics expert baron koenig-fachsenfeld persuaded racing driver manfred von brauchitsch to have his own SSKL fitted with this new streamlined body. with its unpainted silver body, the car went on to win the international avusrenen race in berlin, largely due to the streamlining that gave it an extra 12 mph.