This Is the Luxe Car That Won the Pebble Beach Best of Show
Learn more about the custom-bodied cabriolet that topped a Rolls-Royce, Delahaye, and Abarth for the prize.
The coveted “Best of Show” prize at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show of the world’s most incredible classic cars went to a 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Cabriolet. The Swiss coachbuilder Worblaufen designed a custom body for the car, with the finished result displayed at the 1932 Geneva motor show. The car won the Grand Prix d’Honneur at Cannes the following year, so this Isotta Fraschini has an award-winning pedigree.
“From the moment that Cesare Isotta and the Fraschini brothers founded their company, they were known for building prestigious cars, and this particular car is very stylish and very powerful,” noted Concours chairman Sandra Button. “Even when resting on the stage, it seems to be in motion, and it is filled with emotion. There is a lot of passion in this car.”
The three other finalists for top honors were a 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Kellner Torpedo Phaeton, a 1953 Abarth 1100 Sport Ghia Coupe, and a 1937 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet.
The classic car experts at Hagerty Insurance report that the 110-horsepower car was guaranteed to attain 150 kph (93 mph) despite its 22 feet and two tons of mass.
Owner Jim Patterson, the Louisville, Ky. founder of Long John Silvers, finds delight in the car’s small details. He points out the car’s cigarette lighters, which blistered his finger when he decided to test one of them.
For up-to-the-minute car coverage, follow @MaximRides on Twitter.
Photos by Lee Ann Seber Holm
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