Editors' Picks -- 5 days ago
Words: Chris Lilly
There are few tougher assignments than writing a piece about the ten most striking cars from the Pebble Beach Automotive Week. Having to whittle the choice down to such a small number is guaranteed to leave some iconic machines out but, one thing is for sure, the chosen few are rather special indeed.
FERRARI 375 MM SCAGLIETTI , , The first mentioned has to be the winner of the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance really doesn’t it? The 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe that took first prize was originally built for Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini. The first post-war car to win since 1968, the coachbuilt Ferrari was clearly a worthy winner.
JAGUAR XK 120, , The XK 120 picked has one of the most valuable attributes – provenance. In 1953, with Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis behind the wheel, the XK 120 took a world speed record for a flying mile at Jabbeke in Belgium. With the bubble roof and Fifties attempts at aerodynamics, it manages to look quite different to the standard XK 120 but retains many of its graceful lines.
JAGUAR E-TYPE, , Sticking with the Coventry-based marque, this pick is a bit of a cheat since it allows mention of two cars in one. As can be found elsewhere on The Gentleman’s Journal, Jaguar Historic revealed a ‘new’ Lightweight E-Type to the public at Pebble Beach, although there can never be a list of the world’s most beautiful cars without mention of the classic version. Given that Enzo Ferrari called it ‘the most beautiful car ever made’ you can’t go far wrong.
MASERATI 250 F, , The Maserati 250 F is not only one of the most successful Formula 1 cars of all time, it also happens to be one of the most striking. In its pomp it was driven by the likes of Sir Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio – including the latter’s infamous 1957 Nurburgring German GP triumph, after which Fangio himself commented: ‘I have never driven that quickly before in my life and I don’t think I will ever be able to do it again.’
BUGATTI TYPE 35 GRAND PRIX, , Ettore Bugatti had an almost unique ability to make focussed machinery look beautiful. This can clearly be seen in the almost delicate looking Type 35, which was a highly successful racer thanks to its light weight and functional design.
MERCEDES-BENZ 540 K STREAMLINER , , In a list of extremely rare cars, the Mercedes 540 K Streamliner stands out as being one of a kind. Re-built by the German manufacturer, the 1938 coupe was well ahead of its time. With a drag coefficient that is still highly impressive, it was originally built in Mercedes’ special vehicle production plant as an example of what the firm could do.
ASTON MARTIN DB3S, , One of the most graceful looking racing cars of all time, the Aston was successfully driven by some great drivers. The likes of Moss, Tony Brooks and Carroll Shelby all took the DB3S to victory around Britain though it proved unsuccessful at Le Mans. Only 31 cars were ever made and one of them took a prize at last year’s Concours event.
FERRARI 250 GTO, , Causing headlines around the world, the Ferrari 250 GTO at Pebble Beach sold for a world record $38.1 million. Although a price closer to $50 million had been expected, the 250 GTO still smashed the previous record held by a Mercedes W196 sold last year. Extremely rare and stylish, it remains the last front-engined competition coupe built by Ferrari.
MCLAREN P1 GTR, , It’s not just classic machines that are present at Pebble Beach. McLaren chose the California-based event to launch the P1 GTR, which will largely be produced as a competitive racing car. With 1,000hp from the hybrid powerplant, the track-focused P1 mirrors what McLaren did with the F1 two decades ago. The F1 GTR went on to take victories at Le Mans and other races and similar will surely be expected from the P1.
MERCEDES-BENZ AMG VISION GT, , Likewise, the Pebble Beach event isn’t restricted to modern cars, as concept cars are also welcomed. Mercedes took along the fantastic looking Vision GT, which was designed for the Gran Turismo 6 Playstation game. Low, sleek and aggressive in its styling, the Mercedes is every-inch the modern hypercar and features large amounts of high-tech materials – and the all-important gullwing doors.
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