The 65th annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance returned to the classics Sunday with its best of show winner, a spectacular 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A cabriolet that stood apart from among more than 200 of the world’s greatest vintage cars.
For seasoned concours veterans, the victory by the Italian classic convertible was a return to normal after a stunning victory last year by a coachbuilt 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti, the first Ferrari to win Pebble and the first post-war car to do so since 1968, and it had been since 1954 before that.
A 1953 Abarth 1100 Sport Ghia coupe was a finalist for best of showThere was much hand wringing in the aftermath that things would never be the same after the Ferrari was crowned, but the win by the Isotta showed that tradition endures, only richer and more inclusive.
The Isotta Fraschini, owned by Jim Patterson of Louisville, Kentucky, was rebodied in 1933 by Carrosserie Worblaufen as a long-wheelbase sport cabriolet and was presented at the 1932 Geneva Auto Show. It reportedly has been in the possession of only four owners since new.
The car was restored recently by RM Restorations, and it marks the sixth win at Pebble by an RM car, tying the Nethercutt Collection’s record of six best-of-show winners.
This is the second Pebble Beach Concours victory for Patterson, the head of the Patterson Collection of Louisville. In 2010, his 1933 Delage D8S roadster was awarded best of show.
Patterson noted in remarks after the award ceremony Sunday that his Delage was an all-white car while the Isotta Fraschini is black.
Complete list of 2015 Pebble Beach Concours winners
Best of Show
1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A F. Ramseier & Cie Worblaufen Cabriolet Jim Patterson/The Patterson Collection, Louisville, Kentucky
Best of Show Nominees
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Kellner Torpedo Phaeton
Doug Magee Jr., Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
1937 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet
Sam & Emily Mann, Englewood, New Jersey
1953 Abarth 1100 Sport Ghia Coupé
Grant Kinzel, Calgary Alberta, Canada
Most Elegant Awards
J.B. & Dorothy Nethercutt Most Elegant Closed Car
1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Figoni & Falaschi Pillarless Berline Don Williams, Danville, California
Gwenn Graham Most Elegant Convertible
1937 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet
Sam & Emily Mann, Englewood, New Jersey
Most Elegant Open Car
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Kellner Torpedo Phaeton
Doug Magee Jr., Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Strother MacMinn Most Elegant Sports Car
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta
Jon Shirley, Medina, Washington
Special Awards
Alec Ulmann Trophy
1929 Hispano-Suiza H6B Hibbard & Darrin Cabriolet de VIlle
H. Hulsbergen, Freienbach, Switzerland
Ansel Adams Award
1923 Mercer Series 6 Sporting
Kirk M. Pumphrey, San Jose, California
Art Center College of Design Award
1955 Maserati A6G 2000 Zagato Coupé
Jack Croul, Corona Del Mar, California
Briggs Cunningham Trophy
1953 Cunningham C-5R Roadster
The Revs Institute for Automotive Research, Inc., Naples, Florida
Chairmans Trophy
1926 Renault 45MC Manessius Cabriolet de Ville
George F. Wingard, Eugene, Oregon
Charles A. Chayne Trophy
1902 Panhard et Levassor Type B1 Saloon
Merle & Peter Mullin, Oxnard, California
Classic Car Club of America Trophy
1931 duPont Model H Merrimac Sport Phaeton
Richard Riegel, Bedford Hills, New York
Dean Batchelor Trophy
1951 Mercury 1CM Bob Hirohata Custom Coupe
Jim and Sue McNiel, Orange, California
Elegance in Motion Trophy
1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Touring Spider
The Keller Collection at the Pyramids, Petaluma, California
Enzo Ferrari Trophy
1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Scaglietti Berlinetta Competizione
Big Fork Holdings, LLC., Menlo Park, California
FIVA Prewar Trophy
1921 Stutz K Bearcat
Wayne Carini, Portland, Connecticut
FIVA Postwar Trophy
1956 Jaguar D-type Roadster
Roger Hoffmann, Point Reyes Station, California
French Cup
1939 Bugatti Type 57C Vanvooren Cabriolet
Margie & Robert E. Petersen Collection, Los Angeles, California
Gran Turismo Trophy
1952 Cunningham C-4R Competition Roadster
The Simeone Automotive Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Lincoln Trophy
1933 Lincoln KB Dietrich Five Passenger Convertible Sedan
John P. Shibles, Sea Grit, New Jersey
Lorin Tryon Trophy
General William Lyon, Newport Beach, California
Lucius Beebe Trophy
1952 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV Hooper Sedanca de Ville
Ion Tiriac, Monaco
Mercedes-Benz Star of Excellence Award
1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Roadster
Miyabi Collection, Honolulu, Hawaii
Mille Miglia Pre-War Trophy
1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Touring Coupé
David B. Smith, Medina, Washington
Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy
1931 Invicta LS Carbodies Coupé
Richard & Susanne Stephens, Woodside, California
The Phil Hill Cup
1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico Vignale Spyder
Les Wexner, New Albany, Ohio
The Revs Program at Stanford Award
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Kellner Torpedo Phaeton
Doug Magee Jr., Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Road & Track Trophy
1965 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350
John Atzbach, Redmond, Washington
The Tony Hulman Trophy
1948 Talbot-Lago T26C Grand Prix Racer
Denis Bigioni, Pickering, Ontario
The Vitesse – Elegance Trophy
1946 Delahaye 135 MS Pourtout Coupé Aérodynamique
Neal & Susan Ryan, Smithtown, New York
First place class winners
Class A-1: Antique: 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Kellner Torpedo Phaeton, Doug Magee Jr., Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Class A-2: Pope: 1912 Pope-Hartford 27 Pony Tonneau, Kirk and Ross Bewley, Sacramento, California
Class B: Vintage: 1920 Stutz Series H Bearcat, Stanley & Merle Bauer, Beverly Hills
Class C-1: American Classic Open: 1931 Chrysler CG Imperial LeBaron Dual Cowl Phaeton, Aaron & Valerie Weiss, San Marino, California
Class C-2: American Classic Open Packard: 1934 Packard 1107 Twelve Convertible Victoria, Laura & Jack B. Smith Jr., Elkhart, Indiana
Class C-3: American Classic Closed: 1930 Stutz MB Weymann Monte Carlo, Joseph Cassini III & Margie Cassini, West Orange, New Jersey
Class D: duPont : 1931 duPont Model H Merrimac Sport Phaeton, Richard Riegel, Bedford Hills, New York
Class G: Duesenberg: 1934 Duesenberg J Walker-LaGrande Convertible Coupe, Harry Yeaggy, Cincinnati, Ohio
Class H-1: Rolls-Royce Prewar: 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Brewster Special Permanent Newmarket, Orin & Stephanie Smith, Vero Beach, Florida
Class H-2: Rolls-Royce and Bentley Postwar: 1952 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV Hooper Sedanca de Ville, Ion Tiriac, Monaco
Class I: Mercedes-Benz: 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Tourer, The Keller Collection at The Pyramids, Petaluma, California
Class J-1: European Classic Early: 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A F. Ramseier & Cie Worblaufern Cabriolet, Jim Patterson/The Patterson Collection, Louisville, Kentucky
Class J-2: European Classic Late: 1937 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet, Sam & Emily Mann, Englewood, New Jersey
Class K-1: British Prewar Sports Cars Early: 1927 Bentley 3 Litre Vanden Plas Sports Tourer, Private Collection
Class K-2: British Prewar Sports Cars Late: 1937 Jaguar SS 100 Roadster, Jaime & Cecilia Muldoon, Guadalajara, Mexico
Class L-1: Prewar Preservation: 1906 Pierce Great Arrow 40-45 7 Passenger Touring, Leonard-Steven Schuster, New York, New York
Class L-2: Postwar Preservation: 1956 Jaguar D-type Roadster, Roger Hoffmann, Point Reyes Station, California
Class M-1: Ferrari Grand Touring: 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Cabriolet Series I, Peter S. Kalikow, New York, New York
Class M-2: Ferrari Competition: 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Scaglietti Berlinetta Competizione, Big Fork Holdings, LLC., Menlo Park, California
Class M-3: Ferraris in the Pebble Beach Road Races: 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Pinin Farina Spyder Series I, Thomas R. Peck, Irvine, California
Class M-4: Ferrari Preservation: 1964 Ferrari 250 GTL Scaglietti Berlinetta Lusso, Private Collection
Class N: Designs by Carrozzeria Touring: 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Touring Coupé, David B. Smith, Medina, Washington
Class O-1: Postwar Early: 1953 Abarth 1100 Sport Ghia Coupé, Grant Kinzel, Calgary Alberta, Canada
Class O-2: Postwar Late” 1954 Fiat 8V Supersonic Ghia Coupe, Marc Behaegel, Gent, Belgium
Class O-3: Postwar Racing: 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, Kazuo Maruyama, Tokyo, Japan
Class P: Postwar Cunninghams: 1951 Cunningham C-2 Roadster, T. G. Mittler, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Class R: Mercury Customs: 1951 Mercury 1CM Bob Hirohata Custom Coupe, Jim and Sue McNiel, Orange, California
Class S: Shelby GT350 50th Anniversary: 1965 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350, John Atzbach, Redmond, Washington