2024 “Best of the Best” Finalists revealed

The Peninsula, part of a hospitality company with a 158-year history, has announced the nine finalists that will vie for its prestigious annual classic car honor, The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award 2024. The event will take place at The Peninsula Paris on 3 February 2025, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

The finalist vehicles, built by internationally renowned manufacturers and won awards at the past year’s major concours events, collectively represent the pinnacle of automotive design and engineering. All can win The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award 2024, but just one will be judged as the world’s most exquisite classic car. Following the awards ceremony, in partnership with Rétromobile, the winning car will be on display at Rétromobile, one of the world’s celebrated classic car shows, from 5-9 of February.

“We are delighted to highlight this lineup of truly exceptional motorcars, which exemplify an astonishing level of beauty and performance,” said The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, and co-founder of The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award. “It is also a great pleasure to have become recognized, over the past ten years, as one of the premier classic car showcases in the world.”

Nominees

The nominees for The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award 2024 are:

1928 Bugatti Type 35 C Grand Prix

Coachwork by Bugatti

2024 Best of Show, Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille

1991 CC straight 8-cylinder, supercharged
Serial No: 4871
125 horsepower at 5,500 RPM
4-speed manual gearbox
Suspensions: front hollow live axle, semi-elliptic springs; rear live axle, quarter-elliptic springs
Drum brakes front and rear

This particular Bugatti model secured more than 2,000 Grand Prix victories during its era and is considered one of the top race cars ever. One of just 52 built by Bugatti between 1927 and 1930, the nominated vehicle successfully raced until 1933. It placed fourth overall in its first race at the Targa Florio in 1928. It was later sold to Jannine Jennky, who raced it extensively and claimed numerous victories, including an overall win in the 1928 Coupe de Bourgogne in Dijon. The Bugatti won Best of Show at the 2024 Chantilly Arts et Elegance Richard Mille.

1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider

Coachwork by Figoni

2024 Best of Show, Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

Serial No. 2211079
In-line 8-cylinder engine, 2,300 CC, supercharged
142 BHP at 5,000 RPM
4-speed manual gearbox
Suspensions: live axle front and rear, semi-elliptic springs
Drum brakes front and rear

The 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Spider is the only short chassis on which Giuseppe Figoni built a new body. In 1937, it was given as a graduation present to Henri d’Autichamp, a French Naval Academy graduate, who made several modifications, including a thicker chassis, rear-body adjustments and a larger fuel tank. D’Autichamp then disassembled parts of the car and hid them to protect it from the Germans during World War II. Thought to have disappeared, the 8C 2300 Spider was rediscovered in 2014, and acquired by its current owner in 2024. It has been restored to mechanically perfect condition, retaining its original patina and paintwork, and won Best of Show at the 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

1934 Bugatti Type 58 Sports

Coachwork by Bugatti

2024 Best of Show, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Serial No. 57248
3,300 CC, 8 cylinders
250 HP
4-speed gearbox
Front suspension: leaf spring, hydraulic dampers; rear suspension: rigid axle on leaf springs
Brakes: mechanic drums on all wheels

The 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports competed in various races in 1934 and 1935 with renowned drivers René Dreyfus, Robert Benoist, and Jean-Pierre Wimille. Bugatti then converted the vehicle into a sports car by removing its supercharger, adding a four-speed synchronized transmission, and reworking its body. The newly modified car was purchased by King Leopold III of Belgium, who had it repainted in black with a yellow stripe to match Belgian racing colours. Since 2020, it has been owned by a Bugatti enthusiast and made history as the first preservation-class car to win Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 2024.

1937 Bugatti Type 57 S Roadster

Coachwork by Corsica

2024 Best of Show, Goodwood Cartier Style et Luxe Concours of Elegance

Serial No. 57503
3,257 CC DOHC Straight 8 Engine with Dry Sump
180 BHP at 5,000 RPM
4-speed manual gearbox
Live axle with leaf springs front and rear
Brake drums front and rear, cable-operated

The third Bugatti finalist boasts a 3.3-litre straight-eight DOHC engine mounted in an innovatively low chassis, a design that subsequently evolved into the Works Grand Prix 57G “Tanks” that dominated the 1936 racing season. One of only 42 Type 57S chassis ever built, it has received numerous prestigious awards, including Most Elegant Pre-War Sportscar at the Pebble Beach Concours, Best of Show at Salon Privé Blenheim Palace, Car of the Year by Classic & Sports Car, and Best of Show at Cartier Style et Luxe in 2024.

1937/1946 Delahaye 145 Cabriolet

Coachwork by Franay

2024 Best of Show, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering

Serial No. 151-53-75
4,496 CC, DOHC 12-cylinder engine
245 BHP at 5,500 RPM
4-speed Cotal electromagnetic gearbox
Independent front suspension, live rear axle
Drum brakes, cable-operated

Driven by Rene Dreyfus, this 1937/1946 Delahaye 145 Cabriolet claimed the prize in 1937’s infamous ACF (Automobile Club de France) Prix du Million, a challenge that offered one million francs to the constructor and driver who could best the speed record set at Montlhéry racecourse by Mercedes-Benz. Decorated in Prix du Million livery, the Delahaye went on to win multiple races but was hidden away during World War II. After the war, Delahaye rebuilt the Prix du Million chassis for a French customer looking for a sports car, and in 1981, automotive designer Philippe Charbonneaux re-bodied it to replicate its original Grand Prix appearance. The car’s current owner reunited the 1937 race car with its 1946 Franay roadster coachwork. It now sports its original electric blue color and light grey interior and won Best in Show at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in 2024.

1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Convertible

Coachwork by J.S. Inskip

2024 Best of Show, Concours of Elegance Hampton Court Palace

Serial No. 3CP18
7,300 CC, 12-cylinder OHV engine
180 BHP at 3,000 RPM
4-speed manual gearbox
Front suspension: independent with coil springs; rear: live axle and semi-elliptic springs
Brakes: drums front and rear, servo-assisted

The nominated 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Convertible is one of 18 custom Phantom III bodies built by Brewster craftsmen. A unique two-passenger convertible coupé, sometimes referred to as a Henley, the vehicle was delivered in June of 1937 to Colonel Joseph Samuels, a wealthy philanthropist. It had several additional owners before it was acquired by Charles Melhinch, who showed it at the 1953 AACA Devon meet where it won the Smoothness and Silence trophy. The car has since been sold several times and has received prestigious awards, including Best of Show at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in 2024.

1947 Delahaye 135MS Narval Cabriolet

Coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi

Fast Tubes

2024 Best of Show, The Amelia

Serial No. 800495
3,557 CC inline 6-cylinder engine
125 HP
Cotal 4-speed pre-selector gearbox
Independent front suspension; live rear axle with parallel semi-elliptic springs
Drum brakes all-round

The second Delahaye in the group is an elegant 1947 Delahaye 135MS Narval Cabriolet that was first exhibited at the Paris Auto Salon in October of 1947, and was initially owned by famous French singer and songwriter Charles Trenet, who requested the original orange brûlé paint be refinished to a light French blue. It was ultimately purchased by the Mecum family, who restored it and returned it to its original paint color. Upon completion, the Delahaye won the Elegance in Motion Award at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Best of Show at the 2023 St. Michael’s Concours d’Elegance, and Best of Show at The Amelia Concours d’Elegance in 2024.

1957 Ferrari 335 S

Coachwork by Scaglietti

2024 Best of Show, Salon Privé

Serial No. 0674
4,023 CC, front longitudinal 60o V12 DOHC 24 plug
390 BHP at 7,400 RPM
4-speed gearbox
Independent front suspension, double wishbone, coil springs; De Dion Axle rear suspension, coil springs
Drum brakes front and rear

The Ferrari 335 S was part of renowned collector Pierre Bardinon’s collection for over 45 years and is considered one of the greatest Ferraris ever built. Initially a 290 MM Spyder Scaglietti, it was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1956 Mille Miglia. After several successful races, including a third-place finish at Nürburgring and second in the Swedish Grand Prix, the car was upgraded to 315 S specifications and then further modified to 335 S specifications, which included a pontoon-style nose for improved brake cooling. For the filming of Michael Mann’s 2023 film Ferrari, the car was used to create replicas for scenes depicting the 1957 race season. In 2024, it was recognized as the Best of Show winner at the Salon Privé.

1964 Ferrari 250 LM

Coachwork by Scaglietti on a design by Pininfarina

2024 Best of Show, Cavallino Classic

Serial No. 6053
3,285 CC 12-cylinder engine
Single Overhead Camshaft (SOHC), 2 valves per cylinder
320 BHP at 7,700 RPM
5-speed manual

A Grand Touring version of the mid-engined 250, the stunning 250 LM had a vibrant racing career from 1965 to 1967, including first-place finishes at Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Silverstone in 1966. It was recently shown at the 2024 Casa Ferrari and won Best in Show at the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic in January 2024.

Judging

The judging panel for The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award 2024 features several renowned automotive designers and executives, including Peter Brock, renowned designer Fabio Filippini, former General Motors Vice President of Design Ed Welburn and Henry Ford III. Additional judges include royalty and celebrity motorsport collectors and enthusiasts, including HRH Prince Michael of Kent, HH Rana Manvendra Singh of Barwani, Peter Marino, Ralph Lauren and Jay Leno.