A 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A F. Ramseier and Cie Worblaufern Cabriolet owned by Jim Patterson of Louisville, Kentucky won Best of Show at the 65th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, held Sunday, August 16, 2015 on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links in California.
The winning car is built on a long 145-inch 1924 Tipo 8A chassis, which was acquired in the early 1930s by Swiss Carrosserie Worblaufen to be used as the basis for a new sport cabriolet. The finished car was displayed at the 1932 Geneva Auto Show and won the Grand-Prix d’Honneur at Cannes in 1933. After being shown, the car passed through the hands of three owners prior to being purchased by the current owner at Retromobile, Paris in early 2014.Since then the impressive car was subject to a comprehensive restoration program at RM Auto Restoration, involving every nut and bolt and the result clearly convinced the judges.
With the win, the RM Auto Restoration team clinched yet another ‘Best of Show’ at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The victory represents RM’s sixth ‘Best of Show’ at Pebble Beach in the new millennium, and was joined by a number of other awards for other RM-prepared cars.
Asked what he loved most about the massive cabriolet, Patterson chose to focus on its small details. “I love the cigarette lighters,” he said. “You should see them! I wondered a while ago if they worked, and I’ve got a blister on my finger to show they do.”
The car’s win at Pebble Beach marked the second win for Patterson. His 1933 Delahaye D8S De Villars Roadster was named Best of Show in 2010. “I won here in 2010 with an all-white car, and now I’ve won with an all-black car. I don’t know if I’ve run out of colors or what,” joked Patterson.
There were many strong contenders for Best of Show this year, including a 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Kellner Torpedo Phaeton owned by Doug Magee Jr. of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, a 1937 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet owned by Sam and Emily Mann of Englewood, New Jersey and a 1953 Abarth 1100 Sport Ghia Coupé owned by Grant Kinzel of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Concours Chairman Sandra Button said, “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. 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.”
Ferraris were featured in great numbers this year, along with classic era duPonts, antique Popes, British prewar sports cars and postwar Cunninghams. Special classes celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Shelby GT350 and the 75th anniversary of the Lincoln Continental, and Mercury Customs were displayed for the first time.
Pebble Beach Concours 2015 – Best of Show Winner Photos
[Source: Pebble Beach Concours; photos: Rolex, Kimball Studios, Darin Schnabel / RM Sotheby’s]
More Photos. could do justice to this car….showing inside, engine and a better appearance without all that “flutter in the air ! Can you produce more Photos. ?