Peninsula Best of the Best Award

The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award will bring together the 2015 Best of Show winners from six of the top Concours events around the globe to compete for the title of the most exceptional car in the world. Ranging from early production to mid-1960s Italian race cars, the winner of the inaugural Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award will be announced at a private dinner during the Monterey Car Week on Tuesday, August 16, 2016.

The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, and parent company of The Peninsula Hotels, together with award co-founders Christian Philippsen, William E. “Chip” Connor and Bruce Meyer, created this award in the spirit of celebrating the best of what defines the automotive world for the year.

“We are delighted to pay homage to the finest attributes of the motorcar as we celebrate this year’s The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering,” said Kadoorie. “The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award marks a new milestone as the first of many extraordinary presentations of the most elite cars on the concours circuit. We are proud that the success of the Quail Event over the years has given rise to The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award which will add to the prestige of the Peninsula tradition.”

The finalists chosen to be showcased at the event are as follows:

• 1903 Mercedes 60HP Simplex: Royal Concours of Elegance – One of four in existence, having been preceded by the Mercedes 35hp, which had once been the fastest production car in the world. It remains Mercedes’ top of the range model, having also been named Best in Show at the Royal Concours of Elegance.
• 1932 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A S Sport Cabriolet: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – This car has had only four owners from new, and it has lived a quiet life in Switzerland and France its entire life until coming to North America in 2014.
• 1930 Cord L29 Brooks Stevens Speedster: Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance – Before taking home Best of Show at the 20th Annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, this hot rod was heralded as defining the mid-century American aesthetic in the automotive industry.
• 1937 Talbot-Lago T150C SS ‘Goutte d’Eau’: Goodwood Cartier Style et Luxe – This coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi has won prizes at every major concours in pre-war Europe and is famed for having both redefined automotive style and having won top-level races. The ‘Teardrop’ became trend setting and motivated many other French manufacturers to consider a similar streamlined design.
• 1965 Ferrari 166 P / 206 SP Dino 0834: Cavallino Classic – This one-of-a-kind Dino was first entered by Scuderia Ferrari in 1965 and raced by Giancarlo Baghetti and later by Ludovico Scarfiotti to many wins over its long history.
• 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale: The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering – Since its restoration in 2004, this Tipo 33 Stradale has won four top honors, including Best in Show at the 2015 Quail.

  

  

  

  

  

  

The Best of Show winners from the six international car shows will be reviewed by 24 motorcar experts, designers and notable celebrities in the motoring world, including:

• Anne Asensio, former Executive Design Director at General Motors
• Chris Bangle, former Chief of Design for the BMW Group
• Singh Manvendra Barwani, well-known auto enthusiast
• Peter Brock, best known for his work on the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe and Corvette Sting Ray
• Ian Callum, Director of Design for Jaguar Cars
• Ian Cameron, Brand Ambassador and former Chief Designer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
• Miles Collier, Collier Collection
• Luc Donckerwolke, designer for Hyundai’s Genesis brand
• Fabio Filippini, Design Director of Pininfarina
• Henry Ford III, the great-great grandson of Ford Motor founder Henry Ford
• Charles Gordon-Lennox, Lord March, Founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and President of the British Automobile Racing Club
• Ralph Lauren, well-known auto enthusiast
• Jay Leno, well-known auto enthusiast
• Flavio Manzoni, automobile designer best known for his work at Ferrari, Lancia and Volkswagen
• Nick Mason, former Pink Floyd drummer and classic car enthusiast
• François Melcion, Director of Rétromobile chez Comexposium
• Gordon Murray, Designer of Formula One race cars and the McLaren F1 road car
• Shiro Nakamura, Currently serves as Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.
• Ken Okuyama, Known for his work with Pininfarina, where he designed and supervised projects such as the Enzo Ferrari and Ferrari P4/5
• Adolfo Orsi Jr., Auto historian and grandson and son of Adolfo and Omer Orsi, owners of Maserati between 1937 and 1967
• Frank Stephenson, McLaren’s Automotive Design Director
• Jean Todt, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile
• Gorden Wagener, Chief Designer of Mercedes-Benz
• Edward T. Welburn, Vice President of Global Design at General Motors

Following Tuesday’s announcement, the winning vehicle will be recognized on stage at the 14th annual The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering on August 19, 2016.

[Source: Peninsula Hotels]