Excited cheers echoed across the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links on August 17, when a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe was named Best of Show at the 64th annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car, owned by Jon Shirley of Medina, Washington, was the first post-war car to take the top award at this prestigious event in nearly five decades. It was also the first Ferrari to win.
“This is a road-going Ferrari, and it has had quite the famous life having been designed by Sergio Scaglietti for Roberto Rossellini,” said event Chair Sandra Button. “Its design was also trend-setting. So it is fitting that this is our first post-war winner in many years.” The last post-war car to be named Best of Show was a 1964 Maserati Mistral Coupé, which topped contenders back in 1968.
When asked about the significance of the win by his post-war car, Shirley said, “I just hope it means that some more will have the chance to do the same thing. There are some wonderful coachbuilt post-war cars, and I think the owners should bring them here and try for the Best. I’ve won Best of Show before, but this was really a special thrill to do it with this car.” Shirley, the former president of Microsoft, previously won in 2008 with a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta.
The 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance showcased 216 cars and motorcycles, 35 of which came from outside of the United States. The event marked the centennial of Maserati and included first-time features of Ruxtons, the first American passenger cars with front-wheel drive, and Streamlined Tatras, technological
wonders built in Czechoslovakia.
A jaw-dropping display of 20 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas was placed at one end of the show field, and cars exhibiting the curvaceous coachwork of Fernandez et Darrin posed at the edge of Carmel Bay. There were also special classes for Post-war Rolls-Royce Phantoms and Eastern European Motorcycles, as well as a display honoring cars that participated in the 1914 French Grand Prix.
