Seeing Double in the GT Race Cars Class
One of the most exciting classes at this year’s event had to be that of the 1990s BPR & FIA GT Race Cars, which saw pairs of the fastest machines from the 1990s take to the concours lawns. A personal favourite of ours, the two Mercedes CLK GTRs, would have easily stolen our hearts had the competition not been so fierce. We were united with two old friends friends from our ‘Uncovered at Thirty’ event back in 2022: the McLaren F1 chassis 16R — boasting its fabulous FINA livery from its outing at the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans — and chassis XP4, the fourth of five pre-production prototypes.
While we had hoped the fantastic 1995 Bugatti EB 110 Sport Competizione belonging to fellow Classic Driver Chris Hrabalek would take first in class, in the end it rightfully went to the outstanding 1996 Ferrari F40 GTE, the final and most potent racing variant of the model, which put out as much as 620 horsepower!
Paying Tribute to Pietro Frua
While elegance was in no short supply, the cars of the Frua Coachwork class were perhaps the most stunning of the lot. Jonathan Segal’s 1955 Maserati A6 GCS Frua Spider was just as spellbinding as ever, but we were equally taken with the likes of the dark green 1953 Nardi/Peugeot 203 Dubois Frua Coupé and the Nardi 750 Frua Barchetta of the same year.
We’re certainly glad the duty of selecting the class winner wasn’t on us, but we have to agree with the judges who awarded the honours to the 1951 Maserati A6G 2000 Frua Spyder. These gorgeous models serve as a reminder of the genius of Pietro Frua, who started his design studio after working at Pininfarina, eventually selling it on to Ghia. It is no surprise that many of Frua’s coach built beauties are considered among the finest from Italy’s golden age of car design.
Wedge Wonders Angle for the Win
Arguably the class that drew the biggest crowds last weekend was that of the Wedge-Shaped Concept Cars and Prototypes. There were so many cars that have long occupied our imagination in one place, including everything from the Pininfarina-designed Honda HP-X, to the United Nude Lo-Res Car. Any increased reports of UFO sightings around Monterey last week could largely be attributed to the Ferrari 512S Modulo, but even if a mothership had descended from the overcast Californian skies, we wouldn’t have noticed, because our eye’s were firmly fixed on Ferrari Enzo designer Ken Okuyama’s incredible Kode 0.
However, it was another certified Classic Driver — Philip Sarofim — who won big in this class, with the ever-attractive Aston Martin Bulldog taking home class honours for the Late Wedge category. Meanwhile, another car from his collection — the 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero Bertone Coupe — secured not just the Early Wedge class win and a slot in the Top Four, but also the approval of Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi, who awarded the Marcello Gandini-designed masterpiece the Gran Turismo Trophy!
A Multitude of Magnificent Maseratis
We wonder if the Maserati brothers had an inkling of the legend that would follow after they built their first race car in 1926, but whether they realised the impact they would have on the motoring world or not, we were delighted to see so many of their incredible road and race cars hit the lawn. Among the track veterans, it was the 1956 Maserati 300S Fantuzzi Spyder that won its class, but we must extend a special mention to the low-slung 1960 Tipo 61 Birdcage for which we have always had a soft spot.
As for the road cars, the 1972 Ghibli 4.9 SS Ghia Coupe designed by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro came in a close second, while the class win went to the glistening 1955 A6G/54 2000 Zagato Spyder whose simplistic yet elegant curves had us staring in awe at its light metallic green coachwork.
Prize-Winning Patina
We’ve already published a story dedicated to this year’s Best in Show — which you can read about here — but it was fantastic to see The Pearl Collection’s 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports emerge as this year’s biggest winner. It marks a significant change in tradition at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as the first Preservation-Class car to win the event’s top prize, with past winners typically being meticulously restored coach built models built during the 1920s and 1930s. While this opens a new avenue for hopefuls looking to win big at Pebble with their own patinated prized possessions, this Type 59 will be an incredibly tough act to follow.
Overall, it’s been another fantastic Monterey Car Week, with more exciting cars, both new and old, than we can ever remember. While we extend a round of applauds to all the class winners at Pebble Beach, there was only one car that stole our hearts this weekend: the incredible Veloce12 from Touring Superleggera, who selected us as the official media partners for their launch at The Quail. Look out for an exciting interview with their CEO, Markus Tellenbach tomorrow, but until then, please enjoy these stunning images from another world-class week of automotive excellence!
Photos by Zach Brehl for Classic Driver
