10 Captivating Cars From The Pebble Beach Concours

Each year thousands of people flood the Monterey peninsula to see the absolute best vintage automobiles from around the world. Under crisp hazy skies the bright sun created a beacon of light which shown on the beautiful lawns show field of the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This year brought one of largest selections of cars from around the world. From over 200 sparkling cars we found ten truly captivating cars from the Pebble Beach Concours.

There were twenty amazing cars from Italian coachbuilder Zagato, offering a delightful glimpse of the breadth of automotive styling as the company celebrates its 100th anniversary of its founding in 1919.

The 3rd in class winning 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Zagato Coupe is the 12th of 20 of these Maseratis bodied by Zagato, each one with distinct differences. This car offers a unique grille and front end treatment.

No mention of Zagato would be complete without showing one of the most stunning examples of the famed ‘double bubble’ characteristic, David and Ginny Sydorick’s 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Zagato Berlinetta Speciale. Only five of the long wheel-base 250 GT chassis were not bodied by Scaglietti, all five were by Zagato. Notice how the rear roof pillar forms somewhat of a stylized “Z” shape. The car achieved 2nd in Class and the Strother MacMinn Most Elegant Sports Car award on Sunday.

Literally in a class by itself, the 1968 Howmet TX Coupe had the entire show field at attention, especially when the Continental turbine began to spool up. With phones in the air to capture the high pitched sound, all other show field activity seemed to momentarily stop as people listened and recorded this historic endurance racer come to life. After the 1963 debut of a Rover-BRM turbine car ran at Le Mans and Andy Granatelli almost won the Indy 500 in 1957 with his turbo car, American racer Ray Heppenstall conceived this experimental turbine racecar. First raced at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona, Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring the car was later rebuilt in 1970 to tackle the land speed record. Ray achieved six FIA world records in this car.

Though the same era, this beefy 1968 Lamborghini Miura SVR Coupe, doesn’t exemplify the Jet Age vibe like the Howmet. The one-off Miura with an unusual wide body is the result of a later owner of the car, originally a Miura S, returning it to the factory in the mid-70s to build him something special.

Known as one of the most desirable cars ever built the Bugatti Type 57S Atalante is the work of Jean Bugatti as a more production friendly car than the Type 57 Atlantic (the one with the rivets). No two Atalantes are the same, each have significant differences and the artful two tone paint scheme highlights the explosive style. This 1936 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante is the fifth one built and one of 15 surviving examples. This Jazz era supercar was ordered new by 25 year old heiress.

Affectionately called “the Cucumber” and later referred to by radio broadcasters as “Silver Arrow” this 1932 Mercedes-Benz SSKL Avus Race Car was another jaw-dropping automobile. The large rectangular intake on the nose grabbed everyone’s attention on Thursday as it was one of the first cars in the line-up for the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elgance. The car was originally finished in time to practice for the fasted auto race in Europe held on the Avus, Automobil-Verkehrs-und Übungsstraße (‘Automobile traffic and training road’), track in Berlin. Built purely as a race car, this SSLK (Super-Sport-Kurtz-Leight) was designed for racing driver Manfred von Brauchitsch. The unpainted streamlining effect gave the car a 12 mph advantage which allowed it to win this first race.

One of the most colorful and eye-catching cars on the field with its painted grid design, known as “Plaidside,” this 1930 Willys-Knight 66 B Griswold Roadster is one of the last 13 know examples of 400 built.

I dare anyone to mindlessly walk by the brilliant French Blue 1937 Peugeot 302 Darl’mat Pourtout Roadster, you can’t. First let’s take define what all those names signify. Emile Darl’mat was one of Peugeot’s largest representatives; the Darl’mat dealership is still in Paris. Marcel Pourtout founded French coachbuilder, Carrosserie Pourtout. The 302 Peugeots were delivered first to Darl’mat for mechanical upgrades, then onto Pourtout where designer Georges Paulin created and fitted the aerodynamic curvy bodies: 53 roadsters, 20 coupes and 32 cabriolets. The art deco air vents are one of their most marked characteristics. At first look, this old, un-restored Packard with cracking paint might not be so interesting, though it did win a 2nd in Class award. As with most vintage cars, the story pulls you in. This 1918 Packard 3-35 Twin Six Fleetwood Deluxe Cabriolet was part of the last group of Packard Twin-Six series, also when custom bodies first appeared. What distinguishes this car amongst others is, it is still in the same family, purchased new by the aunt of legendary racing driver Phil Hill.

You can see her monogram in elegant script on the passenger door under the window and again in bold bronze on the radiator. The Hill Family, Phil’s wife Alma, son Derek and his wife stand proudly in front of the family car. What is even more amazing is the car has never been restored. Before the un-restored mode was a thing, Phil maintained the car when it came into his car and throughout his life in original condition.

If you ordered a Rolls-Royce back in the day, you went to your selected coachbuilder with your exacting desires, which is exactly what Sir George Macphersen-Grant, the Laird of Ballindalloch Castle in Scotland did. For this 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Barker Sports Saloon he requested a large sunroof, an electrically operated sunshade for the rear window and Art-Deco style wood details on the interior.

If you have to look inside our final car you’ll see the same exacting detail as you might see in one of the modern Rolls-Royce cars built today. This is exemplifies exactly why cars will never die, 80 or more years later, people still like to have a hand in customizing their car and companies, like Rolls-Royce, are still building the cars to please us.