All-original 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports takes Best of Show award at Pebble Beach Concours
Patrick Jackson •17 August, 2024
One of the most prestigious car awards in the world, Best of Show at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, has this year been awarded to an all-original 1937 Bugatti Type 59 Sports.
The first time the award has been presented to a 'preservation car', the Type 59 beat out 214 other vehicles from 16 countries.
This winning example was presented by Fritz Burkard, with it kept as part of The Pearl Collection in Zug, Switzerland. One of its previous owners, though, was King Leopold III of Belgium, who was responsible for the livery it still wears proudly.
Screenshot: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance / YouTube
"I’m so happy for the car, so happy for Bugatti. This car is incredible. It [has] so much history [...] and to win with this car means a lot to me," said Burkard.
"First time a Swiss, first time a European wins, first time a preservation wins. It’s important that preservation also gets recognition, because a car can only be once original. And it drives so beautifully."
Screenshot: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance / YouTube
This 2024 Best of Show award marks the tenth time a Bugatti has taken the gong, tying the brand with Mercedes-Benz for the most outright wins.
Other cars in the race for the award this year included a 948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Fastback Coupé, a 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve LeBaron Sport Phaeton, and most suprisingly a 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero Bertone Coupe from the featured wedge concepts and prototypes class.
The award has often been dominated by pre-war cars, however, with all winners since 2015 predating World War II and only seven post-war winning vehicles since its inception in 1950.
Patrick Jackson
More inNews
History in the making: Ford Australia celebrates 100 years
To mark Ford Australia’s centenary year, a special “History in the Making” event will be held in Melbourne on Friday April 4, 2025.
March 2025 Auction Report: Plenty to Like, But Some Prices Decline
Retro Rides’ Market Analyst Cliff Chambers has plucked the best from roughly 300 car and motorbike lots during March 2025, finding that while there was plenty to like, the value of some models has declined quite noticeably.
A restomod ute? Isuzu has unveiled a surprising Holden Rodeo throwback
Unveiled at the 2025 Bangkok International Motor Show, the one-off Isuzu Dragon Max shows there may well be a market for turning even the most humble of utes into a flashy restomod.
More inEuropean
Celebrating 90 years of the Škoda Superb
The Škoda Superb may only be a relatively recent addition to the Australian automotive landscape, having first launched here in 2010, but 2025 marks 90 years since its debut in its homeland, then-Czechoslovakia.
BMW vs. Japan: The late ’80s showdown that reshaped the luxury car market
The 1980s saw a number of Japanese carmakers foray into the luxury sedan market, particularly in America where Honda launched Acura and Nissan launched Infiniti, but it was when Toyota launched Lexus in 1989 that it gave the likes of BMW a real run for their money, rewriting the luxury car rulebook in the process.
Alpine celebrates its 70-year history with new video series
Almost 70 years ago in July 1955, Renault dealer and rally driver Jean Rédélé created Alpine. Originally a standalone brand, the mission was simple: to create a French sports car brand based on Renault powertrains.
Get The Latest
Sign up for the latest in retro rides, from stories of restoration to community happenings.