The show is over, the votes have been tabulated, and the winner has been showered with confetti.
This year’s Best of Show award at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance went to the classic you see here: a 1936 Lancia Astura Pinin Farina Cabriolet.
The first Lancia to be named Best of Show at Pebble Beach, this 1936 Astura was entered by a first-time entrant, one Richard Mattei of Arizona. He purchased the car in 2009 and spent six years restoring it. But Mattei was hardly its most prominent owner.
Along its long and illustrious history, the Astura was once owned by Eric Clapton, who called it “the most fun I’ve had off stage and out of bed.” Pininfarina subsequently bought the car – one of its most beautiful creations – and kept it on display for several years as part of its factory collection.
The vehicle had to win best in its class to make it into the finals, and also was awarded the Gwenn Graham Most Elegant Convertible award. But to win top honors, it had to defeat two other beautiful challengers: a 1938 Delahaye 165 Figoni & Falaschi Cabriolet and a 1931 Stutz DV-32 LeBaron Convertible Victoria.
Pre-war automobiles almost always win the award, with the notable exception being the 1954 Ferrari 375 MM that won two years ago. Aside from that, every winner was made in the 1920s or 30s, stretching back to 1968 when a ’64 Maserati Mistral won the award.
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