Pebble Beach 2026: at the 75th anniversary, Clark Gable’s Duesenberg wins Best of Show

The 2026 edition, held on August 16, marked the 75th anniversary of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, combining a celebration of its history with a number of new featured classes. Ferrari took centre stage, with a special focus on Chinetti and NART competition cars, while Vignale was the featured coachbuilder and Japanese Motorsport made its debut as a dedicated class.

A 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster, originally owned by Hollywood star Clark Gable, was awarded Best of Show. Presented by Harry Yeaggy, the winning car is one of only two SSJ Special Speedsters built and represents one of the most distinctive expressions of the Duesenberg marque. Recently restored to its original appearance, it is distinguished by its remarkable history. The result brought Duesenberg its eighth Best of Show at Pebble Beach, confirming it as the American marque with the greatest number of overall victories at the Concours.

Among the principal awards, the Chairman’s Trophy went to a 1949 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta, the Enzo Ferrari Trophy to a 1956 Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa Scaglietti Spyder, the Gran Turismo Trophy to a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Sperimentale Pininfarina Coupe and the Tony Hulman Trophy to a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Scaglietti Berlinetta. The concours classes also included significant groups devoted to Ferrari Competition, Ferrari Grand Touring, Ferrari Vignale, Streamliners, Duesenberg, Vignale and Japanese Motorsport.

Several cars already included among the Automotive Masterpieces were among the protagonists of this year’s Concours: eight cars documented in our archive took part, four of which received awards. The 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 SS “La Flèche” by Vignale, chassis AR1900C*01942, took first place in the Vignale class, while the 1950 Abarth 205A Vignale Berlinetta, chassis 205-101, the first of the three examples built, placed third in the same class. The 1948 Cisitalia 202 Corsa by Stabilimenti Farina, chassis 066, won the Postwar Sports Racing class, while the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Touring Berlinetta, chassis 412036 — winner of the 1947 Mille Miglia — received the Elegance in Motion Trophy.

Also on the field was the 1963 Ferrari 330 LM, chassis 4381, one of the exceptionally rare four-litre front-engined Ferrari competition berlinettas and a 1963 Sebring and Le Mans entrant. Completing this remarkable representation was the celebrated trio of Alfa Romeo B.A.T. prototypes designed by Franco Scaglione and built by Bertone: the 1953 B.A.T. 5, chassis 01396, which inaugurated the experimental aerodynamic series; the even more radical 1954 B.A.T. 7, chassis 01485; and the 1955 B.A.T. 9d, chassis 01600, the final and more road-oriented development of the project. The three cars had already made history at Pebble Beach when they were reunited there in 1989.

The 2026 edition brought together 218 cars, including 33 entries from 14 countries outside the United States and 185 American entries representing 30 states. The event also marked an important milestone for its charitable activities: more than $4.3 million was raised in 2026, bringing the total amount donated since the Concours began to over $50 million.

The 76th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for August 15, 2027. Among the themes already announced are the centenary of Delage’s Grand Prix-winning season, prewar open-front town cars, the 40th anniversary of the Ferrari F40 and a special class devoted to Delahaye.

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