What is the best classic car in the world?

This is one of the most common questions to bounce around the car community as it changes based on trends and fashions. The title of the best classic car in the world is often put down to the best classic car of all time, a title which is often given to cars such as the Porsche 911, Jaguar E-Type and the Ferrari 250 GTO. However, this title is given by Peninsula Classics who are behind all eight Concours D'Elegance that take place worldwide each year, and the best classic car is given to the best of all of the 'Best in Show' cars. This article will cover the 8 nominees before announcing what is officially, the best classic car in the world. 

The first nominee was the 1948 Talbot Lago T26 GS Fastback Coupe which won the Salon Prive Concours event held at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. First displayed in 1947, this car is one of 12 made in the first production year of Talbot Lago and was one of the fastest cars at the time at 124mph. However, the Grand Sport (GS) was different to other Talbot cars as each model was built to the specification of the customer and therefore each of the bodies were built by a specialist coachbuilder. The coachbuilder for this chassis was Figoni et Falaschi, the same coachbuilder who would later commission the incredibly beautiful T150 'Teardrop' Coupe, giving the car an elegant blue body. This car underwent a full restoration prior to the Concours event and beat a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost and an Alfa Romeo 6C Gran Sport to the prestigious 'Best in Show' award. 

Next up is the winner of the Amelia Island Concours D'Elegance which was the 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn-Kurier. This is rumoured to be one of only two produced on the very limited 540K production run. It was commissioned to be used on the newly opened Autobahn motor network. The car was bought by its original owners when they saw the car's twin at the Paris Motor Show and toured from Spain to North Africa, travelling between Libya and Egypt before shipping to Greece and touring through Austria and Switzerland. It remained in the ownership of this family up until 2003 when it was bought by current owner Jim McManemon, who sent it for a full restoration. It has previously won Concours events but this is the first time it was awarded the 'Best in Show' award. 

In Palm Beach, Florida there is a car show seemingly made for fans of the prancing horse of Ferrari. Some of the rarest and most prestigious Ferraris of all time from 250 SWBs to F40s and the final three 335s to exist. The show also featured the most expensive car to sell at auction in the form of the Ferrari 250 GTO and the only bronze coloured Ferrari 250 GT California Spider ever made. However, the car that won the 'Best in Show' award was the 1958 Ferrari (surprise) 335S Spyder. Being one of only three surviving models, this car is exceptionally rare and as pretty as it is rare. First raced in 1959 but sent back to Italy after a blown engine but it was too costly to fix, so was returned to its home in the US and stored in a warehouse for a year before being bought for only $900. After it was bought it was restored with an original engine, and driven at the Le Mans 50th Anniversary celebrations. It went to auction in 1990 but didn't sell and was later sold for just over £5million. In a rare public appearance, it won the best in show award alongside the other two remaining 335Ss. 

The next event was the Cartier Style et Luxe which was held at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed and therefore was an event I attended. The field was scattered with the most pristine classics that included a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, an Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, Bentley R Types and even an Aston Martin Lagonda. However, to my surprise, none of these won the 'Best in Show' and the actual title went to the subtle and fairly cute Abarth 205 Monza. I saw this car and did the typical thing to take a photo, have a little look around and then leave. However, I should have had a read of the plaque besides it as it turns out this little Italian coupe is one of only three produced and has very little information known about it, but the rarity and style speaks for itself. It is a shame because this car was not looked at as much as maybe it should have been and I for one, regret not spending more time looking at it. 

I admit the final cars that won best in show, I know even less about than the previous cars. The only option is to simply list the cars and what shows they won their best in show award before getting to the answer of what is the best classic car in the world. At the 2019 Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille, the overall best in show went to the 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Foursome Coupe, the Hampton Court Palace best in show went to the 1919 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Torpedo Skiff, the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance winner was the 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Dual Cowl Tourer and finally at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, the winner of best in show went to the 1931 Stutz DV32 Convertible Victoria.

So what is the best classic car in the world? Well the judges at Peninsula Classics decided that the best classic car to win a best in show award this year was the 1958 Ferrari 335S due to its rarity, exceptional quality and exorbitant price tag. It'll be interesting to see what the Concours events of this year gives us to rival what is officially the best classic in the world.  

Multi-Million Cars Headed to Auction

I may have missed out on covering the incredible Amelia Island auctions of the past few weeks however there are a few auctions upcoming with some incredibly rare and expensive cars in them. A majority of the auctions are centred around the Retromobile Paris car event but one auction, not for another few months, cannot be ignored for the sheer quality of the first 16 lots announced.

First up is the RM Sotheby's auction to take place in Paris on the 5th February. The most expensive estimate for a lot is the 1955 Jaguar D-Type, a Le Mans legend owned by the winner of the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans, Richard Attwood. This example is the seventh customer car produced with an extensive racing history. Predominantly it raced in Australia with its original owner, before changing hands a multitude of times until it became under the care of the current owner. The estimate for this car is between €5.9million and €6.4million, however it is estimated to go beyond that value. The second significant lot is the 2015 Lamborghini Veneno Roadster. This is the second Veneno to come to auction in the space of 6 months as the cream Roadster from the collection of the seized politician sold for £6.7million, however this car is slightly more famous. This comes from the collection of a member of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family who spent this summer in London with his 7 hypercars including this car. Built to celebrate 50 years of Lamborghini, the Veneno's dramatic, pointy shape symbolises the ethos of the mad, flamboyant Italian manufacturer. This example has 450km from new and an incredible spec of matte black with green accents. As the second of the nine built, this has an estimate of €4.5million to €5.5million. Besides these two superb lots also being sold are a Ferrari Daytona Spider, BMW 507, Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, Alfa Romeo 6C, Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio, Gemballa Mirage GT and a beautiful Delahaye 135 Roadster.

The Bonhams Paris auction focuses mostly around the vintage and classic cars, however the rarity of some of them are beyond belief. The headliner is the 1966 Ferrari 206 SP Dino which is one of 18 of these beauties made for Can-Am racing originally. This is chassis 022 with all original components and a full racing history. Although I do not know much about the classic cars as I do the modern cars, I can appreciate the value of this car and the history it has. Although no estimate is given on this car, other examples have sold for €2million+ before now. The next car that caught my eye in this auction was a little further down in terms of value but still a superb car. The car in question is the 2016 Zagato Mostro Coupe. Zagato are mainly known for offering their coach built versions of other cars predominantly Aston Martins but occasionally Ferraris and Bentleys. This car however is built entirely by Zagato for Maserati's centenary, based on the styling of the 1957 Maserati 450S. Powered by the same 4.2 V8 fitted to the Granturismo and with a beautiful carbon fibre body, the Mostro is one of five built. The original vendor price was just over €1million when it was first launched however the current sale of it has the top estimate at €900,000 which is a slight shock. Due to the auction being in Paris, there is a high amount of French cars going under the hammer, specifically Bugatti's. These cars range from the 1913 Bugatti Type 13 Sports with a price range of €240,000 top estimate, to the incredibly beautiful 1931 Type 55 which has a top estimate of €4million. There are also two Type 57s, a Type 39 Grand Prix, a Type 40 and a Type 23. Other significant lots include a Mercedes 300SL Roadster, the new Stratos in an Alitalia livery, two Mercedes 540Ks, a Mercedes 500K and, a personal favourite, an Alfa Romeo 75 IMSA.

Artcurial have the final auction in Paris and has an overall greater auction for me, as not only do they have some massive sellers and lower down in the prices, some incredible supercars. The star of the show in this case is the 1929 Mercedes Benz 710 SS Grand Touring which looks absolutely beautiful, one of the true great shapes of grand tourers. The elegant body is not the only attractive feature of this Mercedes as it is a multiple concours winner, it is in immaculate condition and has a very prestigious Mercedes-Benz Klassiche recommendation which suggests that it is a clear cut classic. Due to all these factors, it has a top estimate of €8million, but the small print below the lot suggests it could go for even more. The next lot worth pointing out is the 1965 Ferrari 275GTB/6C which looks absolutely stunning and has a very rich history. This is estimated to be the most highly raced 275 in history which only adds more value to an already valuable car. A regular 275 GTB can go at auction for up to €1 million. However with this much racing history, this car has a top estimate of €3million. Continuing the racing theme somewhat, there are a lot of unique and interesting racing cars going under the hammer including a former David Brabham Jaguar XJ220C, a Cosworth powered Rondeau M378, a former Rene Arnoux Ferrari 126 F1 car, a racing De Tomaso Pantera, an Alpine A110 hillclimb car, a Chevron B60 and an Alfa Romeo Junior. Along with these racing cars, there is a good mix of modern and retro supercars in this auction with some including a Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari 599 GTB, Venturi 400 GT, Mercedes McLaren SLR, Alfa Romeo 8C Spider, Lamborghini Diablo VT, Ford GT and a Ferrari 430 Scuderia 16M Spider. This auction is an incredibly interesting one which will be fun to watch.

The final auction is not for a few months but I couldn't help not mentioning it. The Passion of a Lifetime auction will be held by Gooding & Co in London on April 1st. Although there are only 16 lots as of yet announced, the top estimate of them all combined is over £55million, meaning that they are all supremely iconic and top of the line for classic car connoisseurs. The first lot is a Bentley 3 Litre Tourer which is a vintage sports car produced in 1927 and has an estimate of £400,000 as a top estimate. Next is a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Speciale which is a limited version of the already superbly beautiful Miura. This car is finished in Champagne Gold and is one of only two cars finished in this spec therefore has a £2million estimate. Another of the top cars is a Bugatti Type 57C Atlante which is highly anticipated as the last time one of these came to auction it became the most expensive French car to sell at auction. This, along with an estimate of 'upwards of £7million' makes this a highlight. Not the only Bugatti to have the 'in excess of..' estimate as they have a Type 59 in excess of £10million and a Type 35C in excess of £3million. Some other significant lots include an Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, Aston Martin Ulster, Lancia Flaminia, Lancia Aurelia, Lamborghini 350GT and an Aston Martin DB3S. It is not yet known whether these will be the only cars in this auction but even so it is of such high quality it may not matter.