Car Restoration Projects

One of the world’s most famous historic car competitions, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, is an annual convention for international enthusiasts. In August 2024, for the first time in the history of Pebble Beach, the Best of Show award went to a ‘Preservation’ car: a Bugatti Type 59.

Rolex photos – Tom Oneal

According to Marreyt, a classic car restorer in Belgium, specialising in the top segment of British and Italian post-War sports cars, the Preservation Class has attracted increasing attention in recent years. 

“These cars are restored, while retaining the patina and the current appearance and are judged on original craftsmanship and finish, to our great enthusiasm,” said  a Marreyt spokesperson. 

“We believe this is a good thing, as we are convinced that preserved cars, in which the soul is, as it were, fully preserved, deserve as much attention as a car that has been restored to its original condition. 

“Moreover, the preservation of a classic car accentuates the true history of the car.”

In 2024, 214 cars from 16 countries and 29 USA states pulled onto the competition field and the car named Best of Show was a 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports, presented by Fritz Burkard of The Pearl Collection in Zug, Switzerland.

“This storied Bugatti, the first Type 59 built, is a rare factory race car that recorded multiple Grand Prix victories at the hands of several important racing greats and it also has ties to royalty,” Concours Chairman Sandra Button noted. 

“Perhaps most importantly, it wears all of its history to this day, having been preserved in the livery it was given when owned by King Leopold of Belgium.”

Interestingly, at the previous year’s 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, there was much surprise when an unrestored 1932 8C 2300 Corto Figoni Cabriolet made it into the final four Best of Show contenders. And while the Alfa Romeo didn’t take first prize, this was still a landmark achievement.

At the time, Sandra Button stated that the Alfa was a deserving class winner, being well preserved and with a fascinating history, and she was glad to see it among the nominees for Best of Show.

Prophetically, she said: “I do think a preservation car will take our top award someday soon.” It happened in 2024.

Thrilled 2024 Best of Show owner Fritz Burkard was blown away by the win:

 “I’m so happy for the car; so happy for Bugatti. 

“This car is incredible…drives so beautifully…and is one of the most successful Bugattis in history.

“To win with this car means a lot to me: the 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 original once.”

Ettore Bugatti’s Type 59 was designed around the 1934 750kg racing formula and although aimed originally at single-seat racing, had the driver’s seat traditionally offset to the right-hand-side, leaving room for a mechanic’s station.

It’s believed that six or seven Type 59s were produced in 1934 and four were sold in the UK. The two remaining cars were campaigned in 1934 and 1935 by drivers, including Benoist and Wimille, with considerable success. The Pebble Beach winning Type 59 is one of those cars. 

By 1937 the writing was on the wall for Bugatti in GP racing, thanks to the increasing dominance of the Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz ‘Silver Arrows’. Their engine outputs were up to 500bhp by 1937 and no-one stood a chance of consistently competing with them at the major venues.

This Type 59 was converted at the Bugatti factory into a racing sports car, with cycle mudguards, low-mounted headlights and token side doors. At the same time the supercharger was removed and the car was fitted with an all-synchro gearbox. This Type 59 Sports was the only Grand Prix car to be converted into a sports car at the factory.

The car, in the hands of Jean-Pierre Wimille, won at Pau, Tunis, Algeria and Marseille, in 1937. 

Wimille also won a 400,000-franc prize for lapping the 12-mile Montlhéry circuit for 162 miles, at an average speed of 91.13mph – only fractionally slower than von Brauchitch’s Silver Arrow Mercedes-Benz’s time for a single lap.

At the end of that racing season, a long-time Bugatti customer bought this exceptional sports car: King Leopold III of Belgium. He owned it until 1951.

This year’s Pebble Beach competition for Best of Show featured several strong contenders, including a 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Fastback Coupé, presented by Robert Kudela of Chropyně in the Czech Republic; a 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve LeBaron Sport Phaeton, presented by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio; and, perhaps most surprisingly, the 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero Bertone Coupe, which was presented by Phillip Sarofim of Beverly Hills, California, ias part of a history-making display of Wedge concepts and prototypes.

The competition got underway when the majority of Concours entries participated in the 26th Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance that’s held on about 70 miles of scenic coastal roads. Entries that complete the Tour have the advantage if they tie in the Concours class competition.

With this win, Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz are tied for the most Best of Show awards at Pebble Beach, with 10 wins each.

The Pebble Beach Concours raised more than US$3 million for charity in 2024, bringing the event’s total charitable donations to over $41 million to date. These funds are destined to benefit around 100 local nonprofits, focussed on youth education, impacting the lives of more than 10,000 children annually in Monterey County.

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