54th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Names ‘Best of Show’

Aug. 2004 – The 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links hosted 210 historic vehicles and thousands of spectators Sunday at the 54th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The Concours competition, which included judging in 27 classes, culminated when a 1938 Horch 853A Erdmann & Rossi Sport Cabriolet, owned by Judge Joseph C. Cassini III from West Orange, N.J., was named “Best of Show.”

The 1938 Horch 853A, designed by Fritz Fiedler, who later created the BMW 315 and 328, was the most expensive car from Auto Union (a German automaker that eventually became Audi). With coachwork by Erdmann and Rossi of Berlin, the Horch 853A featured a 120 horsepower, 5.0-liter straight-eight engine and such modern features as power steering and overdrive in all four gears.

Competitors from 30 states and 14 countries, from as far as Japan, Australia and Argentina, were among the participants who brought their prized automotive possessions to the Monterey Peninsula. Among the participants were Tonight Show host Jay Leno (1916 Crane-Simplex Model 5 Holbrook Skiff), who won his class (vintage 1916 – 1924) and The Matrix, Lethal Weapon movie producer Joel Silver (1940 Lincoln Continental Town Car and 1941 Continental Coupe).

“The people who participate in the Pebble Beach Concours are passionate about their exotic, historic cars, and each year they help us produce an event that doubles as an automotive time capsule,” says Concours Co-Chairman Glenn Mounger. “Once again we were able to display the finest craftsmanship from more than 100 years of the automobile.”

The 2004 event featured the centennial celebration of Rolls-Royce, with Pebble Beach serving as the culmination for nine participants in the 3,700-mile cross-country Rolls Royce “Silver Ghost Train. Another focus was the 100th birthday of Hispano-Suiza, the French-built luxury vehicle once driven by the likes of Edsel Ford, the Rothschild family and King Alfonso XIII of Spain. The Concours also honored Ferrari by showcasing, “the finest collection of Ferraris ever assembled,” according to Concours Co-Chairman Sandra Kasky.

“In addition to this year’s incredible international collection of cars, we were able to raise $523,000 for charity,” added Kasky. “And our Sunday evening auction, conducted for the first time by Gooding & Company, was a huge success. Now it’s on to planning for the 55th Pebble Beach Concours.”

The next Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is slated for Aug. 21, 2005 and will spotlight Alfa Romeo, the 100th anniversary of Delage and 75 years of Pininfarina. For a complete list of 2004 Concours winners from 27 classes, go to www.pebblebeachconcours.net.