Pebble Beach 2026 was eventful. Leading with a First in Class award & Best of Show Runner-Up status for our 1954 Ferrari 375 America Cabriolet by Vignale, a Third in Class award for our 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, a display of our refreshed 1951 Ferrari 212 Export by Vignale, and a display of our 1950 Ferrari 166 MM / 195 S LM Berlinetta by Touring.
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The 2026 Greenwich Concours named Paul Russell its Grand Marshal, honoring nearly five decades of our work with a special class of seven restorations gathered on the field.
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At the 2026 Anantara Concorso Roma, Paul Russell received a Lifetime Achievement Award, with one of our restorations taking its class on the field in Rome.
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Cavallino 2026 brought a Best of Show recognition for our 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series I, along with a display of past restorations as a part of the Legacy Class.
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Pebble Beach 2025 brought a First in Class for our 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series I, with our 275 GTB/4 Alloy taking a special award across the same weekend on the Monterey peninsula.
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The sun shone brightly for this year’s 73rd edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance both for Thursday’s always spectacular run up to Big Sur and again for Sunday’s concours. Two of our full restorations and a third car that we extensively refreshed made the trip to Monterey. All three taking part in both traditions.
Awarded First in Class in the prewar Mercedes category was this very sporting 1928 Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Corsica Drophead. Building on an older restoration by Markus Kern, our recent work brought the British bodied SSK up to full concours standards by addressing authenticity details, replacing the interior, and adding a low-profile convertible top.
This striking 1967 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada Series I Coupe was awarded Second in Class in the postwar sports category. The potent Bizzarrini maintained many of its original details including its Corvette derived engine and drivetrain.
With a fine history including speed runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats, this elegant, gray on gray 1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Pinin Farina Coupe exemplified power and grace on the show field. It received Third in Class honors in the late Ferrari class.
This year’s Best of Show finalists were an eclectic group. Alongside long-time Paul Russell and Company patron Harry Yeaggy’s impeccably turned out 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve LeBaron Sport Phaeton was a wonderfully preserved 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports, a distinctive two-tone 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Fastback Coupé, and a dark-horse 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero Bertone Coupe from the special class of Wedge concepts and prototypes.
With two post-war cars and a preservation car in the mix the odds of a historic victory were looking good. After much deliberation, it was the preservation Bugatti that took home Best of Show. This marks the first time in history that a preservation car drove away with the Concours’ highest honor.
Will we look back on this win as watershed moment? Time will tell. It certainly reflects an evolving appreciation amongst owners, restorers, and the concours community for preserving originality whenever possible.
With deep appreciation we have this news from the Finigan Family celebrating the life of our long-time Classic Car Sales Manager and essential founding member Alex Finigan:
“We are honored to announce the creation of the Alex Finigan Endowed Scholarship Fund at McPherson College.
Started by an incredibly generous client and friend of Alex’s, this $500K endowment will grant deserving students financial aid to allow them to continue their education and pursuit of a career in the Automotive Restoration Field.
Alex would be touched to know that his legacy of kindness, inclusivity and passion for this industry will live on through the development of students who share his joy in the history, restoration and preservation of fine automobiles.
With gratitude, the Finigan Family”
A wonderful aspect of this gift is that anyone wishing to add to the scholarship in Alex’s memory can do so by sending a check to McPherson College indicating “Alex Finigan Scholarship” on the memo line:
McPherson College
Attention: Amanda Gutierrez
1600 E. Euclid
McPherson, KS 67460
Five of our clients were honored with invitations to Pebble Beach this year to feature in several special classes. Our team was on hand to support 2 cars asked to return for the centennial celebration of the artistry of Joseph Figoni. His ground-breaking designs helped spark the French aerodynamic movement. Returning was our 2014 restoration of the 1939 Delahaye 135 MS Torpedo Grand Sport and our 2019 restoration of the 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS Teardrop Cabriolet. Both of these stunning automobiles were bodied by the French coachbuilding firm of Figoni et Falaschi.
Under normal circumstances neither of these cars would have been eligible for the event since both were shown within the last 10 years. However, their seminal designs were deemed too important to leave off the list of any celebration of Figoni’s work. Both cars competed in Thursday’s 25th Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance, a 70-mile test along the Monterey coast. On Sunday, Delahaye owner Jeff Fisher was given the special honor of escorting Concours Chairman Sandra Button over the ramp to deliver her opening remarks.
Showing in the Mercedes-Benz S, and SS & SSK classes were 2 of our previous Best of Show winners and a recently freshened Corsica-bodied SSK. Displayed impressively along the edge of the 18th green were the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo Roadster (BoS 2012), the 1930 Mercedes-Benz Count Trossi SSK (BoS 1993), and the 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK Corsica.
Taking a marvelous 2nd in the Pebble Beach Postwar Luxury Class was this 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Cabriolet presented and restored by students of the Automotive Restoration Program at McPherson College. A huge congratulations to all those involved in what began as a dream to be accepted to our industry’s biggest event and ended by showing and placing in a field of the very best.
The Mercedes-Benz factories sustained massive damage from Allied bombing during World War II. Utility vehicles were the first post-war product, and helped the company toward recovery. But something more spectacular needed to be done to attract the world’s interest. In 1951, it was decided to re-enter the racing circuit. In order to do so with the least financial strain, a sports car was developed using the existing 300 engine. Because of the relatively heavy weight of that engine and drivetrain, an unusually light body needed to be constructed. And so, the tubular steel framed, aluminum bodied 300SL (Sport Light) was born. Approximately fifteen of these race cars were made, winning many events and earning the world sports car championship.
In 1952, the 300SL caught the interest of racing fans in the United States. New Yorker Max Hoffman was one such enthusiast, who used his car dealership to bring many of the European makes into this country. One might even say that he is responsible for the creation of the 300SL, as his order for 1,000 cars convinced the Mercedes-Benz officials to go ahead with the production of a street car based upon the 300SL racing sports car. The prototype 300SL was shown at the International Motor Sports Show in New York City in February 1954.
The first production car with a fuel-injected gasoline engine, the 300SL was one of the most reliable sports cars of the ’50s and ’60s. The proven 300 engine was tilted to the left to accommodate a lower hood line. The body style was designated Sport Leicht (Light) due to its aluminum doors, hood, decklid, rocker panels and belly pans, though the main body shell was constructed from steel. Unusual for the period, 300SLs came equipped with dependable heat, defrosters, and wiper motors.
Ultimately, three different versions of the 300SL were offered. The 300SL Coupe was produced from August 1954 to May 1957, during which time twenty-nine all-aluminum bodied cars were made as well. Production of the Roadster version was between February 1957 and February 1963. Whichever style is your preference, they are now highly valued for their pure driving pleasure in the Mille Miglia, Colorado Grand, and other vintage events.
Factory photos courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Archives.
Pininfarina or Pinin Farina? In 1930, Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina founded Carrozzeria Pinin Farina. This company designed and built car bodies for a number of manufacturers, including Alfa Romeo, Hispano Suiza, Lancia, Fiat, and, most notably, Ferrari. Battista is quoted as saying “The interrelation between the body of a beautiful woman and that of a Farina-designed car is that both have simplicity and harmony of line, so that when they are old one can still see how beautiful they were when they were young.”
In conjunction with Battista’s retirement in 1961, the President of the Italian Republic authorized the family name to be changed to Pininfarina “in consideration of his achievements in social and industrial activities”. As a result, the correct usage of the family name as Pininfarina or Pinin Farina depends upon the year it was used.
The Mercedes-Benz factories sustained massive damage from Allied bombing during World War II. Utility vehicles were the first post-war product, and helped the company toward recovery. But something more spectacular needed to be done to attract the world’s interest. In 1951, it was decided to re-enter the racing circuit. In order to do so with the least financial strain, a sports car was developed using the existing 300 engine. Because of the relatively heavy weight of that engine and drivetrain, an unusually light body needed to be constructed. And so, the tubular steel framed, aluminum bodied 300SL (Sport Light) was born. Approximately fifteen of these race cars were made, winning many events and earning the world sports car championship.
In 1952, the 300SL caught the interest of racing fans in the United States. New Yorker Max Hoffman was one such enthusiast, who used his car dealership to bring many of the European makes into this country. One might even say that he is responsible for the creation of the 300SL, as his order for 1,000 cars convinced the Mercedes-Benz officials to go ahead with the production of a street car based upon the 300SL racing sports car. The prototype 300SL was shown at the International Motor Sports Show in New York City in February 1954.
The first production car with a fuel-injected gasoline engine, the 300SL was one of the most reliable sports cars of the ’50s and ’60s. The proven 300 engine was tilted to the left to accommodate a lower hood line. The body style was designated Sport Leicht (Light) due to its aluminum doors, hood, decklid, rocker panels and belly pans, though the main body shell was constructed from steel. Unusual for the period, 300SLs came equipped with dependable heat, defrosters, and wiper motors.
Ultimately, three different versions of the 300SL were offered. The 300SL Coupe was produced from August 1954 to May 1957, during which time twenty-nine all-aluminum bodied cars were made as well. Production of the Roadster version was between February 1957 and February 1963. Whichever style is your preference, they are now highly valued for their pure driving pleasure in the Mille Miglia, Colorado Grand, and other vintage events.
Factory photos courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Archives.
In March of 1926, Felice Bianchi Anderloni founded Carrozzeria Touring in Milan, Italy. A “gentleman” race driver and coachbuilder for 1930s Isotta-Fraschini and Alfa Romeo, Felice was well respected for creating beautiful, aerodynamic designs. He developed the patented “superlight” Superleggera construction method, a marvel of metal tube frames welded to a solid chassis, then skinned with aluminum body panels.
When Felice died suddenly in 1948 it was up to his son Carlo Felice, known as “Cici”, to save the business. Cici did so in no uncertain terms, when he presented his 1/10-scale model of the distinctive Barchetta to prospective client Enzo Ferrari. Enzo accepted the “little boat” design as presented. The superleggera concept became so closely associated with Touring that it was incorporated into the name of the company, becoming Touring Superleggera Milano in the 1950s.
Pictured: Cici Anderloni proudly displays the original Barchetta model to Paul Russell. Lake Como, 1998.
Scraping is done with a long, wood-handled chisel. First, the surface is cleaned, made level, and marked in pencil with a grid pattern. The chisel is held with both hands, with further pressure applied by the shoulder pushing against the wooden handle. As the blade of the chisel digs into the aluminum surface, the chisel is pushed and ‘flicked’ with a rotating motion. Once this is repeatedly accomplished in one direction, the part is turned 90 degrees and the entire process repeated again. Finally, the part is hand-sanded with a very fine-grade paper to remove the aluminum shards and burrs.
For many years, conventional wisdom had it that there were 3 Atlantics built. Fortunately enthusiasts like L.G. Matthews and historians like Pierre-Yves Laugier continue to study all things Bugatti, and new information and analysis becomes known and shared. The revival of the Bugatti Marque in the ownership of the Volkswagen Group has facilitated a reorganization of the company historic archives, in the hands of the esteemed Julius Kruta.
It is now acknowledged that there was a prototype (pictured here) named the Aerolithe built on a modified T57 chassis and later disassembled to form the basis for the first production car, now on the S chassis number 57374. This first car was labeled the Aero, and resides at the Mullin Automotive Museum.
Chassis 57473 was the second car produced and the first to be called the Atlantic. There were two more Atlantics made, one of which has not been seen since it disappeared in Belgium in the 1940s. The last of the Atlantics produced is chassis number 57591.
Professor Ignacio Barraquer who owned the Autobahn-Kurier for more than 60 years, was not just any eye doctor, but possibly the most famous ophthalmologist who ever lived. He developed procedures and surgical instruments that are standard to this day, mostly associated with cataract surgery, and many named after him. His father was Professor of Ophthalmology at the School of Medicine in Barcelona, Spain, a position Ignacio was appointed to following his father’s retirement. Ignacio’s son, José, developed the keratomileusis, or LASIK operation, today a common surgical procedure.
Born into an Italian banking family, Count Carlo Felice Trossi was an amateur inventor and a noted motor sportsman of the 1930s. Known as ‘Didi’ to his friends, he enjoyed racing boats and airplanes in addition to his pursuits in the field of engineering. As an early financial backer of Enzo Ferrari, he become President of Scuderia Ferrari in 1932 while continuing to be a primary driver for the team.
Reproduced here is a picture dated 1932, and supplied by his family, of his SSK in front of Castello di Gaglianico. The records of the Automobile Club of Italy show that Count Trossi sold and bought back this singular car several times from 1931 until his death in 1949.
In March of 1926, Felice Bianchi Anderloni founded Carrozzeria Touring in Milan, Italy. A “gentleman” race driver and coachbuilder for 1930s Isotta-Fraschini and Alfa Romeo, Felice was well respected for creating beautiful, aerodynamic designs. He developed the patented “superlight” Superleggera construction method, a marvel of metal tube frames welded to a solid chassis, then skinned with aluminum body panels.
When Felice died suddenly in 1948 it was up to his son Carlo Felice, known as “Cici”, to save the business. Cici did so in no uncertain terms, when he presented his 1/10-scale model of the distinctive Barchetta to prospective client Enzo Ferrari. Enzo accepted the “little boat” design as presented. The superleggera concept became so closely associated with Touring that it was incorporated into the name of the company, becoming Touring Superleggera Milano in the 1950s.
Pictured: Cici Anderloni proudly displays the original Barchetta model to Paul Russell. Lake Como, 1998.
For many years, conventional wisdom had it that there were 3 Atlantics built. Fortunately enthusiasts like L.G. Matthews and historians like Pierre-Yves Laugier continue to study all things Bugatti, and new information and analysis becomes known and shared. The revival of the Bugatti Marque in the ownership of the Volkswagen Group has facilitated a reorganization of the company historic archives, in the hands of the esteemed Julius Kruta.
It is now acknowledged that there was a prototype (pictured here) named the Aerolithe built on a modified T57 chassis and later disassembled to form the basis for the first production car, now on the S chassis number 57374. This first car was labeled the Aero, and resides at the Mullin Automotive Museum.
Chassis 57473 was the second car produced and the first to be called the Atlantic. There were two more Atlantics made, one of which has not been seen since it disappeared in Belgium in the 1940s. The last of the Atlantics produced is chassis number 57591.
In March of 1926, Felice Bianchi Anderloni founded Carrozzeria Touring in Milan, Italy. A “gentleman” race driver and coachbuilder for 1930s Isotta-Fraschini and Alfa Romeo, Felice was well respected for creating beautiful, aerodynamic designs. He developed the patented “superlight” Superleggera construction method, a marvel of metal tube frames welded to a solid chassis, then skinned with aluminum body panels.
When Felice died suddenly in 1948 it was up to his son Carlo Felice, known as “Cici”, to save the business. Cici did so in no uncertain terms, when he presented his 1/10-scale model of the distinctive Barchetta to prospective client Enzo Ferrari. Enzo accepted the “little boat” design as presented. The superleggera concept became so closely associated with Touring that it was incorporated into the name of the company, becoming Touring Superleggera Milano in the 1950s.
Pictured: Cici Anderloni proudly displays the original Barchetta model to Paul Russell. Lake Como, 1998.
Born into an Italian banking family, Count Carlo Felice Trossi was an amateur inventor and a noted motor sportsman of the 1930s. Known as ‘Didi’ to his friends, he enjoyed racing boats and airplanes in addition to his pursuits in the field of engineering. As an early financial backer of Enzo Ferrari, he become President of Scuderia Ferrari in 1932 while continuing to be a primary driver for the team.
Reproduced here is a picture dated 1932, and supplied by his family, of his SSK in front of Castello di Gaglianico. The records of the Automobile Club of Italy show that Count Trossi sold and bought back this singular car several times from 1931 until his death in 1949.
