A Wooden Wonder Wins Pebble Beach’s Top Prize

By D. Brian Smith

Photography: D. Brian Smith

A one-of-a-kind Hispano-Suiza with an aviation-inspired design stole the spotlight at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, taking home the coveted Best of Show award.

Out of 229 cars from around the world—55 of them shipped in from 22 different countries—the winning entry was a 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport-Astra Torpedo, lovingly presented by Penny and Lee Anderson Sr. of Naples, Florida.

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2025 Broadcast

Second photo of 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport-Astra Torpedo courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours Media - As soon as MCW/CI came across the Hispano-Suiza on the Pebble Beach Golf Links fairway, we knew that we were witnessing the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show winning automobile. Below: Hispano-Suiza engine photo courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours Media - You're looking at automotive jewelry.

Concours Chairman Sandra Button summed it up perfectly: “This Hispano-Suiza checks every box. It’s technically advanced, beautifully hand-crafted, and light as a feather. Even better, it has a rich history—it was built for André Dubonnet, who went on to race it in both the Targa Florio and Coppa Florio.”

Above and below: Front cockpit and both cockpits for the Best of Show Hispano-Suiza

Nicknamed the “Tulipwood” Torpedo, the car is truly something special. Its body is made of thin strips of mahogany, carefully carved and held together with more than 8,500 tiny rivets. Despite its strength, the wood body reportedly weighed just 160 pounds when it was first built—a marvel of engineering and craftsmanship.

Video Synopsis of the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance - Pebble Beach Concours Media Team

Above: 1989 Ferrari 640 Formula 1 racecar - Simon Furlonger / Egon Zweimueller, Ennsdorf, Austria - owners

Above: William E. (Chip) Connor, Hong Kong owns this British Racing Green 1932 Invicta 4.5 Litre S Type Carbodies Tourer. Invicta was a British automobile company that was in existence from 1925-1935. The 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance celebrated Invicta's 100th Anniversary.

Above: 1934 Invicta 4.5 Litre S Type Carbodies Tourer - Ross and Beth Myers, Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania - proud owners

Above: 1976 Ferrari 312 T2 Formula 1 - owned by Chris MacAllister, Indianapolis, Indiana - Chris raced another of his vintage racecars at the 2025 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway.

Above: 2025 Mercedes-AMG W16 Formula 1 - Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom - for the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Above and below: You're viewing the world's first production 1962 Shelby Cobra 289 roadster, owned by Bruce Meyer, of Beverly Hills, California. Bruce's Cobra earned the Lorin Tryon Special Award.

For Lee Anderson, though, it was love at first sight for a simple reason: “I like wood! I’ve collected antique wooden boats for decades, and when I saw this car, I thought, this is exactly my kind of thing.”

Penny added with a smile, “We never expected to win, but we dreamed about it!”

Above: 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 competition roadster, Peter Klutt, of Halton Hills, Canada - Mr. Klutt was also racing his 1967 Ford Mustang notchback coupe at the vintage racing event at Laguna Seca Raceway from Wednesday, August 13 through Saturday, August 16 of Monterey Car Week (MCW is also the namesake of the humble scribe's website - dot net).

This isn’t the Andersons’ first time at the top - back in 2022, they won Pebble Beach with a stunning 1932 Duesenberg J.

Above: Sam and Emily Mann, of Englewood, New Jersey own this 1932 Chrysler Imperial CH Speedster.

Above: The Keller Collection of the Pyramids, of Petaluma, California exhibited their 1948 Chrysler Town and Country convertible.

Above and below: 1959 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster Jo-Ann and Brian Obergfell, Brooklyn, New York - owners

A Strong Field of Contenders

The Hispano-Suiza faced stiff competition. Other finalists included a sleek 1939 Maybach from Wisconsin, a rare 1933 Invicta from Bahrain, and a 1956 Maserati from California. Each brought its own story and style to the show, making the judges’ decision a difficult one.

Above: Peter and Jan Harburg, of Brisbane, Australia, presented their 1964 Ferrari 250 LM Scaglietti Berlinetta

Above and below: Jeremy McChesney, of Laguna Beach, California owns this racy red 1955 Jaguar D-type.

Above: Jeremy McChesney, of Laguna Beach, California owns this racy red 1955 Jaguar D-type.

More Than Just Cars

Pebble Beach is about more than gleaming chrome and polished wood—it’s also about giving back. This year’s Concours raised over $4 million for local charities, helping nearly 100 organizations that support youth education in Monterey County. Since its founding, the event has donated more than $45 million.

Above and below: Michael and Barbara Malamut, of Thousand Oaks, California own this classy 1941 Chrysler Town and Country station wagon.

1941 Chrysler Town and Country station wagon rear

The weekend also featured the prestigious Gooding & Company auctions, which brought in over $127 million. One standout sale? A 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider that set a new world record at over $25 million.

Above and below: 1931 Rolls-Royce 20/25 HP Worblaufen Drophead Coupe - Pyle Collection, Newport Beach, California

Looking Ahead

Mark your calendar: Pebble Beach will celebrate its 75th anniversary on August 16, 2026. The spotlight will shine on Ferrari and the legendary coachbuilder Vignale, alongside special tributes to historic Pebble Beach racers and past winners.