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Pebble Beach Concours Named Motoring Event of the Year

November 23, 2024

At the annual ceremony for the prestigious International Historic Motoring Awards, held in London on Friday night, the 73rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was named the Motoring Event of the Year.

In accepting the award, Concours Chairman Sandra Button recognized the team of 1,200 volunteers who make the event possible, and then she emphasized the importance of the cars themselves: “I’m here to represent the cars,” she said. “We can’t do this without them.”

Sandra went on to talk about the importance of caring for the cars and maintaining their authenticity—particularly as new technologies arise that can so easily change things: “We have to be fair to the cars, the history, the people. I look at the restorers and I think, ‘Please be careful. Please keep these cars real. Authenticity is all we have.’”

2024 Best of Show Winner 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports
2024 Best of Show Winner the 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports shown by Fritz Burkard

She also recognized enthusiasts like Fritz Burkard of Switzerland, “who brings his cars to life with his passion.” Burkard’s 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports took the top award at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours—it was the first preservation car ever to do so—and during the IHMA ceremony, it was named Car of the Year. 

One of the Concours’ Best of Show Nominees, a 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Fastback Coupé owned by Robert Kudela of the Czech Republic, was named the Restoration of the Year. And Bruce Meyer, a longtime Concours advisor, was recognized for Personal Achievement. The awards also recognized many other friends of the Concours.

Talbot-Lago on the Pebble Beach Concours show field
1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Fastback Coupé owned by Robert Kudela

The International Historic Motoring Awards are offered by the team at Hothouse Media, which publishes Magneto and Octane magazines. The presenting sponsor of this notable occasion was Lockton Insurance Brokers.

 The 74th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will take place on Sunday, August 17, 2025, and will celebrate the centennials of Invicta, Chrysler, and Moretti, the creations of Virgil Exner, the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, and Japanese Concepts & Prototypes—with other features to come. For more information on the Pebble Beach Concours, or to purchase tickets, visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net.

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