PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS d’ELEGANCE®
INSIDER
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Celebrating the Life & Legacy of the Automobile | August 2020
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PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS d’ELEGANCE®
INSIDER Celebrating the Life & Legacy of the Automobile | August 2020
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Sir Stirling Moss poses in front of Stillwater Cove in 1999.
Crowds cheer concours entries as they pull onto the competitions field at daybreak in 2015.
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CHAIRMAN'S LETTER
The Countdown to the Concours
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ANNE LEE
36 MY PERSPECTIVE
Continuing a Legacy, Forging a Future By Kate Constantin
16 OUR SELECTION COMMITTEE Insights from the People who Select the
Cars for the Concours
18 CARS I HAVE KNOWN & ENJOYED By Sir Stirling Moss
Stephen F. Brauer, Chief Honorary Judge & Selection Committee Member
38 SOCIAL SEEN
Friends and Faces of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
44 TRADITIONS
From the Don Patrol to the Dawn Patrol presented by Hagerty
26 A TRIBUTE TO SIR STIRLING MOSS
Friends and Fans Pay Tribute to the Famed Racing Great
On the Cover Sir Stirling and Juan Manuel Fangio almost topple the first Benz Patent Motor Wagen while driving it across our awards ramp in 1986.
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PUBLISHER Pebble Beach Company EDITOR IN CHIEF Sandra Button EDITORS Quinn Button & Kandace Hawkinson DESIGN Nicole Doré at Madden Media CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & PHOTO ARCHIVES Pebble Beach Company Lagorio Archives with particular thanks for the work of photographer Julian P. Graham; Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Archives; Dima Barsky Photography, Dean Batchelor/Ron Kellogg Collection, Justin Bell, Steve Burton, Sherman Chu, Vance Fox, Robb Hallock, Kimball Studios, Jeff Peek/Hagerty Media Site, Tom G. O’Neal/TGO Studios, ultimagecarpage.com, Nic Waller, Don Williams. Pebble Beach®, Pebble Beach Resorts®, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance®, Pebble Beach® Automotive Week, Pebble Beach Golf Links®, The Lodge at Pebble Beach™, The Inn at Spanish Bay™, Spanish Bay®, 17-Mile Drive®, The Lone Cypress™, Stillwater Cove™, and their respective underlying logo designs and distinct images, are trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. Copyright © 2020 Pebble Beach Company. All rights reserved.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN Over the past few months, void of the usual frenetic activity, I’ve grown to understand more strongly than ever that although the Pebble Beach Concours is focused on cars, it is at its core about people. We like to say that our awards go to cars, not people — and technically that’s true: our judging seeks to evaluate each car apart from its past or present owners. But each and every car is the culmination of the vision, the hopes, and the many efforts people have put into creating and caring for it. All of those people come together at the Concours, where, in celebrating the cars we love, we are celebrating each other.
Here we are, heading into what should be Pebble Beach Automotive Week, and I find myself feeling serious car withdrawal. The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is more than a one-day event for me, and I know the same is true for many of you. Every Concours comes into being through the decisions and actions, both large and small, of hundreds of people over the course of many months and sometimes years. Time and again, I’ve walked into restoration shops where the primary calendar is a countdown to the Pebble Beach Concours. Sometimes it is on a whiteboard encompassing a detailed schedule of goals to be met — from parts to be repaired and reassembled to final shipping date. Occasionally it is just a big bold number on the wall, indicating the sum of days to our next event. In recent years, we’ve included a countdown clock discreetly at the bottom of the Concours website, but shortly after we announced the cancellation of our 2020 event — when the number jumped from 116 to 481 — I asked that it be taken down. While a longer timeline might be a comfort to some people, I couldn’t stand the thought of being away from you all for so long! The Concours, complete with all of its challenges and joys, has determined the pace of my life — and has energized and excited me — for 35 years. And during Pebble Beach Automotive Week, we are always in high gear. Long-haul trucks fill our transport lot, carrying their precious cargo. The construction of event and sponsor venues is completed, the competition field is laid out and the awards ramp built. Printed programs are stacked at entry points, posters are rolled, and trophies are polished. Most importantly, the first entrants arrive on site — and a multitude of judges, volunteers and spectators soon follow.
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Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Insider
In the absence of a chance to be together, this digital Insider celebrates car people. Included in this issue is a special tribute to Sir Stirling Moss, who served for decades among our Honorary Judges and who also often led the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex. Sir Stirling was at the heart of many memorable Concours moments, including the time he and fellow famed racing great Juan Manuel Fangio nearly toppled a Benz Patent Motor Wagen replica, as you will read here. Jay Leno once said, when asked why he attends the Pebble Beach Concours, “You know that people like Sergio Pininfarina exist, but you don’t think they really exist. It’s a name you sort of read about. Being in the business I’m in, I’m not particularly enamored of movie stars — I mean I am, and I enjoy them — but to meet someone like Fabrizio Giugiaro or Jack Telnack or Bruno Sacco and to put a face with a name is exciting to me.” Yes, you might see and even meet your heroes at Pebble Beach. But you also have the opportunity to talk at length to a host of people who care about cars as deeply as you do — the many people who continue to bring this Concours to life. We will do this again! Each year we work together toward Concours Sunday. And I can’t wait to see the event we create for this coming year. The countdown clock is now up and running again — and so are we. 2021 here we come! Sincerely yours,
Sandra Button Chairman #DriveOn2021
2020 PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS CHARITY DRAWING
A CHANCE TO WIN A 2021 LEXUS LC 500 CONVERTIBLE! 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible
DONATED BY:
WWW.BGCMC.ORG/WIN FOR MORE INFO $100 per ticket — only 3,000 tickets to be sold Prototype Vehicle Shown
Winner will receive 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Partnership with Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Pebble Beach Company and Lexus.
100% of every ticket purchased benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County
Proceeds benefit The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Actual prize may vary from the one pictured. Winner is responsible for all tax, licensing and transfer fees. No cash or prize substitutions. Estimated delivery December 2020, delivery limited to continental USA and Alaska.
Virtual drawing will be held on
Sunday, September 13, 2020.
Need not be present to win. Ticket non-deductible.
Pebble Beach®, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® and their respective underlying designs and logos are trademarks and service marks of Pebble Beach Company. Used by permission.
Order your tickets now! Visit www.bgcmc.org/win or call (831) 394-5171
ANNE BROCKINTON LE E & T H E ROBE RT M . LEE AUTOM OB I LE COLLECT I ON
This 1948 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta Prototype (Serial No. 0002M), with coachwork by Touring, was the first Ferrari imported into the United States. This prototype placed First in Class at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours. Opposite page: Anne Brockinton Lee with the 1939 Alvis Speed 25 Charlesworth Tourer, in front of a photograph of Prince Abdorreza Pahlavi and Robert M. Lee taken in the central Alborz Mountains in north-central Iran.
CONTINUING A LEGACY, FORGING A FUTURE BY KATE CONSTANTIN
Anne Brockinton Lee is like a Sazerac cocktail: a generous pour of Cognac for southern warmth, absinthe for sheer daring, lemon for zest, bitters (just to keep you on your toes), and a sugar cube for charm — definitely no ice!
lifestyle, be it hunting and working on conservation in Africa, browsing exotic car dealerships in Italy, visiting friends in England, or building his global corporation Hunting World in the United States.
Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, and residing in Reno, Nevada, since the 1990s, Anne rules supreme over one of the most prestigious collections of classic cars in the world. Few are invited into her inner circle and fewer still get to visit the collection, but in February 2020, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was permitted an exclusive Insider tour.
“It wasn’t until 1988 when he moved to Reno that it started to come together,” says Anne. “Meanwhile, I was still working in New York.” An accomplished commercial artist with Ziff Davis for many years, Anne attended many car auctions with Bob, and while she had a hand in pinpointing potential purchases, she admits she often identified favorites as “the blue Rolls-Royce” or “the red Ferrari.”
In 2016, Anne lost her partner of 35 years, Robert “Bob” Lee, and was left to singlehandedly curate the Robert M. Lee Automobile Collection of well over 200 world-class automobiles, including four Pebble Beach Best of Show cars and 37 Pininfarina-bodied speciales. While the automotive community held its breath to see what Anne would do with her newfound responsibility, she quietly, demurely and ever-so firmly took the reins and made Bob Lee’s legacy her own. “Well, what else was I gonna do? Go home and knit?” jests the Southern Belle. The Robert M. Lee Collection began as an eclectic assortment of cars spread all over the world, acquired by Bob to serve his
“In the early days I didn’t know what the hell they were,” says Anne. “It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’m getting there — fast!” Walking the hallowed aisles of every imaginable marque, including Lancia, Maserati, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Hispano-Suiza, Cadillac, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Duesenberg, Ferrari and Horch, it soon becomes obvious that Anne has arrived. Continuing Bob’s mantra of “buy what you like,” Anne has fine-tuned the collection, concentrating on cars that personally move her. “I am particularly fond of one-offs, but I’m moved by a combination of design excellence, provenance and plain aesthetic appeal. It worked for Bob and it works for me now.”
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Bentley and Rolls-Royce are two marques that feature prominently in the collection.
Herself a one-off, Anne saunters down the rows of cars that span over a century of automotive innovation — ranging from the 1886 Benz & Cie (a replica of the first production motorcar), to a custom 2005 Maserati V8 Quattroporte — listing her favorites while specifying coachbuilder, history, technical specifications and restoration details. She halts at the silver 1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet, a 5-liter straight-eight on a short wheelbase, which won Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 2009. “I didn’t eat or sleep for four days before the show that year — I was a nervous wreck,” she says. “This car was especially dear to Bob and me because we had it restored inhouse by our meticulous team — headed by James O’Brien — and it won!” Of the four Pebble Beach Best of Show cars in the Lee Collection, two were purchased post-award: the 1935 Mercedes Benz 500K Special Roadster, which took the prize for Tom Perkins in 1982, and the 1939 Bugatti Type 57 Saoutchik Cabriolet of Jack Becronis, which won in 1985. “The first Best of Show car [Bob and I] drove over the Pebble Beach ramp together was the 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupé in 2006,” she says. “That was one of Bob’s favorites. It’s drop-dead gorgeous and is a one-off. He said the Daimler made his heart skip a beat — almost as much as I did!” One of the criteria that makes Anne’s heart skip a beat is a car’s drivability. Although she admits she wasn’t a car girl before she met Bob, she was driving a stick-shift around Charleston at age 11. Her first adventure with a “classic” was
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a Jaguar that belonged to a friend’s father. “My friend hated driving it, so I would drive. We’d all pile in — five or six of us — smoking and drinking beer (not me of course — designated driver and all that). No seat belts, it was wild. I was 14!” Petite as she is, Anne admits that these days she often employs a pillow to support her in the driver’s seat, but she specifically points to the champagne 1966 Bentley S3 Continental Drophead, with a one-off body by the Swiss coachbuilder Graber, as ultimately drivable. “I love this car; it is such a modern car for 1966 with a disappearing top and electric rear glass. And just look at that skinny little steering wheel. For such a big car it suits me just fine and it drives like a dream!” When the Fritz family commissioned the car, they had the Bentley “B” winged mascot remodeled into an “F” on the hood, and this was also echoed on the hubcaps, unique details that remain on the car to this day. Anne often drives cars from the collection at various events around the world, and especially when her car receives an award at a concours. “It was a point of pride for Bob that I could drive our cars. He loved that,” beams Anne. “The only one I tend not to drive is the Bentley Blower with the center throttle and stiff drum brakes, because there’s so many damn baby buggies and dogs wandering around. Lordy, don’t they understand that these old cars don’t stop on a dime!” We meander up and down the rows of cars, taking in the many award winners, eventually pausing beside a suite of RollsRoyce motor cars. Built in 1907, chassis number 60553
This 1937 Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet with unique coachwork by Voll & Ruhrbeck was named Best of Show at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
“THIS CAR WAS ESPECIALLY DEAR TO BOB AND ME BECAUSE WE HAD IT RESTORED INHOUSE BY OUR METICULOUS TEAM — HEADED BY JAMES O’BRIEN — AND IT WON!” — AN N E B R O C K IN TO N LEE
Above: This 1939 Bugatti Type 57 Saoutchik Cabriolet (chassis 57735) is another Best of Show car, from 1985, and was acquired for the collection soon after the trophy was awarded. Left: The Lee’s first Best of Show win came in 2006 with this one-off 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupé.
This 1966 Bentley S3 Continental Drophead (BC202LXC) was bodied by the Swiss coachbuilder Graber and is one of Anne’s favorite driving cars.
Right: Among the Graber-bodied Bentley S3’s unique features is this modified “winged F” radiator mascot ordered by its first owner, Baptista Fritz.
“I GET A LOT OF ADVICE FROM PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY KNOW WHAT I SHOULD BUY, SELL OR KEEP. BUT HONESTLY, I GO WITH MY GUT.” — AN N E B R O C KI NTO N LEE
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and 60565 are the oldest Silver Ghosts in the United States, while two other prominent Silver Ghosts in the collection were built in 1912: the London to Edinburgh Tourer known as “The Mystery,” and “The Jade,” with its underslung Tourer coachwork by Jean-Henri Labourdette. Named for its solid jade door handles, “The Jade” debuted at the Paris Auto Salon and was then shipped to Argentina, where forty years later it was recommissioned to perform as a tow truck and then abandoned to a junkyard in Buenos Aires. The car was discovered by Ben Moser who brought it to the United States and had it restored, after which it made its way to the Lee Collection.
One of two 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London to Edinburgh models in the collection, this Tourer was first owned by Rolls-Royce’s managing director Claude Johnson, who named the car “The Mystery.”
Motoring through the decades, we pass a pair of 1958 RollsRoyce Silver Cloud I cars coached by Freestone & Webb, standing side by side. “These matching cars are known as the ‘Honeymoon Express’ cars for their unique configuration, designed specifically to carry two people and one week’s luggage,” she says. “We already owned one when I saw the second one — in black and green — and I said ‘God, that’s damned sexy, I want it!’ And now I have the pair.” These cars are especially notable for their avant-garde fins, which in the late ’50s were very popular in America, but barely made a showing with the more traditional British coachbuilders. “And by the way, they are wonderful to drive!” adds Anne. Close by is a superb 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Landaulet with another breathtaking body by Labourdette. This stately
town car has a sumptuous cream interior, a glass division for privacy between the rear passenger compartment and the chauffeur, and a swooping, scooped-out tail with wood and chrome trim running down the rear spine. Equally stunning is a blue Silver Cloud I Drophead Coupé by Hooper, designed for King Faisal II of Iraq, with his own personal falcon hood ornament, a bar in the passenger compartment and a refrigerator in the trunk. “I guess it was a thirsty ride out there in the desert!” says Anne. “Faisal II was the last King of Iraq. He was assassinated in 1958, aged 23. Poor man never got to take delivery of the car.” On that note, we enter the hallowed hall of Pininfarina, a stable of 37 automobiles across eight marques that is believed to be the world’s largest collection of Pininfarina-built cars. Battista Farina, the tenth of eleven children and known as ‘Pinin’ (‘the youngest’) to his family, started working at his brother Giovanni’s body shop when he was 12, and remained at Stabilimenti Industriali Farina for decades before founding his own Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930. Battista’s son, Sergio, was born in 1926 and soon became an integral part of the company and, most importantly, the design guru. After a 1961 presidential decree changed the firm’s name to Pininfarina, Sergio forged
Left: This 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London to Edinburgh model wears Torpedo coachwork by Labourdette. Known as “The Jade” because of its Jade door handles, it was awarded First in Class in 2004.
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This “Honeymoon Express” is a 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Drophead Coupé, one of two unique Freestone & Webb Silver Clouds in the Lee collection.
Right: The second “Honeymoon Express” Silver Cloud is very distinctive with one-off coachwork by Hooper. The car was built for King Faisal II of Iraq and bears the king’s unique Falcon hood ornament.
Below: Alongside the many Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars is a collection of rare Hispano-Suizas, including this 1922 H6B bodied by Rothschild and once owned by Jules “J” Heumann.
a relationship with several auto manufacturers, but most notably with Ferrari in 1952 — and the two names have been universally linked ever since. “We had a special relationship with Sergio Pininfarina,” Anne explains. “Bob knew him well and corresponded with him since the 1950s. We vacationed with his family and they came to stay with us on many occasions. Sergio was an amazing designer, hugely talented, a true artist. We just loved his work, and it wasn’t only with Ferrari. Pininfarina bodied many
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chassis for Bentley, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati. Just look at this Cadillac. . . .” Anne indicates a fabulous 1931 Cadillac 452A Boattail Roadster, the first non-Italian car bodied by Pinin Farina. “We call this car ‘Tiger-Tiger’ because it was commissioned by the Maharaja of Orchha for tiger hunting, according to legend. Notice the slightly elevated seat in the rear that denotes the Maharaja’s status. Bob used to say the seat was raised up so when the Maharaja swung around to take aim at a tiger, he didn’t shoot his chauffeur’s head off!” Not far away is a silver right-hand drive 1954 R-Type Bentley Continental Fastback Coupé sporting more magnificent coachwork by Pinin Farina — which was later restored by Sergio, especially for his good friend Bob Lee — as denoted by a plaque on the dash. Moving on, we come to a beautiful
Left: This 1954 Bentley R-Type Pinin Farina Continental (chassis B49C) was restored by Sergio Pininfarina after it was acquired for the collection.
metallic blue 1948 Maserati A6 1500, a majestic Pinin Farina coupé that was raced by Bordoni in 1949 and 1950. “That’s one of my acquisitions,” says Anne with amused pride. “I went to the auctions in Scottsdale 2018 and came home with 12 cars. The lawyers had a fit! They try to tell me not to go to auctions anymore — but I still do.” Another of Anne’s recent purchases is the 1952 Ferrari 212 Europa by Pinin Farina, the first-ever Ferrari to be awarded 100 points at Pebble Beach in 1993 after it was restored by Wayne Obry, long considered to be the world’s leading expert on the marque. The Europa was built shortly after Pinin
Farina’s first foray with Ferrari — the 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet. “This car was the result of a stalemate between Enzo Ferrari and Battista Farina, Sergio’s father,” explains Anne. “Enzo refused to go to Farina to discuss the design, and Battista refused to go to Ferrari and so, a meeting was planned halfway between the two locations. When Battista sent his son Sergio in his place, Enzo was furious, regarding it as an insult, but eventually he took Sergio under his wing and treated him like a son. Sergio was Enzo’s favorite designer.” Anne circles the exquisite black Ferrari. “Many years later Sergio found the car in a dealership in Geneva and asked Bob if he wanted it. We bought it on condition that Sergio restore it,
This 1931 Cadillac 452A V16 Boattail Roadster is the first non-Italian car bodied by Battista Pinin Farina. Seen here after being awarded First in Class in 2018, this Cadillac was custom built for the Maharaja of Orchha.
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Right: A recent acquisition is this 1948 Maserati A6 1500 Pinin Farina CoupÊ (chassis 060), which was first raced by the Italian World War II fighter pilot Franco Bordoni-Bisleri. He scored two first in class victories in the Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza in 1949 and 1950. Just ten A6 1500s were factory-equipped with wire wheels and a threecarburetor configuration, which greatly enhanced the car’s performance.
Left: This 1948 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta prototype (chassis 0002M) was the first Ferrari imported into the United States. At the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours the car was awarded a perfect score.
Right: This 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet (chassis 0177E) was the first Ferrari to be bodied by Pinin Farina. Following its restoration by Pininfarina it was delivered to Bob Lee on February 18, 1988, the 90th birthday of Enzo Ferrari.
Anne Brockinton Lee acquired this 1953 Lancia Aurelia PF200 C Spider prototype in 2017. It was first shown at the 1953 Geneva and Turin Motor Shows.
and he presented it to Bob on February 18, 1988 — the 90th birthday of their mutual friend Enzo Ferrari. It was amazing! Unfortunately, Enzo died later that year.” We move on to a trio of Ferrari 166s, two bodied by Touring and one by Stabilimenti Farina. The 1948 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta Prototype by Touring is quite possibly the most important Ferrari in the world, as it is the oldest existing Barchetta — sporting serial number 0002M. “That car received 100 points at Pebble Beach in 1997,” grins Anne. “It was the first Ferrari to ever be exported to the U.S.” The other Touring-bodied 166 MM Barchetta, built in 1949 with
From Anne’s reaction when she comes upon the 1957 Ferrari 250 GT by Pinin Farina, it’s clear this is another keeper. The cabriolet prototype was the first Pinin Farina body built on the 250 GT Spyder chassis and was the forerunner of the Spyder California series. It was gifted to the talented young British racing driver Peter Collins by Enzo Ferrari himself. Anne stands by the car with pride. “I love this car. It’s timeless. I can’t imagine what you would do to it to make it a modernday car. Look at the scooped door — it doesn’t get better than this. Plus, it’s Charleston Green.”
We walk and talk through the numerous celebrity cars, all with Pininfarina coachwork: the 1958 Ferrari 250 GT, displayed at the “IF BOB KNEW, HE’D COME DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS International Automobile Show by Luigi Chinetti, in pristine unrestored AND FROWN HIS DISAPPROVAL ON ME. HE USED TO SAY, condition; a 1985 Ferrari 412 Coupe ‘ANNE, THERE ARE PORSCHE COLLECTORS AND THERE dressed in “Lee No. 5” (Rosso Florio), a red paint formulated by ARE FERRARI COLLECTORS, AND NEVER THE TWAIN Ferrari especially for Bob Lee, which SHALL MEET!’” — AN N E B R O C K IN TO N LEE is now a color option available on new Ferraris today; a 1953 Lancia serial number 0008M, won the Mille Miglia in 1949 and was Aurelia PF200 C Spider Prototype, with one-off Pinin the first Ferrari to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Farina coachwork denoted by its unique Supersonic Nose, Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon also in 1949. “Lord Selsdon and Anne’s first acquisition after Bob’s passing; and a 2005 drove for 20 minutes,” Anne whispers behind her hand, “and Ferrari 612 Berlinetta, custom ordered by Bob Lee at the Chinetti drove 23 hours and 40 minutes to the win!” The 2003 Geneva Motor Show and personally designed by Sergio. third Ferrari 166 Inter Cabriolet was bodied by Giovanni’s This car, with its side scallops and unique covered headlights, Stabilimenti Farina in 1949 and was Ferrari’s first ever was inspired by the 1954 Ferrari 375 MM commissioned by convertible. “I love the 166s,” says Anne. “People ask me, Roberto Rossellini for his wife Ingrid Bergman, and it wears if I had to choose, which three cars would I keep forever? the same “Ingrid Grigio” paint as its 1954 ancestor. It’s hard to say, and I’d certainly keep the oldest existing Ferrari — but how do you choose?”
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This 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Spider (chassis 412026) is the only 2.9 Alfa Romeo in the collection.
“PEOPLE ASK ME, IF I HAD TO CHOOSE, WHICH THREE CARS WOULD I KEEP FOREVER? IT’S HARD TO SAY, AND I’D CERTAINLY KEEP THE OLDEST EXISTING FERRARI — BUT HOW DO YOU CHOOSE?” — AN N E B R O C K IN TO N LEE
This strikingly aerodynamic 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolet (chassis 0461GT) was the first Ferrari to be bodied by Felice Mario Boano. After seeing it at the 1956 New York Auto Show, Bob Lee purchased the car directly from Enzo Ferrari himself.
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This 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Spider prototype was first owned by Peter Collins, one of Scuderia Ferrari’s finest Grand Prix drivers. Finished in dark green, 0655GT features a unique notched driver’s door, and its standard drum brakes were replaced with discs all around.
Standing slightly apart from the Pininfarina cars is a brilliant red convertible — a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B graced with a Touring body and sporting fantastic chromed open spats over its rear wheels. “This is sex on wheels!” states Anne. “It’s a long wheelbase and the chassis was designed by Ferdinand Porsche. When Dr. Piëch was here (Ferdinand’s grandson), he got down on the floor and slid under the car. Bob said, ‘What are you doing?’ and Piëch said, ‘I’m looking at the chassis my grandfather built!’” Finally, in pride of place we spy a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolet Prototype. Anne lays her hand reverently on the front fender. “This is the car that started it all,” she says. “This was Bob’s first Ferrari. He bought it directly from Enzo. It is a one-off with coachwork by Boano, and when Bob saw it on the stand at the New York Auto Show, he just had to have it. That was the beginning of a long and close relationship between Bob and Enzo.” Every thoroughbred in the collection is pristine and prizeworthy, whether it be restored or preserved. With a crew of just four full-time employees, each car is exercised twice a year for a minimum of five miles, fluids are checked, and leather, wood and chrome are expertly and meticulously treated. The result is that upward of 95% of the collection is in drive-away condition. And Anne likes to drive most of them. “Actually, my favorite runabout at the moment is a Porsche 356 Speedster. I just love it,” she smiles guiltily. “If Bob knew, he’d come down from the heavens and frown his disapproval on me. He used to say, ‘Anne, there are Porsche collectors and there are Ferrari collectors, and never the twain shall meet!’” When asked what it’s like being a woman in a male dominated community, Anne is adamant. “It’s good, real good,” she says. “There will always be a jerk who patronizes you or tries to trip you up. But on the whole, the auto world has embraced me.”
Anne isn’t just a car collector. She is an active and vocal member of multiple boards and charities, including the Nevada Museum of Art, the Boone and Crockett Club (a habitat conservation nonprofit), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which received 28 important arms and armor pieces from the Robert M. Lee Foundation as a gift. Add to that the project management of cars in restoration and it’s a wonder the whirling dervish that is Anne Brockinton Lee finds the time to participate in the multitude of car events both at home and abroad that populate her calendar. Having viewed 200-plus cars in a matter of a couple of hours, it is patently evident that Anne doesn’t merely maintain the Robert M. Lee Collection, she has honed it and thoughtfully taken it to the next level. Upon reading a book about how to collect classic cars, received from a well-meaning author, she realized she doesn’t follow its rubric — not even slightly. “I get a lot of advice from people who think they know what I should buy, sell or keep. But honestly, I go with my gut. I often ask myself, ‘What would Bob do?’ and then I go ahead and do what I think is best. It seems to be working just fine.”
Anne Brockinton Lee’s first purchase for the collection, the little Lancia PF200, was a finalist for the 2019 Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Members of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Selection Committee spend the first quarter of each year reviewing entrant applications and researching the car entries that have been submitted, sometimes even visiting them in the process. Our Selection Committee is made up of about fifteen knowledgeable experts, and it is very rare that a car is submitted that is unknown to all of them. Every car is then carefully considered and discussed in depth during a two-day Selection Committee meeting.
Selection Committee Member Colin Feichtmeir drives John and Aldo Bertolotti’s 1907 Thomas Flyer 4-60 7 Passenger Touring onto the show field during Dawn Patrol presented by Hagerty in 2019.
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PRESENTS
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PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS d’ELEGANCE
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A MotorTrend Special
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Sir Stirling prepares to lead the 2016 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance presented by Rolex — just as he did for many years prior. 18
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FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
CARS I HAVE KNOWN & ENJOYED:
SIR STIRLING MOSS
E D I TO R ’ S N OT E
Sir Stirling was best known for his many racing successes, but he had a love for cars that transcended the track. Twenty years back, for our 50th anniversary celebration, he wrote this piece (excerpted here) about the many cars he had known and loved.
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People who know me understand that I like to get moving. I like to get things done quickly. I’m always on the go, always in action. I suppose this comes from being very competitive. This affects my motoring interests and passions. My fascination with speed and competition naturally inclines me toward the fastest and most capable cars — the ones that win races. Thousands of racing miles and decades of “seat of the pants” action have given me firsthand impressions of many good, bad and downright dangerous machines. A good number of the cars I’ve owned and competed in over the years are now sought after as historic racers because they are still so good to drive. They offer undiluted pleasure to enthusiasts who want to experience driving in the purest form. I’ve never collected cars, but I do appreciate their aesthetics as well as their dynamic abilities. While function is my prerequisite, form and beauty are essential ingredients. I remember the early motor shows in London, where entire halls were dedicated to the great coachbuilders of the fifties and sixties, coachbuilders like Ghia, Touring and Vignale. Their creations were refreshing, captivating and innovative. Those wealthy enough would select the latest body style and have the coachbuilders construct it on the chassis of their choice. Very civilized. I think I first attended the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance when I was racing in the area in the early sixties. I won at Laguna Seca — I got the fastest lap time — in both 1960 and 1961.
I’ve always admired the Pebble Beach Concours, and I am honored to have been selected to be an Honorary Judge in recent years, particularly since I’m not an automotive historian. I don’t have the ability to judge many of the cars correctly in terms of their authenticity; I simply don’t have enough knowledge. I do certainly have my own views of what makes a car attractive or elegant. And I am certainly qualified to tell what a car is like to drive. I think I was selected to be an Honorary Judge because of my understanding of cars, my appreciation of their function. I’ve known and enjoyed many cars in my lifetime. My father, Alfred, was a great car enthusiast, and I was fortunate to grow up around some magnificent machines. Of all the cars he owned, I particularly liked his 2.3 Alfa Romeo and his elegant, great V-12 Lagonda. The Lagonda was enormous; it had enough room for three in front and space for gun cabinets and hunting dogs in the back. I was very young when my father gave me a little cut-down Austin 7 to drive around his farm. It was a 1929 model, and I spent a few years getting up to speed, learning how everything worked. Been keen to get on the road, I applied for my license when I was fifteen years old. Legally, I should have been sixteen, but the license board didn’t notice my young age and issued a license to me anyway. This gave me a head start over my contemporaries. The first car I legally drove on the road was a Morgan three-wheeler with a thumping great Matchless V-twin bolted to the front. What a fabulous contraption! It
“I’VE NEVER COLLECTED CARS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THEIR AESTHETICS AS WELL AS THEIR DYNAMIC ABILITIES. WHILE FUNCTION IS MY PREREQUISITE, FORM AND BEAUTY ARE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS.” — Sir Stirling Moss
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To mark the 50th anniversary of Sir Stirling’s victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia, Daimler AG brings the winning 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR to Pebble Beach to be reunited with its driver.
To celebrate the centennial of Mercedes-Benz, Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling careen onto our awards ramp in a replica of the first Benz Patent Motor Wagen, and Mercedes mechanics keep them upright.
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Sir Stirling and Susie Moss together at the start of the 2016 Pebble Beach Tour.
taught me plenty of driving skill and gave me a lot of clout with the crumpet when my friends were still on their bicycles. In today’s vernacular, I think you’d call it a babe magnet. My father, realizing I was quite good behind the wheel, let me compete in a few hill climbs and sprints in his BMW 328. That was in 1947, and I was hooked and was soon racing a 500cc Cooper-JAP. My next road car was a more mundane Morris 1000, which was an excellent little car. Light to drive and very spacious, it was thoroughly modern. Now, of course, it’s a collector car. Then I graduated to a Standard 8 modified with a Standard 10 engine. I even fitted it with Borrani wire wheels — a bit of an overkill.
Several race cars driven by Sir Stirling rest beside the cake we created to celebrate his 80th birthday in 2009.
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After a couple of years, once my racing had taken off, I had a Facel Vega. This is a car I remember really fondly. It was so exotic and different and much faster than most other machines of the time. In those days, we used to drive from race to race. Now it’s more feasible to fly, so today’s top drivers use private jets. But I found the driving a great pleasure. After every event, the whole racing contingent would drive to the next Continental circuit. I’d leave the Facel in Belgium because the Brussels airport is the most centrally located in Europe.
Sir Stirling waves from #722 — the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR that he drove to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia when he was just 25 years old.
I’d fly across from London for five pounds sterling, jump in the Facel, and drive to the various meetings. The car would cruise effortlessly along the French highways at well over 100 mph. It had ample space, a good radio, air conditioning, comfortable seats and that powerful Chrysler V-8. It remains memorable as a car with character, one that provided me with many good times. Then I had a spell with a Jaguar XK120 Coupé, finished in off-white and pale silver green with those elegant rear spats. It was similar to the car I drove to victory in the 1950 Tourist Trophy. Can you believe I used to tow a caravan with it? The thing is, all cars are different and very individual. This is true of both road and racing cars. Take the thundering great Mercedes 300SLR. I had great success with it, winning the 1955 Mille Miglia with Denis Jenkinson. The Mercedes was clearly the best car at the time — the one with the most convincing chance of winning the Mille. But although it went like the clappers, it was not that easy to drive.
I think the Jaguar C-Types and D-Types are some of the most graceful looking cars, as is the Aston Martin DBR1, which I found to be eminently “chuckable” — that is, it was easy to throw around. I had a good share of wins in the Ferrari 250 Short Wheelbase campaigned by Rob Walker. A fabulous piece of Italian sculpture, it was a racer, so I had to drive it in anger, I really had to push it. I must say though, during the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood circuit, I did turn on the radio to find out where I was placed. I can’t imagine doing that in a modern racing machine. One of the most rewarding cars I’ve driven has to be the Maserati 250F. I won in that Maser at Monaco and Monza and came in third at Spa in 1956. Whereas Ferraris have always had the best engines, the Maser had the most communicative chassis, so I was able to extract the maximum from it. It really was a joy to drive on the throttle, a pleasure later lost to some degree with the admittedly faster, rear-engine cars. Take the Lotus, for example: while those cars were quick, they were not as driverfriendly as Coopers. With a Lotus, a really precise driver
“I’M A RACER, NOT A COLLECTOR, BUT I SOMETIMES WISH I’D KEPT JUST SOME OF THOSE FABULOUS MACHINES.” — Sir Stirling Moss Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Insider
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Susie Moss prepares to join Sir Stirling in a replica of a Benz Patent Motor Wagen at the starting line of the 2011 Pebble Beach Tour.
Sir Stirling is honored with the Lorin Tryon Trophy at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours.
could win, but he had no margin for error. In a Cooper, a less skilled driver would look better and enjoy himself more. Some of the Grand Prix machines I later drove were very fast and very successful, but could be a serious handful. After my “off” at Goodwood, I was forced to retire from professional racing in 1962. Years later I took up historic racing. At first I drove a Cooper Monaco, then Shelby Mustang, but now I really enjoy my TZ1 Alpha and Lotus Z3. I must say I enjoy seeing so many of the old machines I raced being used in historic competition today! A highlight of the August Pebble Beach Weekend is the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Being an Honorary Judge at the Concours is quite interesting. You get to view these superb cars in detail, you try to compare them and then you compare your notes and thoughts with the other judges. I most enjoy speaking to the judges who are the most knowledgeable about the vehicles; I always learn something. When it comes to the racing cars, then I’m the expert; I’ve driven most of the older ones, so I know exactly whether they are genuine or not.
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I’ve led the Pebble Beach Tour at the Concours and enjoyed that very much. I think the Tour is the best addition to the Concours in recent years. It gets the cars out where people can see them, and to see those cars on the road is something very special. I think the fact that the cars can be driven is important. Cars are meant to be driven; they are meant to be seen in motion. The fact that quite a lot of the Pebble Beach competitors actually choose to take their cars out and show them to the public is a very important move forward. Pebble Beach remains the standard setter. There are many pretenders, but nothing offers such a breathtaking ocean setting, attracts such magnificent machines and hosts such a star-studded audience. I’ve had a wonderful career racing cars and now enjoy the many facets of the historic car scene. I’m a racer, not a collector, but I sometimes wish I’d kept just some of those fabulous machines.
THE ORIGINAL
Remembering Sir Stirling Moss LEGEND—SPORTSMAN—FRIEND
AND COUNTING
1929-2020
USA +1 (415) 777 2000 / UK +44 (01) 1304 803 000 / JAPAN +81 45 620 3134
www.cosdel.com
During our 2011 awards ceremony, the Mosses are joined on stage by the late Edward Herrmann, our longtime Master of Ceremonies, and Concours Chairman Sandra Button.
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A T R I B U T E TO
SIR STIRLING MOSS T O C E L E B R AT E T H I S M A G N I F I C E N T M A N A N D R A C I N G G R E AT, W E I N V I T E D A F E W C O N C O U R S F R I E N D S TO S H A R E T H E I R M E M O R I E S . . . .
“....True legends never die.We will carry his accomplishments, his warm wit, and his friendship in our memory for years to come. And the cars will live on, even after us, to bear witness to all that Sir Stirling did.” – SAN DRA BU T TON
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Concours Chairman Sandra Button greets Sir Stirling just before the 2012 Pebble Beach Tour gets underway.
SANDRA BUTTON: When we lost Sir Stirling earlier this year, I lost both a hero and a friend — and the same may be true for many of you. Sir Stirling Moss served for decades among the Honorary Judges at Pebble Beach, and I have so many clear and dear memories of him here: There was the time when Sir Stirling and Juan Manuel Fangio almost toppled a replica of the first Benz Patent Motor Wagen driving it across our awards ramp. They turned onto the ramp a bit too rapidly, the tri-wheeler began to tilt, and they clung tightly to each other as Mercedes mechanics came running. Once righted, they (and we all) had a good laugh. Sir Stirling led the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance time and again. And yes, he started in the fore and stayed there. He was never one to take it slow even as he aged! And we have to admit we took a bit of a ribbing when we created a big cake and celebrated his 80th birthday — several weeks too early. “Don’t jinx me!” he said. Thankfully, he made it to 90.
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The year 2015 marked the 60th anniversary of what was undoubtedly Sir Stirling’s most remarkable drive, piloting the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR to victory in the Mille Miglia. To mark the occasion, Daimler AG brought the car to Pebble Beach to be reunited with its driver — and Sir Stirling was cheered by all. He was always a gentleman and a great motorsport representative, willing to share his successes and stories with everyone. On a more personal note, Stirling was a true friend to me for over 35 years, and we had many adventures together — from Pebble Beach to Patagonia. I’m not sure how he came up with the silly nicknames he used for me and my husband Martin, Thumper and Beastie, but we adored him and Susie. We will miss having Stirling at the Concours and in our lives. But true legends never die. We will carry his accomplishments, his warm wit, and his friendship in our memory for years to come. And the cars will live on, even after us, to bear witness to all that Sir Stirling did.
SIR JACKIE STEWART: When I was about 13 years of age, my brother, Jimmy Stewart, was racing for Ecurie Ecosse, and he used to take me to the races that he was driving in. Of course Stirling Moss was in these races as well, whether it was Silverstone or Goodwood or elsewhere. And so I got his autograph as a very young lad — and still have it, in my autograph book of way back in those days. So also I’ve got Fangio’s autograph, I’ve got Luigi Villoresi’s, I’ve got Piero Taruffi’s . . . I’ve got everybody’s of the time — and most of them you can’t read. But Stirling Moss’s is clear as a whistle. Fangio’s is nearly there, but not as clear as Stirling’s. You know it’s Fangio, but Stirling’s is crystal clear. So Stirling taught me one giant thing that I’ve used forever, and that is when a young person goes to one of the big events and asks for an autograph, you do it properly. When I went into motor racing, obviously autographs were a big deal, and I made it a rule to sign my autograph so you didn’t get home at night and wonder who it was that you had got. There’s more selfies today than there are autographs, but you pay attention to people. I learned that from Stirling. He walked like a racing driver should, he talked like a racing driver should, he dressed like a racing driver should. He was always well presented, and he was a very good ambassador for the sport. He should have won the world championship many times. He was the best driver of his time outside of Juan Manuel Fangio. I didn’t race against him. I didn’t know him other than getting his autograph at that time [before an accident ended his career]. But after I started racing he was always very helpful. Later we became good friends — I’m godfather to his son — and I often went to see him. I’m very proud to have spent time with him.
DEREK BELL: It was in 1962 at the Easter Monday Goodwood meeting that I first met every “Boys Own” hero and my Idol, Stirling Moss. That same day he had the shocking accident that curtailed his race career. I was marshaling for my local motor club, and he asked me to assist with pushing a young handicapped man in a wheelchair
Sir Stirling interviews Phil Hill with Jules Heumann beside him at the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours.
through the paddock, and we spoke for a while. Little did I know that one day I would be a racer myself! Then, over the years, we became good friends and drove in charity events together — even winning the annual Wisborough Green 12 Hour Lawn Mower race in successive years. Subsequently my family and I were fortunate to share many wonderful times with Stirling and Susie. One event was the Ennstal-Classic rally near Innsbruck in Austria, where we had all competed since its inception in the early 1990s. One particular year Stirling was driving with Susie navigating in a Mercedes, and Misti and I were in a Classic Porsche. At the end of the last stage back to the village the Mosses arrived at this particular roundabout and Stirling went the incorrect way around and therefore took the wrong exit, whereas we went the correct way and finished ahead . . . and Stirling was not happy! Ever since then that roundabout has been known as “Stirling’s Roundabout.” Stirling always remained competitive at the wheel and enjoyed driving anything at any time. Apart from my admiration for his driving skills, he will always be Mr. Motor Racing to me.
At Pebble Beach one day, he sensed my enthusiasm and said, “How would you like to take a ride in the SLR old chap? We’re going out this afternoon and doing a couple of laps at Laguna Seca — want to come along?”
Jay Leno on the Pebble Beach Concours competition field.
JAY LENO: On April 12, 2020, motor racing lost its best friend. A man who always put sportsmanship ahead of winning — Stirling Moss. He didn’t always have the best cars but when he did — think 1955 Mercedes Benz SLR in the Mille Miglia — he was able to do amazing things. The fact that he was able to set a record in that race that will never be broken is a fitting tribute. In the course of my career I’ve gotten to meet many of my heroes but none impressed me more than Stirling. He still had that sparkle in his eyes and talked about races as if they’d happened last week. With Stirling, it always seemed to be about King and country. He loved driving British cars when he could, and was always shocked by the lack of sportsmanship sometimes shown in others but never in himself. It was never about the money for him. Even at the age of 80, when he was swarmed by people. At no point was he ever not gracious or failed to take a picture or say hello.
I thought: This is like riding on Superman’s cape; he couldn’t have been more gracious, explaining all the switches and everything to me as if he was a Mercedes salesman and I was somehow a customer. He explained how the car behaved, along with its speed and handling characteristics. It was surreal going through the corkscrew at Laguna Seca with Stirling Moss at the wheel — you know, just sort of sliding this way and that way and him saying, “Be careful when you do this, be careful when you do that,” as if somehow he was going to turn the wheel over to me; no such luck. The funny thing is, for weeks afterwards I would get photos in the mail from people who had taken my picture with Stirling at some point along the track. I received literally hundreds of different versions of the same photo from every possible angle. I felt as if, if I put them all together, I could’ve made one of those little flip books. So it seemed as if I had a little movie of us driving around the track. You never got the feeling Stirling was looking down on you, or thought that he thought he was better than you. He looked at you as an equal and expected you to treat him as an equal as well, and nothing more. I was sitting with him at dinner once when another race car driver who I did not know or recognize was talking about a race that happened in like, 1952. Stirling’s recall was instantaneous. “Yes, I remember, that bastard cut me off,” he said with a hearty laugh, recalling the incident as if it were yesterday.
Driving historic 1955 MercedesBenz 300 SLR #722, Sir Stirling ferries Jay Leno around what is now WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
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I still have all these iconic memories of Stirling, with his face covered in dirt and dust, his goggles on his head and his eyes clear as a bell staring at me. It was a bit like meeting Santa Claus for the first time. It was that initial, Uh Oh, is this going to be disappointing? And of course it wasn’t. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
As we pulled to the side of the road at the end of the Tour, we embraced, and he eased out of the car to go to his next appearance. As he disappeared into the crowd I definitely had the thought “Bloody Hell, I just drove Sir Stirling Moss.”
Rest in peace, old friend.
I first met Stirling at the 12-hour race in Sebring, Florida, in 1971.
JUSTIN BELL: One of my favorite memories of shared experience with Stirling came at Pebble Beach. In 2016 Rob Moran from Mercedes-Benz USA asked me if I would drive Stirling at the head of the Tour in a beautiful 300SL, as they trusted me with both the valuable car and the priceless passenger! I have known Stirling all my life and have had quite a few intimate moments when I would just pinch myself and think things like “I’m having a cup of tea with THE Stirling Moss in his kitchen watching the F1 race” — totally surreal to be honest. But I had never been his chauffeur! I was part of the broadcast team that weekend, and so I put a couple of my cameras in the car, just to get some content from this once-in-a-lifetime moment, and thank goodness I did, as this was the last time he would ever do such a thing at Pebble Beach. He was in fine spirits as we gathered early that Thursday morning and seemed excited at the prospect of the drive ahead. And after all the ceremony we headed off with the marvelous parade of cars behind us — fans waving, him waving back, and me just soaking it all up. As we wound our way along 17-Mile Drive, our conversation had the same familiar friendly flow. We talked about the drivers he had admired, the state of modern racing, and of course girls. Always girls. We had such a laugh talking about the women we had met along the way in our (totally not similar at all) careers. His eyes lit up and the irresistible twinkle gave it all away, as it must have been in his heyday. The other day I dug up my video of that wonderful drive and it made me appreciate what an incredible time that was for me — one that was also a fun time for Stirling. As many readers will know, the weather can get cold on the Monterey Peninsula, and after our coffee break, I had to find a headscarf for him to wear for the final leg of our journey. I continued to record our conversation, which actually got into all sorts of deeper subjects, but because he looked so frail in the headscarf, I promised myself never to share it, as Stirling was a superman and you never want to see your hero look weak.
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ALMA HILL: I recall that he always seemed to prefer to go shirtless; he was a devoted sun worshiper. He and Susie were always the most tanned of our British friends; they loved their time in the sun. And it was such a pleasure watching Stirling charm ladies young and old with his effervescent personality. He was one of the treasured gifts amongst our international car family. Phil saw Stirling as probably the most talented driver of his racing years, worthy of the highest praise. Their close friendship lasted until Phil’s passing in 2008. Wherever the four of us went out, it was always a celebration — and our paths crossed often as annual joyful reunions at events such as the Mille Miglia, Goodwood and Pebble Beach. With Stirling and Susie, there was never any drama. Stirling and Phil always got along as old friends; there wasn’t that feeling of competition that I would often see with the other racing drivers. Around each other they didn’t need to pretend, there was a mutual respect and admiration. Around Stirling, Phil was relaxed. Susie’s commitment to Stirling and her tender care for him throughout the years certainly was Stirling’s greatest gift. Happy journey, Stirling, to the racetrack in the sky. We will always miss you.
DEREK HILL: I have been fortunate to meet many great drivers in my life, as they were drivers that my father raced with in his heyday and would often be reunited with at events that honored these racing greats. I got to meet the likes of Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Jack Brabham, and many others — but one of the great standouts in my life was getting to know Sir Stirling Moss. Stirling, like Fangio, was a driver my father held in the highest regard. He was the most formidable opponent, keeping the Ferrari team honest by pulling off two magnificent wins in 1961 — a year in which Ferrari totally dominated Formula One and my father, driving for Ferrari, won the championship. Stirling’s win at Monaco in 1961 in the Lotus 18, with the Ferraris right on his tail the whole race, is regarded as one of his greatest victories.
Above: Derek and Alma Hill are on hand to help introduce the recipients of the first Pebble Beach Phil Hill Scholarships at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours. Left: Phil Hill and Sir Stirling pose together at the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours.
Sir Stirling leads the 2016 Pebble Beach Tour with Justin Bell at the wheel of a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Insider
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I got to know Stirling in later years when I would see him at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and other events. One of my favorite memories stems from the Goodwood Revival in 1999 when My father and I were teamed up in a Cobra Daytona Coupe, and Stirling was in a Ferrari GTO. At one point Phil and Stirling rubbed doors while going into the chicane. Later, when I walked into the driver’s lounge, the two of them were gesticulating over who was positioned where on the track, trying to figure out what happened. Theirs was a friendly banter that ended up in laughter. That’s the way they were. Old racing friends, still enjoying each other’s company. I had many spirited conversations with Stirling. He always would engage wholeheartedly in a conversation, whether it was about racing in his era or the present. You could choose no one better to sit down with and just chat about everything and anything related to motorsports — especially when you considered who it was you were speaking with!
Sir Stirling stands next to Stephen Brauer as Honorary Judges are introduced at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours.
But the story with Stirling and my father goes back farther, to 1958, when my father entered Formula One as a rookie driver for Scuderia Ferrari late in the season to replace Peter Collins, who had been killed in a race. Fellow Ferrari teammate Mike Hawthorn was in a championship dual with Stirling Moss, and my father played an essential role helping Hawthorn beat Stirling for that championship. Going into the last race of the season, the Moroccan GP, Hawthorn had a slight lead, so Stirling needed a win and he needed Hawthorn to place no higher than third. Moss did lead that race from lap one to the finish, and for much of the race my father was running in second behind him — but my father was a good teammate and slowed down near the end to let Hawthorn pass him, giving Hawthorn the championship over Stirling by one point. Stirling’s legacy is such that he is often said to be the greatest driver to not win a Formula One Championship, yet he never held that act of team sportsmanship against my father. In fact, he said he would’ve done the same thing if he were in the same position. Stirling’s greatness was partly due to the fact that he didn’t dwell on the past, what could’ve been. In fact, he was meant to replace, or be teamed up with, my father at Ferrari in 1962; he had already made a deal with Enzo Ferrari when his career-ending crash happened at the Easter weekend Goodwood race.
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Stirling will be missed dearly. My heart goes out to Susie, his long-devoted wife, and son Elliot.
ROBERT MORAN: Stirling Moss was a legend, a fact verified by the wide smiles on the faces of everyone he came into contact with. While he is widely known for his achievements behind the wheel and on the track, we were lucky to know him as a kind, wonderful man who was genuine and real. Sir Stirling was always on time (no surprise), never shunned a request to pose for a picture and would go out of his way to pet your dog. Dogs loved him too. Time in his company was always special, making fairytale settings like Pebble Beach even more so. Always a racer, a gentleman and on the top step of life’s podium.
STEPHEN BRAUER: I was lucky (thanks, Sandra!) to be assigned judging duties a few times with Stirling at Pebble. Always fun to be with, offering great stories on all the sports/racing cars present, as well as plenty of pithy and uncensored comments regarding certain cars and certain people . . . But unfailingly kind, courteous and pleasant to everyone who wanted to speak to him — which was just about everyone on the field!
LEO LEVINE: I remember when Stirling passed me in the 1000 kilometers of the Nürburgring in 1959 — he turned and waved “thank you.” Not a lot of drivers did that sort of thing.
Cars in the Lives of Pebble Beach Insiders
Stephen Brauer is introduced among our Honorary Judges at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours.
STEPHEN F. BRAUER MY PERSPECTIVE
CHIEF HONORARY JUDGE & SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBER
Stephen Brauer steps into the role of our Chief Honorary Judge this year, having worked with Glenn Mounger, who previously held this position, to ensure a successful transition. Mr. Brauer joined our Honorary Judges in 2004 and has served on our Car Selection Committee since its inception in 2005. Mr. Brauer is a longtime collector of American classic cars, Springfield Rolls-Royce and postwar coachbuilt British cars. He began attending the Pebble Beach Concours in the late 1970s, and he first showed a car at the Pebble Beach Concours in 1991. He and his wife, Kimmy, have continued to share a car here almost every year since. Mr. Brauer is also Chairman and CEO of Hunter Engineering Company, which designs, manufactures and sells computer-based automotive service equipment to automobile manufacturers and dealers worldwide. In June 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Brauer as US Ambassador to Belgium, where he served until September 2003. He is a past member of the Smithsonian National Board and is active in numerous charitable and civic organizations. Here Mr. Brauer talks a bit about his life with cars and the concours.
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Why Cars? Growing up in the ’50s, cars were a central focus of American life — any kid could identify each car coming down the road by make, model and year. At an early age, I read everything I could on Ferrari and Jaguar and couldn’t wait for the Road & Track issues covering Sebring and Le Mans to hit the newsstands. The 1950s and early ’60s were such a glorious time for sports car racing! However, in the real world all I could afford were a couple of Model A Fords, which I spent more time repairing than driving. My aspiration in those days was to own a ‘33 or ‘34 V-8 Roadster. Also from an early age, I was heavily influenced by my stepfather Lee Hunter, a remarkable automotive genius, inventor and industrialist. For his “dramatic impact on the automobile industry,” he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1992. His life was all about cars — and mine, of course, followed suit. We had a wonderful time researching and collecting a group of American Classics, which remain part of the Hunter collection. If you could go back in time, what historic automotive event or person would you want to see and why? When I think of the top ten automotive sporting events, then Stirling Moss’s win at the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (with Denis Jenkinson navigating) in the 1955 Mille Miglia is just about
Stephen Brauer crosses the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours Awards Ramp in his Swandean Spitfire Special, with its massive 27-liter engine.
the greatest. However, witnessing an automotive event? I’d love to have been involved with Henry Ford as he built his empire between 1908 and 1929. What Pebble Beach Concours moment do you remember most? In 2008, the Concours had a class for cars with engines of over 20 liters in which Kimmy and I had entered the Swandean Spitfire Special. Most of these huge aero-engined cars have the unsupercharged 550 hp Rolls-Royce Meteor version of the 27-liter V12 Merlin engine. However the engine in the Swandean was, in fact, the real thing, with a two-stage supercharger and 1200 horsepower on tap, as found in the famous Spitfire. The car was designed using two Daimler Dingo Scout chassis welded together and built by Michael Wilcock, who drove it at the Brighton Speed Trials in the 1950s. I found it in fairly rough condition and restored it over several years. As we were waiting to go over the ramp, the engine, not surprisingly, was overheating badly, and with its 170” wheelbase and very low tension-member bridge suspension under the frame, I was wondering whether it would clear the hump. It did, and it was a glorious moment to be perched up there — even with the temperature gauge by now reading way off the scale, and the engine making all that abominable noise (or glorious sound if you’re a real gearhead!).
Kimmy Brauer snaps a few photos as her husband, Stephen, is introduced among our Honorary Judges.
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SOCIAL SEEN
friends p faces 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Above: Derek Hill, Lucy Rawlins, Rick Rawlins and Steve Morton
Judith Ann Raible, Ben Erickson, Peter Larsen, Nic Waller and Angie Drake
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Left: Jim and Tanya Clarke, who brought their 1928 Bentley 4½ Litre Victor Broom Drophead from Merseyside, England, to compete
Christian Philippsen and Peter Sachs share a wardrobe stylist.
Below: David Sydorick, Jack Thomas and Ken Roath
kicking off F concours at Casa Palmero Pebble Beach
Above: Kim and Jon Shirley Above: A warm welcome for Kimmy Brauer and Ginny Sydorick
Below: Ken Gross and Trish Serratore 
Below: Audrey and Martin Gruss in their 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Coupe
SOCIAL SEEN Nick Lemieux and Rachel Brill with Nick’s 1939 Bentley 4¼ Litre Vanvooren Pillarless Saloon
See & be Seen on the Concours Show Field
Above: Chip and Jacque Connor in the Winner’s Circle in their 1928 Bentley 4½ Litre Birkin Blower Number 1 Vanden Plas Le Mans Tourer
Above: Studying the details in stunning stripes for him and her Below: Joerg Wolle with his 1956 Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupé
Above: George Wingard prepares his 1920 Ballot 3-Litre Race Car for the big day.
Above: Joan and Lee Herrington in their class-winning 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Scaglietti Spyder California
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SOCIAL SEEN
friendspfaces
See & be Seen on the Concours Show Field
The 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-CSS Figoni & Falaschi Teardrop Cabriolet owned by Richard & Melanie Lundquist, set off by an elegant spectator
Above: Stan and Merle Bauer await the judges in their 1925 Lancia Lambda 5th Series Torpedo. Below: Concours fashion from the top of her head to the tips of her beautifully gloved fingers
Above: Patrick Ottis holds the trophy for his First in Class-winning 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spyder. Tazio Ottis is the driver and Bridgette LeBer is the passenger.
Amy and Stephen Plaster being driven by a McPherson student in their 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Reuters London to Edinburgh Tourer
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Traditions: Dawn Patrol presented by Hagerty
Don Williams takes to the 1991 competition field in his 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Cabriolet.
THE RACE TO BE FIRST IN LINE It all began with the race to be the first in line — the first entrant to be greeted by the Concours Chairman and the first to pull onto the competition field of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. For years, beginning in the early 1970s, that entrant was Don Williams, the concours’ most prolific entrant. But before the decade was out, Don had a challenger. “I prided myself on being the first one on the lawn on Sunday morning,” said Williams. “Then I heard Bob Atwell was known for being the first, so my goal was to beat him. But it’s no fun to challenge someone unless you tell that person you’re doing it. So I did that — and Bob drove by my room at 3:30 in the morning and raced his engine just to let me know he was out there and I would never beat him. That is what Pebble is about — that type of camaraderie.”
THE DON PATROL At a certain point in the early 1980s, Don gave up the fight to be first. He still wanted his cars to lead the pack onto the competition field, but he opted to have friends and family line up with them while he slept in a bit.
Above Right: Lorin Tryon welcomes this 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Touring Spider from the Behring Auto Museum to the 1994 Pebble Beach Concours competition field. Right: Then soon-to-be Concours Chairman Glenn Mounger, greets Richard and Jonathan Procter as they drive their 1918 Straker-Squire Brooklands Race Car onto the 1999 Pebble Beach Concours competition field.
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By the late 1990s, the word is out: the early morning crowd extends well onto the lawn of The Lodge at Pebble Beach.
The 1949 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta owned by Robert M. & Anne Brockington Lee makes a Dawn Patrol appearance at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours.Â
Above: In 2011, to mark his 40th year at the Pebble Beach Concours and as a nod toward the increasing popularity of the Dawn Patrol hats being offered by McKeel Hagerty, Don Williams provides these Don Patrol hats to his longtime early morning companions.
Traditions: Dawn Patrol presented by Hagerty
Below: The hats distributed by Hagerty are sported as a badge of honor by Dawn Patrol patrons.
The1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Spyder owned by the Cavallino Collection and John & Gwen McCaw is greeted by thick crowds as it takes to the competition field on Concours Sunday in 2014.
He didn’t sleep too late; he still made his way to the entry point before the first car pulled onto the Lodge lawn — and he stayed there until every last car had pulled past him. Concours Co-Chairman Lorin Tryon was the person then standing at the entry point to greet each entrant, and Don was there in part to support him; the two men were longtime friends as well as colleagues, and eventually, in the 1990s, they would formalize their partnership in the Blackhawk Automotive Museum and the Blackhawk Collection. “For years I followed him at the hip as the cars pulled in,” said Williams. “Lorin wanted to greet people, and at times I would try to say ‘hi’ before he got to them, but he would say ‘Stay behind me. Stay behind me.’ “I had no real reason to be there,” said Williams. “But I was driven by my curiosity and my desire to see every car, and that was the most wonderful spot to do that — to see the cars and to hear them. “I started telling my friends about it, and soon I was serving coffee to 50 or 100 of them. We would bring the coffee from my room, and as soon as one pot was filled and ready to go, we would start another one. Then my friends told their friends, and the number really got up there. It grew to 200, then 300, then . . .”
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Chairman Sandra Button, greets the driver of a very special 1908 Benz 105 HP Prinz Heinrich Two Seat Race Car (owned by Ann Bothwell) in 2011.
“The Don Patrol” was becoming an event within the event that was the Pebble Beach Concours. Dave Holls was a regular then too — and Dave and Don often sat and assessed the merits of each car as it drove past them, debating which might garner the Best of Show trophy later in the day.
While the tradition is missed, the elegance continues.
We’re already looking forward to next year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Until then… we’ll see you on the road. 800-922-4050 | Hagerty.com Hagerty is a registered trademark of the Hagerty Group LLC, ©2020 The Hagerty Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Traditions: Dawn Patrol presented by Hagerty
DAWN PATROL PRESENTED BY HAGERTY It was Hagerty’s sponsorship of Dawn Patrol beginning in 2004 that really elevated this early morning ritual to its current level of popularity. In addition to offering coffee, Hagerty gave out doughnuts. He also distributed a limited number of hats to the first spectators on site, and those hats are now among the most coveted items of Concours memorabilia.
photo of their car before or after the drive, then upload it to the new Hagerty Community pages at this link — all in the spirit of sharing car love. Those who do will receive a limited edition 2020 Hagerty Dawn Patrol hat!
Sandra Button welcomes the 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 HP Gurney Nutting All Weather Tourer of Roshini Jaiswal in 2018.
“We were looking for a way to partner with the Pebble Beach Concours, and when we saw how many people rose before dawn to see these great cars drive onto the show field, we knew we had to find a way to support and celebrate them,” said Hagerty CEO McKeel Hagerty. “It’s been a tradition ever since, and we couldn’t be more proud to do it.” In recent years Dawn Patrol presented by Hagerty was been drawing thousands of spectators several hours before the first glimmer of daylight. “I don’t think we’re at Dawn Patrol, I think we’re at a Night Owl Watch,” one group of attendees was heard to joke. To add a bit of sanity to the gathering, Concours officials recently set a more formal starting time for Dawn Patrol: the field now opens to spectators at 5:30 am. In honor of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and to keep the Dawn Patrol tradition alive this year, Hagerty is hosting “Drive at Dawn,” which encourages people to take a drive between 6 and 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 16, snap a Hagerty hats from 2017 through 2019
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Tony Best drives his 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale onto the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours competition field, just as the sun peaks through morning clouds.