A stunning 1954 Ferrari 375 Mille Miglia has taken the top prize at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, held August 16-18 in California.
 Another example of the 375 Mille Miglia |
Picking up the Best in Show award, the car is credited as being one of the finest in the world, with the Pebble Beach event widely acknowledged as the world's foremost collector car event.
Made for Italian filmmaker Robert Rossellini, the 375 MM belongs to Jon Shirley from Medina, Washington, who bought it in 1995 and spent two years on an exacting restoration to bring it to concours level.
However, the restoration had to happen twice, as it was left in poor condition following Shirley campaigning it at various road races.
Originally a convertible, the 375 MM was transformed into a coupe at Rosellini's request in 1955. It was then left in parts for more than 25 years, before Shirley bought it in 1995.
"The styling is very, very special," Shirley said. "I love to drive the car, and it's a very powerful car and all original underneath."
One of only five ever made, it won a first in class and Luigi Chinetti award at the event in 1995. However, its Best in Show accolade was something of a surprise, with previous winners all dating to the pre-war period.
Last year saw a Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria from 1934 picked up the coveted prize.
Shirley is a former president and board member of Microsoft, and now has a superb collection of Ferraris and other rare Italian cars.
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