Each year during Monterey Car Week, all the winners of the most prestigious concours of the previous year are brought together for a best-of-the-best shoot-out, judged by the most revered names in the industry.
This year a 1954 Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta won Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award, following on from its win at the 2016 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.
One of only four Berlinetta-bodied Maserati A6GCS cars produced by Pininfarina, it was first seen as the show car at the 1954 Paris Motor show. The car's first owner was Count Alberto Magi Diligenti of Italy who raced it in period, including a start in the 1955 Mille Miglia. The car is now part of the Monaco-based Destriero Collection.
The winning vehicle was selected as the best of the best by a panel of 24 experts, designers and celebrities in the motoring world: Anne Asensio, Chris Bangle, Peter Brock, Ian Callum, Ian Cameron, Luc Donckerwolke, Fabio Filippini, Henry Ford III, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Ralph Lauren, Jay Leno, Flavio Manzoni, The Earl of March, Nick Mason, François Melcion, Gordon Murray, Shiro Nakamura, Ken Okuyama, Adolfo Orsi Jr., Rana Manvendra Singh, Ratan Tata, Jean Todt, Gordon Wagener, and Edward Welburn.
"I couldn't be happier that the 1954 Maserati A6GCS/53 Berlinetta won The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award this year," said Jay Leno. "We were all in agreement that the Maserati deserved the award not only for its astounding display of modern innovation, but also because it has been restored in a way that preserves the design as it was intended to be appreciated, with a precise level of care for its historic and timeless automotive implications."
The finalists for the award were as follows:
1952 Pegaso Z-102 Berlineta Cúpula
Winner 2016 Amelia Island Concours de Sport
1960 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupé Superfast II
Winner 2016 The Gran Turismo Ferrari Cup, Cavallino Classic
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta by Touring
Winner 2016 Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille
1938 Dubonnet Xenia Coupé by Saoutchik
Winner 2016 Concours of Elegance UK
1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Coupé by Bertone
Winner 2016 Goodwood Cartier Style et Luxe Concours d'Elegance
1936 Lancia Astura Cabriolet Tipo Bocca by Pinin Farina
Winner 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
1954 Maserati A6GCS/53 Berlinetta by Pinin Farina
Winner 2016 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
1953 Ferrari 375 MM Spider by Pinin Farina
Winner 2016 The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering