Business Wire

1954 Ferrari 750 Monza Wins the Peninsula Classics 2020 Best of the Best Award

Share

The Peninsula Hotels, whose international hospitality brand has epitomised glamour and luxury for nearly a century, today announced the winner of its sixth annual classic car showcase, The Peninsula Classics 2020 Best of the Best Award. The winning car, the 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, coachwork by Scaglietti, has achieved distinction both for its impressive racing history and its exacting restoration. It became eligible as a Best of the Best Award contender after winning Best of Show at the 2020 Palm Beach Cavallino Classic.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005295/en/

To view this piece of content from mms.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

1954 Ferrari 750 Monza wins The Peninsula Classics 2020 Best of the Best Award (Photo Copyright: Jay Miller)

The Best of the Best Award was co-founded in 2015 by The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (owner and operator of The Peninsula Hotels), along with William E. (Chip) Connor, Bruce Meyer and Christian Philippsen. The Award celebrates the fine engineering and design of classic cars built by internationally renowned manufacturers, selected from an exceptional short list of winners from the most exclusive concours. This year’s award has a contracted list of nominees due to cancellation or postponement of partner concours in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19.

The 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza was chosen from a selection of four nominees crafted by automakers from Italy, Germany, and the United States, including a 1969 Porsche 917 KH Coupé, coachwork by the Factory, 2020 Best of Show, Concours of Elegance Hampton Court Palace, 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Spider, coachwork by Zagato, 2020 Best of Show, Salon Privé and a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Town Limousine, coachwork by Murphy, 2020 Best of Show, Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.

The winner was selected by The Best of the Best Award’s esteemed panel of judges, including, amongst others, designers Gordon Murray (former Formula 1 designer for Brabham and McLaren) and Anne Asensio (Vice President of Design Experience at Dassault Systèmes), and prominent classic car collectors Laurence Graff and Jay Leno.

“It was a difficult task for our judges to select a winner this year. Our judging procedures had to be carried out remotely and unfortunately the main awards event had to be cancelled, with social distancing measures and safety our top priority,” said The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie. “With such a prestigious collection of nominees, choosing one winner was especially challenging. However, it is always a great pleasure to spotlight the remarkable achievements of the automotive industry, and to create a small spark of joy in the current challenging times. These classic vehicles are an enduring testament to human artistry and ingenuity.”

The winning 750 Monza made its original debut with a 2-litre motor at the Inaugural Grand Prix of the Imola Autodrome in June of 1954. After driver Umberto Maglioli secured first place for Scuderia Ferrari with the car, it was subsequently fitted with a 3-litre engine and went on to compete in several other major races that year, including the Monsanto Grand Prix (where it won), and Nassau Race Week – where it was driven by its original owner, Alfonso de Portago, and secured a 1st and two 2nd places.

The car’s next owner, Sterling Edwards, raced the 750 Monza over the next two years mainly in California, including the Pebble Beach Road Races (an event he founded) in 1955 and 1956 – garnering four 1st-place and two first-in-class wins in the car. After the tragic death of his friend Ernie McAfee prompted Edwards to stop racing altogether, he sold the car to his engineer Bob Whitmer, who replaced its engine with a Chevy V8 and continued to successfully race it through the early 1960s.

The car spent most of the ensuing 50 years disassembled, though its chassis, body, engine, and gearbox were all carefully preserved in a small San Francisco-area warehouse. In 2016, a complete restoration of the car was initiated under the direction of Bob Smith Coachworks, located in Gainesville, Texas, a process that took new owners Tom and Jill Peck of southern California over two years to complete.

The refurbishment was guided by several noted Ferrari historians: Marcel Massini of Switzerland, Alan Boe of Braselton, Georgia, David Seielstad of Hawaii, as well as past owners Sterling Edwards’ son Hammond and Bob Whitmer, both from northern California. The vintage certification team at Ferrari Classiche in Maranello, Italy, was also helpful in piecing together the early racing career of the car while campaigned by Ferrari. Bringing their combined wealth of knowledge to the project, these experts employed many of the vehicle’s preserved original documents and instruments, including the original owners’ manual, toolboxes, build sheets, and a treasure trove of original photographs of the car. Computer modelling of these photos was employed to repair flaws in the body from the car’s racing days, and 3-D printing technology was utilised to duplicate some parts that were irreparable. The vehicle’s livery was restored to that which it sported in its first Carrera Panamericana race in 1954.

Once fully restored, the 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza won the Enzo Ferrari Award at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and 2020 Best of Show at the Cavallino Classic, before being named winner of The Peninsula Classics 2020 Best of the Best Award.

“It is a true honour to be recognised by the venerable judges of The Peninsula Classics,” said Mr. Peck of his car’s latest success. “Like so many classic cars, this one has been both a labour of love and the product of dedicated teamwork. The Best of the Best Award is a crowning achievement for everyone involved.”

About The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award

Through a shared desire to celebrate the best of what defines the automotive world, The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, launched The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award in 2015 with co-founders William E. (Chip) Connor, Bruce Meyer and Christian Philippsen. Each founder shares a common passion and appreciation of fine motor cars, the preservation of their heritage and immaculate restoration projects. The award, sponsored by The Peninsula Hotels, brings together elite ‘Best of Show’ winners from nine of the renown concours circuits around the globe: Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Cavallino Classic, Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille, Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Concours of Elegance Hampton Court Palace, Goodwood Cartier Style et Luxe Concours d’Elegance, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Salon Privé, and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Media Contact
Denis Brunet
Senior Manager, Brand Marketing & Communications
The Peninsula Hotels
Telephone: +852 2840 7275
E-mail: denisbrunet@peninsula.com
Newsroom: www.peninsula.com/en/newsroom
Website: www.peninsula.com

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

H2SITE Secures EIC Accelerator Funding to Deploy a Flagship 1 TPD Ammonia Cracker Using Membrane Reactor Technology at a Port in North-West Europe3.7.2025 09:40:00 EEST | Press release

H2SITE has been awarded the EIC (European Innovation Council) Accelerator program for a project aimed at deploying a first-of-its-kind ammonia cracking unit capable of producing 1 ton of high-purity hydrogen per day. The system is based on H2SITE’s proprietary palladium-based membrane reactor technology, which enables the simultaneous catalytic decomposition of ammonia and selective hydrogen separation within a single unit. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702142283/en/ Ammonia Cracker using Membrane Reactor Technology This breakthrough technology offers several compelling advantages over conventional ammonia cracking processes: Lowest Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) from ammonia due to high efficiency and integrated operation Reduced energy consumption, operating at significantly lower temperatures (400–450 °C) than traditional cracking methods (typically 600–800 °C) High-purity hydrogen output, compliant

ISDA and Ant International Lead New Industry Report on Use of Tokenised Bank Liabilities for FX Settlement and Cross-Border Payments Under Project Guardian3.7.2025 09:00:00 EEST | Press release

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) and Ant International led the Project Guardian FX industry group to develop a new report for implementing tokenised bank liabilities and shared ledger in cross-border payments and foreign exchange (FX) settlement. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702791535/en/ Report on Use of Tokenised Bank Liabilities for Transaction Banking by ISDA and Ant International, under the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) Project Guardian The joint report is produced under the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) Project Guardian, a global collaboration between policymakers and key industry players to enhance liquidity and efficiency of financial markets through asset tokenisation. ISDA and Ant International are members of the industry group and lead the FX workstream to develop FX data specifications, risk management frameworks and FX documentation. Other contri

Curve Pay and Thales Join Forces to Securely Transform Digital Wallets on iPhone3.7.2025 09:00:00 EEST | Press release

Curve, the ultimate digital wallet, today announced deepening its collaboration with Thales, the global leader in advanced technologies, delivering secure modern payment solutions for financial institutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702696837/en/ Thales D1 Platform to power CURVE PAY (Photo: Thales) This partnership comes on the back of Curve launching Curve Pay on iOS, marking a watershed moment in mobile payments. This partnership is a significant step to reshaping everyday spending, allowing Curve customers to benefit from NFC payment directly in the Curve App for contactless payments in store for all end-users on iOS and Android. Curve Pay is underpinned by Thales’ D1 platform on iOS and Android in Europe which allows customers to digitize a payment card through a mobile wallet. The cloud-based D1 platform operates in real time, enabling seamless integration with existing systems to deliver secur

Medimaps Group Launches In Europe TBS Osteo Next-Generation Software For Advanced Bone Microarchitecture Assessment3.7.2025 09:00:00 EEST | Press release

Medimaps Group S.A., a global leader in AI-driven bone microarchitecture imaging solutions, announces the European launch of its MDR-cleared next-generation TBS Osteo Advanced software. Following the product launch in the United States last month, this next milestone reflects the company's commitment to advancing osteoporosis detection and bone health management worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702082335/en/ Medimaps' TBS Osteo next-generation software The TBS Osteo Advanced software delivers refined correction for soft tissue thickness anterior to the lumbar spine, ensuring inclusivity of TBS assessment across a wide range of body phenotypes. It also introduces new system management capabilities, allowing hospitals and healthcare networks to centrally manage the TBS software on their DXA systems fleet, and to standardize workflows across multiple locations. These improvements enhance operational

Year-old European startup Maisa named alongside Google and Amazon in elite list of leading AI agent vendors in top global US research reports by Gartner3.7.2025 02:01:00 EEST | Press release

Maisa, a rising star of enterprise AI, has been named by leading global research and advisory firm Gartner in its list of leading vendors for developing reliable AI agents. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702640749/en/ Maisa founders David Villalón and Manuel Romero Inclusion in Gartner’s 2025 Hype Cycle for AI and Hype Cycle for the Future of Work marks the first time a Spanish startup has been mentioned in these influential reports. The company, which is barely a year old and made its first raise of $5m+ from leading US investors last year, now finds itself named alongside global giants Amazon Web Services, Google, Salesforce and LangChain. The Gartner Hype Cycle for AI Agents provides an overview of emerging technologies in AI, helping organizations navigate the evolving landscape of autonomous software agents. The Hype Cycle for the Future of Work provides CIOs with a crucial human-first lens on the tra

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye