Justin Festejo
Like one of the city’s famed all-you-can-eat buffets, this year’s Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance had something for everyone. On Saturday, the lush greens of the Wynn Golf Club were covered in an array of striking cars, ranging from an ultra-rare Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux and the Aston Martin DB5 to the Rimac Nevera and a Batmobile from the Tim Burton’s ’90s-era Batman movies. The slate of vehicles illustrated just how far the automobile has come over the last century, and also offered some exciting peeks of what’s to come. Organizers recognized a 1935 Duesenberg SJ and 1969 Lamborghini Miura S as their pre- and post-war Best in Show winners, but there was plenty worth checking out. Here are the 12 cars that impressed us most.
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1925 “Round Door Rolls” Phantom I Aerodynamic Coupe by Jonckheere
Image Credit: Justin Festejo Barn finds don’t get much more spectacular than this timeless Rolls, which drove away with Robb Report’s “Dream Machine” award. The coupé left the factory as a handsome cabriolet but was outfitted with a more exaggerated, Art Deco-style body by Jonckheere in 1934. The gleaming black car’s slanted radiator, round doors and huge rear fin proved to be an immediate hit, but that didn’t stop it from eventually falling into disrepair. Fortunately, the vehicle, which is now owned by the Petersen Automotive Museum, was rediscovered in the early 1950s and returned to its former glory.
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1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Town Car
Image Credit: Justin Festejo Legend has it that this long-wheelbase Phantom II Town Car was owned and loved by golden-age movie star Constance Bennett for more than a decade until her husband lost it in a poker game. That story may be apocryphal, but one thing we know for certain is that this is one of the most beautiful Town Cars you’ll ever see. It’s hard not to be smitten with its unusual open-air driver’s cockpit and the gorgeous lattice-like paintwork on the rear doors.
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1936 Mercedes-Benz Type 500K Special Roadster
Image Credit: Justin Festejo Few cars have mixed style and substance quite like the Type 500K. This sparkling silver grand tourer, which dates to the model’s third and final year of production, was guaranteed to turn heads wherever it went but was still powerful enough to leave any other vehicle it encountered in its dust. It’s little wonder why it’s part of the National Automobile Museum collection.
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1939 Delahaye 165
Image Credit: Justin Festejo Want to know what the pre-war equivalent of the supercar was? Just look at the 165. The curvaceous speed machine, which was powered by a V-12 racing engine, has swooping lines and chrome trim that makes clear it was built to go fast. But there’s more to the car than its outrageous design, as it was also chosen to represent France’s technical innovation at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York.
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1957 AMC Metropolitan
Image Credit: Justin Festejo No car at this year’s Las Vegas Concours could match this 1957 Metropolitan’s charm. Sure, it may be a little lacking in the performance department, but who cares when a car looks this adorable? It was also a surprisingly efficient ride, especially for its era, offering almost as much gas mileage (40 mpg) as power (52 hp).
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1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
Image Credit: Justin Festejo Few celebrities are more associated with Vegas than Elvis, and no carmaker is more associated with the King than Cadillac. That’s why it was little surprise to see so many of the marque’s commanding vehicles spread out across the Wynn Golf Club’s grass. Of those, the one that really stopped us in our tracks was this 1957 Eldorado Biarritz. Only 1,800 examples of the convertible—which featured extensive chrome trim—were built, and its appeal is undeniable.
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1960 Ferrari 250 SWB Competition
Image Credit: Justin Festejo Like any good concours, Las Vegas has its fair share of Ferraris out on the lawn. It’s always hard to pick a favorite, but this short-wheelbase 250, which won the Coppa d’Oro race at Monza in 1960, is really something else. It features a striking Rosso Corsa paint job (with white racing gumballs) and a freshly rebuilt engine. Our favorite aspect of the car, though, is that its owner actually drives it, as does his son, who used it while learning how to drive stick.
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1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
Image Credit: Justin Festejo Mercedes has released its fair share of beautiful cars over the past century, but nothing stands out quite like the 300SL. The road-going version of the W194 race car, which was released first as a gullwing coupé and later as a roadster, is the marque’s defining model, mixing style and performance like few cars ever have. This example, which hails from the collection of Phillip Sarofim, is finished in a sophisticated metallic green-over-green color scheme and is still capable of hitting a top speed of 163 mph.
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1963 Jaguar E-Type FHC Series 1
Image Credit: Justin Festejo The E-Type is one of the most aesthetically pleasing vehicles the world has ever seen. The racing-derived coupé could also hold its own on the road or track. This stunning black U.S.-spec example, which is owned by a lifelong Jag lover, has recently been restored to like-new condition back in the U.K. before being shipped back across the pond.
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1964 Shelby “Last 289” Cobra
Image Credit: Justin Festejo This example of one of Carroll Shelby’s most famous creations was the last built with its legendary small-block V-8 during the Swinging Sixties. But that’s not all that makes this roadster, which is has a striking blue-and-gold paint job, so special. It was also Shelby’s personal car and part of his collection for much of his life.
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1965 Shelby Mustang GT350R
Image Credit: Justin Festejo The Cobra isn’t Shelby’s only legendary sports car. In a crowded field of classic Mustangs, our favorite was this GT350R race car owned by the automotive legend’s grandson (and Carroll Shelby Foundation co-president) Aaron. For some muscle-car fanatics, there’s no beating the fastback first-generation ‘Stang, and this white-and-blue, racing-liveried example is a striking illustration of why.
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Bugatti Mistral
Image Credit: Justin Festejo Most concours act as a celebration of automotive history, but Las Vegas’s also had an eye on its future. Several concepts, hypercars and EVs were on the display during this year’s event. Our favorite soon-to-be-classic was this golden Mistral. The 1-of-99 convertible made its American debut this past August in Monterey, but we were glad to have another chance to gaze upon the V-12-powered stunner.