1929 Mercedes-Benz Wins Top Honors at 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

From Car and Driver

A 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer has won one of the highest awards in the classic-car world, the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Best of Show trophy.

Owned by collector Bruce McCaw of Bellevue, Washington, the prewar roadster has an illustrious history and a strong connection to a racing pedigree. It’s the eighth Mercedes-Benz to win the award; the most recent was a 1928 680s that won Best of Show in 2012.

The car’s story began in London, where it started off as a Mercedes-Benz Model S roadster but was then upgraded to Super Sports (SS) specification with a larger engine, a supercharged 7.0-liter inline-six. Next came a full outfitting by Barker of London, a noted British coachbuilder. Francis Curzon, the 5th Earl Howe—a racing driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1931—was the original owner of the car. He was also the co-founder of the legendary British Racing Drivers’ Club.

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The beautiful blue roadster was part of the Mercedes-Benz Prewar category at the Concours d’Elegance. It’s said to retain its original lights and chrome wheels, and its unusually shaped running boards and low-cut doors are among its most distinctive design features.

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