1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo tops Pebble Beach Concours

Among car collectors, there's no award more sought after than best in show prize at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a grueling competition masked as a happy party for 200 lucky owners. On Sunday, that prize went to a Texas couple for this car, a 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo, which had sat in storage for 30 years before a restoration. But for me, the best attendee wasn't a car, but a driver -- a 102-year-old woman who brought the 1930 Packard she bought new to Pebble Beach.

The Mercedes-Benz was one of 12 cars entered with bodies by Jacques Saoutchik, a French designer whose restyled luxury cars were in hot demand around the globe before and after World War II. Under the rules of Pebble Beach, it's not enough for a car to arrive in pristine condition -- owners in the running for Best in Show often bring a small team of detailers who give the cars a once-over on the golf course. They also have to drive a day-long tour around Monterey, Calif., and then onto the stage at the event; prize winners have lost their trophies when they've died on the ramp.