There is a discipline to admiration. The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award has spent a decade defining it. Each year, the award, founded in 2015 by The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, alongside co-founders William E. Connor, Bruce Meyer, and Christian Philippsen, gathers the best of show winners from the world's most prestigious concours events and asks a simple question: which one is the finest of them all? This past January, seven finalists answered for that title at The Peninsula Paris. Among them: a 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I known as "Phantom of Love," a 1934 Alfa Romeo Tipo B that had taken top honors at Villa d'Este, and a 1996 Ferrari F50 GT, a newcomer by concours standards, that won The Quail.
The winner, ultimately, embodied all of it.
The 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, by Stabilimenti Farina. The fastest and most exclusive Italian automobile of the late 1930s, this particular example was originally owned by Giuseppe Antonio "Nino" Farina, the first official Formula One World Champion. Its coachwork, designed by Nino's uncle Giovanni Battista "Pinin" Farina, bears the elegant lines of his celebrated Lancia Astura "Tipo Bocca", and stands as the only 8C 2900B ever to wear a Stabilimenti Farina body. The current owner acquired it in a partially restored state and brought it to completion in 1996.
As Sir Michael has said of the award, "Each finalist represents a chapter in the story of motoring history, crafted by visionary designers and preserved for future generations." In the 8C 2900B, that chapter is rich, part racing dynasty, part design legacy, part stewardship spanning nearly three decades of restoration.
The century-old Parisian landmark of The Peninsula Paris proved a fitting stage. Judging the field was a panel that included Jay Leno, Gordon Murray, and Gorden Wagener, joined by automotive architects, former industry leaders, and international royalty, a group as carefully curated as the cars themselves.
Kai Lermen, Senior Vice President of The Peninsula Signature Events, has spent years thinking about what it means to build an experience worthy of machines like these. "With all Peninsula Signature Events, the starting point is always respect for the category and its legacy," he says. "For the annual Best of the Best Awards in particular, these are automobiles already recognized at the highest level, so our responsibility is to create an experience that honors the craftsmanship, history, and dedication behind each car."
That responsibility extends beyond the cars themselves. The owners, often the heroes of the concours world, matter just as much. "Our goal is to create an experience that is timeless rather than trend-driven, where excellence, heritage, and passion are felt in every moment," Lermen adds. "We aim to create moments that become lasting memories, the kind that stay with you long after the day has passed, and that put a smile on your face."