The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, returned for its 22nd year at Monterey Car Week, where a 1996 F50 GT1 was named Best of Show. Owned by Art Zafiropoulo, the 1996 F50 GT1 was selected from a curated field of more than 200 entrants and stood out for its design, craftsmanship and historical significance, event organizers stated in a press release. The winning vehicle was inducted into the Rolex Circle of Champions, a tradition celebrating the pinnacle of automotive excellence, and its owner received a specially engraved Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 presented by Luca Bernasconi, president and CEO of Rolex USA.
The 1996 Ferrari F50 GT1 is one of the rarest and most extreme Ferraris ever built, a prototype created to take the F50 into top-tier GT1 racing. Chassis number 001, the only factory-assembled test car, pairs a 750-horsepower evolution of Ferrari’s 4.7-liter V-12 with a carbon-fiber monocoque, period-perfect aerodynamics and race hardware. Built for the international GT1 class but never raced after Ferrari ended the program in 1997, it has remained with its first and only private owner, Zafiropoulo. With purposeful carbon bodywork, black Speedline wheels and timeless proportions, the F50 GT1 stands as one of the iconic brand’s most desirable and formidable sports racers, noted the press release.
Other Award-Winning Cars at The Quail
This year’s other award winners announced at 2025’s The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering include:
- Spirit of The Quail: 1967 Shelby EXP500 Prototype Coupe owned by Mr. and Mrs. Craig Jackson.
- Hagerty Drivers Foundation Award: 1967 Sunbeam MK2 owned by Richard Thompson.
- Rolex Circle of Champions Best of Show of The Quail: 1996 Ferrari F50 GT1 owned by Art Zafiropoulo.
- Liveries of F1: 1997 Ferrari F1310B owned by J.R. Amantea.
- 30th Anniversary of the Ferrari F50: 1995 F50 owned by Museo Carde.
- 60th Anniversary of the Shelby Mustang GT350: 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350R Model #98 (White) owned by John Dwyer.
- 60th Anniversary of Iso Grifo: 1963 Iso Griffo A3/L Prototype owned by Peter Wilde.
- The Evolution of the Supercar: 1996 Koenigsegg CC Prototype owned by Gaurav Dhar.
- The Great Ferraris: 1960 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spider owned by Tom and Gwen Price.
- Pre-War Sports and Racing: 1931 Daimler Double-Six 50 Corsica (Black) owned by Ann Brockinton Lee.
- Post-War Sports 1945-60: 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing owned by Russell Steiner.
- Post-War Sports 1961-75: 1967 Toyota 2000GT (Red) owned by Gianluca Cimini.
- Post-War Racing: 1966 Porsche 906 Spyder owned by Ed Palmer.
- Custom Coachwork: 1935 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe owned by Greg Heinrich.
- Sports and Racing Motorcycles Bike: 1917 Henderson 4 owned by Mike Lynch.
- ArtCenter College of Design Award: 2008 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Coupe by Touring Superleggera owned by David Cohen Family Trust.
- The Art of Bespoke Award Presented by Magneto Magazine: 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Bertone owned by James R. Utaski.
Global Vehicle Debuts at The Quail
The Quail also witnessed 18 of the most notable manufacturers and designers debut their latest creations, officials said. Highlights of the show included global debuts of the Lamborghini Fenomeno; Guntherwerks Project F-26; Corvette CX Concept and CX.R Gran Turismo Concepts, as well as a special edition Corvette ZR1x Silver Quail; the Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution LF; Lexus Sport Concept; Cadillac Elevated Velocity; Superlegerra Veloce 12; Gordon Murray Automobiles GMSV Le Mans GTR and GMSV S1 LM; Bugatti Brouillard; and the Ringbrothers 1971 Aston Martin DBS.
Anniversaries Celebrated at The Quail
In addition to global vehicle debuts, entrants from this year’s four featured classes also took center stage. The 30th Anniversary of the Ferrari F50 honored one of Maranello’s most celebrated modern supercars, with the award going to the 1995 Ferrari F50 owned by Museo Carde, a class that had 17 entrants in total.
The 60th Anniversary of the Shelby Mustang GT350 paid tribute to Carroll Shelby’s legendary American muscle icon, highlighted by John Dwyer’s white 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350R Model #98.
The 60th Anniversary of Iso Grifo showcased the Italian-American grand tourer’s distinctive blend of style and performance, represented by Peter Wilde’s 1963 Iso Griffo A3/L Prototype.
Finally, the Liveries of F1 class celebrated the rich visual heritage of Formula 1, with J.R. Amantea’s 1997 Ferrari F1310B earning the award for its iconic period-correct livery. The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, also featured eight traditional classes that showcased vehicles from a variety of decades, brands and designs.
“From esteemed collectors showing the rarest vehicles in the world on the field to sponsors debuting the latest in automotive art and technology, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, is the epicenter of automotive culture,” said Kai Lermen, senior vice president of The Peninsula Signature Events. “The diversity of our show field, our focus on offering a fun, garden party atmosphere and the incredible number of global debuts that make this event truly unique. We thank our sponsors, guests, and the motoring community for their continued support making The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, the most exclusive, impactful event of Monterey Car Week.”
IROC Legends Reunion
This year’s event also featured a reunion of IROC legends, as more than 20 historic IROC cars and legendary drivers made the journey from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to The Quail. For the first time, multiple generations of IROC champions, including Jeff Gordon, Jenson Button, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Danny Sullivan, Ken Schrader, Bill Elliott, Zak Brown and Bruce Canepa came together for an unprecedented display of racing heritage, where guests watched a special parade lap and got an exclusive up-close look of the racing machines and drivers, event officials noted.
Next year’s The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, will take place on Aug. 16, 2026.