Duesenberg SSJ Wins Best of Show at 75th Pebble Beach Concours

Originally owned by Clark Gable, the Best of Show winner is the eighth Duesenberg to win the top trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours…

The Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was awarded to a Duesenberg SSJ originally owned by Clark Gable. The 75th celebration of the concours also reached a major milestone, surpassing $50 million in total charitable giving, event organizers stated in a press release.

This year, 218 cars—including 33 international entries from 14 countries and 185 U.S. entries from 30 states—competed for the top award. The winning 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster was shown by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio.

“Duesenberg often tops the list of desires for people with a passion for American classics, and the iconic SSJ is the marque’s ultimate expression,” said concours chairman Sandra Button. “This Special Speedster, one of just two made, offers both style and performance—and has a fantastic Hollywood backstory.”

The SSJ embodies the dramatic styling of the era, with its sweeping hood line and rakish, aerodynamic windshield. It has been recently restored to its initial presentation, with a black lacquer finish and a light saddle leather interior.

“I won once before, 19 years ago, but I appreciate it a lot better now,” said Yeaggy. “I appreciate the hard work it took and the time it took to get here. People don’t realize how hard it is, how special it is, to win this award. It’s amazing.”

Yeaggy won Best of Show with the 1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster known as the “Mormon Meteor” in 2007. Duesenberg retains its status as the Pebble Beach Concours’ winningest American marque, now having earned a total of eight Best of Show trophies, noted the release.

The Pebble Beach Concours has already raised more than $4.3 million for charity this year, bringing the event’s total charitable donations to $50,154,192 to date. More than half of that total has been raised in the past decade. Through the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, the primary charitable partner of the concours, these funds will benefit more than 130 local nonprofits dedicated to improving the education, health and well-being of children throughout Monterey County.

Auction Results: Gooding Christie’s Tops $159 Million

Gooding Christie’s, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for the 22nd year, concluded its highest-grossing sale since the company’s inception, officials said. The auction house realized over $159 million in sales with a 94% sell-through rate. The top lot of this year’s car week, the 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, set a record as the most valuable American car ever sold at auction. It also became the most valuable car ever sold by Gooding Christie’s at auction, achieving nearly $43 million.

Looking Ahead to the 76th Concours

The 76th Celebration of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, to be held at The Lodge at Pebble Beach on August 15, 2027, will celebrate the centennial of Delage’s Grand Prix–winning season with a selection of cars from that marque, Prewar Open-Front Town Cars, 40 Years of the Ferrari F40, and a class of Delahayes. Additional special classes and further details will be announced this fall.

Complete List Of 2026 Winners

Best of Show

Best of Show Nominees

Elegance Awards

Gwenn Graham Most Elegant Convertible

J. B. & Dorothy Nethercutt Most Elegant Closed Car

Jules Heumann Most Elegant Open Car

Strother MacMinn Most Elegant Sports Car

Special Awards

Alec Ulmann Trophy

Ansel Adams Award

ArtCenter College of Design Award

Briggs Cunningham Trophy

Chairman’s Trophy

Charles A. Chayne Trophy

Classic Car Club of America Trophy

Dean Batchelor Trophy

Elegance in Motion Trophy

Enzo Ferrari Trophy

FIVA Prewar Trophy

FIVA Postwar Trophy

The French Cup

Gran Turismo Trophy

The LAP of Luxury Award

Lincoln Trophy

Lorin Tryon Trophy

Lucius Beebe Trophy

Mercedes-Benz Star of Excellence Award

Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy

The Phil Hill Cup

Tony Hulman Trophy

Pininfarina Trophy

Class Awards

A: Antique

B: Early Speedsters (Pre-World War I)

C-1: American Classic Open

C-2: American Classic Closed

C-3: 1933 Century of Progress Exhibition

D: Packard

E: Streamliner (Pre-World War II)

F: Automobiles of Royal India

G: Duesenberg

H: Rolls-Royce Prewar

J-1: European Classic Under 4 Liters

J-2: European Classic Over 4 Liters

L-1: Prewar Preservation

L-2: Postwar Preservation

M-1: Ferrari Competition: Chinetti/NART

M-2: Ferrari Competition

M-3: Ferrari Grand Touring

M-4: Ferrari Vignale

N: Vignale

O-1: Postwar Sports Racing

O-2: Postwar Sports Touring

O-3: Postwar Luxury Touring

P: Japanese Motorsport

R-1: Pebble Beach Road Race Production

R-2: Pebble Beach Road Race Special

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