In a mere ten years, the annual Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award has become an institution, celebrating the concours car chosen from nine premier Best of Show winners worldwide. Every year the winner is announced at a Peninsula hotel, and this year it was back to Paris, to coincide with Rétromobile.
The judging panel, including Jean Todt, the Duke of Richmond, Ralph Lauren, Henry Ford III, Gordon Murray and Ian Callum, made their choice from the 2024 Best of Show winners of Cavallino Classic, Chantilly Arts & Elegance, Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Concours of Elegance Hampton Court Palace, Goodwood Cartier Style et Luxe, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Salon Privé, The Amelia and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.
From these nine world-class cars, the Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award for 2024 went to the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, chassis 6053, which won Best in Show – Competizione at January 2024’s Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach, Florida.
Fully restored in 2021 by Ferrari Classiche, 6053 is now back in perfect 1964 condition with Rosso Cina paint and Bleu seats
The mid-/rear-engined LM was intended to replace the front-engined GTO in GT racing, but the FIA refused to homologate it for that class. Instead, it had to run as a Sports Prototype. Ironically, that decision extended the GTO’s life as a front-line racer – but in the hands of privateers rather than as Works cars, Enzo Ferrari having temporarily resigned his entrant’s licence in protest.
This fabulous example of the 250 LM, owned by Chris and Ann Cox, is very unusual in never having sustained any serious crash damage despite being extensively campaigned in period – not least in the Daytona 24 Hours and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
As often with race cars, the history of chassis 6053 is a little convoluted. It was delivered new to UK concessionaire Ronnie Hoare. Then, in October 1964, it was sold to George Drummond, who notched up several wins in British events before entering the Daytona 24 Hours with Innes Ireland and Mike Hailwood. Sadly, a gearbox failure forced retirement, but 6053 then raced successfully in several other events in Europe and Africa before Drummond sold it in 1968 to Paul Vestey.
He already had a 250 LM engine and transaxle unit from chassis 6167, which had been wrecked on the Targa Florio – and the 6167 motor had been approved by the scrutineers for use at Le Mans. This meant he could install it in the body/chassis unit of 6053 and enter the 1968 24 Hours. Yet again, gearbox trouble cursed it, and the car had to retire – a fate shared by more than two-thirds of the 54 starters, however, so no shame there.
Fully restored in 2021 by Ferrari Classiche, 6053 is now back in perfect 1964 condition with Rosso Cina paint and Bleu seats. Rarer than a 250 GTO, with great period race history and possessing the coveted Ferrari Classiche Red Book, 6053 firmly deserves to be honoured as the Best of the Best.
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