Classic Mercedes wins 'Best of Show' at Pebble Beach

A Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster has won the 'Best of Show' title at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The car prevailed over a top-class field of other exclusive classic cars in a jury vote, marking the tenth 'Best of Show' title for a Mercedes-Benz vehicle since the start of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1950. The win also places Mercedes-Benz as the most successful brand in the history of the event.

The 540 K Special Roadster was originally ordered in May 1937 for Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan, and delivered in September of the same year. It was brought to the Afghan embassy in Paris in the 1940s, before arriving in the U.K. in 1950, presented as a gift for the king's son-in-law. Following which, it was sold to a collector in the U.S.A in 1953. The car seen only five changes of ownership, with the current owner, Jim Patterson, having purchased it at auction during the Pebble Beach week in 2022. 

The car has seen been restored to the strictest standards of authenticity by RM Auto Restoration in close cooperation with the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre.