Winning a local car show is nice, but taking home a trophy that declares your vehicle superior to every other top-tier winner on the planet is a different league entirely. The Peninsula Paris became the centre of the automotive universe this week as it crowned a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B with ‘The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award.’ This is the sort of accolade that settles arguments before they even start, marking the car as the undisputed monarch of the classic circuit.
Qualifying for this award is harder than getting a table at a new hotspot on opening night. To even be invited, a car must have already won ‘Best of Show’ at a major international Concours d’Elegance during the previous year. This specific Alfa Romeo punched its ticket by dominating at ‘The Amelia 2025’ before arriving in Paris for the gala on 26 January. The event drew a crowd as high-profile as the machinery, including Nicole Kidman, who watched as the Italian thoroughbred took the top honour.
Sir Michael Kadoorie launched this initiative in 2015 alongside co-founders William E. ‘Chip’ Connor, Bruce Meyer and Christian Philippsen because they shared a desire to celebrate the best of what defines the automotive world. They wanted to create a global benchmark that brings the elite of the international concours scene together in one place. It serves as a way to honour the highest art of restoration while ensuring these mechanical cultural assets are preserved for future generations to appreciate.
Most collectors would settle for any 8C, but this chassis comes with a backstory that sounds like it was written for cinema. It was originally owned by Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina, the man who etched his name in history as the first official Formula 1 World Champion in 1950. While many of its siblings wore Touring coachwork, Farina kept it in the family by commissioning Stabilimenti Farina to sculpt the body. The result is the only 8C 2900B in existence with this specific design, making it a singular piece of motoring history.

Deborah Keller accepted the prize for the Keller Collection and noted that the car “embodies the golden era of Italian automotive design and outstanding craftsmanship.” The vehicle was in a partially restored state when acquired but underwent a complete transformation finished in 1995. Since then, it has been busy collecting silverware at Pebble Beach and even winning the ‘Parade of Elegance’ after completing the Rally Monte Carlo. “Every time I see it, I am reminded why such magnificent automobiles deserve to be preserved and celebrated,” Keller said.
Taking the title required fending off six other nominees that represent the absolute peak of collecting. The Alfa had to outshine heavyweights like a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Spezial Roadster and a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM. The jury panel responsible for this difficult decision included industry titans such as Gordon Murray and Jay Leno. Co-founder of the awards, Christian Philippsen, described the winner as “the pinnacle of pre-war high-performance engineering,” and it is hard to argue with that assessment.
Anyone hoping to see this masterpiece in the metal can head to Rétromobile from 28 January to 1 February. Find out more here.
photography. courtesy of Agence Pancake, Peninsula Paris
words. Gennaro Costanzo



















































































































































