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Duesenberg SSJ Wins Best Of Show At 2026 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Duesenberg SSJ Wins Best Of Show At 2026 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Winning Best of Show at the 75th Pebble Beach Concours, the car was originally owned by Clark Gable.

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This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and an adrenaline-filled week full of events leading up to it, has come to a close, and for many enthusiasts at the festivities, the grand finale is the announcement of awards for the cars at the legendary Concours d’Elegance event. 2026 marked the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and with over $50 million reached in total charitable giving, the milestone was celebrated with a major achievement.

218 classic cars entered the concours this year, including 33 international entries hailing from 14 countries, and 185 entries from 30 states. Of all that competition, the Best of Show winner was a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster, shown by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The car is a remarkable example, featuring dramatic styling, restoration to its original black lacquer exterior and light saddle leather interior, and Hollywood origins, as it was originally owned by Clark Gable. About the victory, Yeaggy commented, “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 has won Best of Show before, 19 years ago with a 1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster called “Mormon Meteor,” in 2007. With both wins, Yeaggy contributed to Duesenberg’s status as the winningest American manufacturer at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with a total of eight Best of Show trophies. Interestingly, the second owner of the car lived in Pebble Beach, and was the custodian of the car for nearly 12 years. The Best of Show win is a full-circle moment in its history.

The competition was strong this year, and included other contenders like a 1938 Delahaye 165 Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet, coming from Switzerland, a 1955 Ferrari 375 MM Pinin Farina Berlinetta, brought to the show from Bangkok, Thailand, and a 1954 Ferrari 375 America Vignale Cabriolet, hailing from Texas.

This year, the Pebble Beach Concours raised an impressive $4.3 million for charity, bringing the total charitable giving of the concours to over $50 million, hitting a major milestone in conjunction with its 75th iteration. Over half of that total has been raised in the past decade alone. Those funds will benefit over 130 nonprofits that are local to Monterey County, California.

Meanwhile, Gooding Christie’s, the official auction house of the concours, achieved its highest grossing sale since the company’s inception, as the sale at the concours achieved over $159 million in sales, with a 94-percent sell-through rate. The most valuable lot, also the most valuable car ever sold by Gooding Christie’s at auction, was a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, which sold for nearly $43 million.

Next year, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is set to celebrate the centenary of Delage’s Grand Prix-winning season, while also highlighting Prewar Open-Front Town Cars, 40 Years of the Ferrari F40, and a class of Delahayes.

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Image Source: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Tyler Rampersaud



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