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1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer wins 2017 Pebble Beach Best of Show

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – A gorgeous silver and blue 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer captured the coveted Best of Show award Sunday afternoon at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'ELegance. Owned by Bruce McCaw, the German icon beat out a prestigious field comprised of 200 entries from around the world.

The Mercedes' victory capped a beautiful day spent celebrating vintage cars on the famed 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Links. Gray skies gave way to a sun-drenched afternoon as well-heeled enthusiasts mingled with celebrities like former NFL star Michael Strahan and comedian Jay Leno, plus famous racecar drivers and auto industry executives. The 67th edition of what is arguably the most distinguished car show in the world also awarded honors in individual classes, and this year the featured sections included Ferrari's major race winners, Ferrari's One-Off Speciales and American Dream Cars of the 1960s.

The '29 Mercedes has its original lighting and chrome-plated wheels. It features a boat-tail design, one of the seminal styling cues of the pre-war era. It was restored by Steve Babinsky in Lebanon, N.J. "We've had the car for several years," McCaw, of Bellevue, Wash., said in a statement. "The question was whether or not to restore it. I always hate to restore something that doesn't need it. But we finally found enough pictures that we knew the car needed to be restored."

Interestingly, McCaw competed against his brother John McCaw and his wife Gwen for Best of Show, who had a 1957 Ferrari 315 S Scaglietti Spyder, in the finals. The third finalist was a 1932 Packard 906 Twin Six Dietrich Convertible Victoria owned by William Connor of Reno, Nev.

The day began before the sun rose as hundreds of hearty enthusiasts gathered to watch the cars drive onto the fairway – an insider event that's becoming increasingly popular – and ended with the traditional winner's drive onto the stand in front of the famous Lodge at Pebble Beach.

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